March 12, 2026: Civic Voices in Action
Civic Learning Week is a time to recognize the important role education plays in sustaining our democracy. This week, the °µÍøTV is proud to showcase student civic learning that reflects how young people across New York are growing into informed, engaged, and active citizens.
School: Berlin High School, Berlin Central School District
Location: Cherry Plain, NY
Students: Emma Dunkin (Class of 2026),ÌýMackenzie Lowell (Class of 2026), Valentina Popov (Class of 2026), Norah Smerdon (Class of 2026)
Teacher: Erik Viner
Title: "Seniors for Seniors"
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Berlin Central School District in the Eastern portion of the Capital District and had its New York State Seal of Civic Readiness program approved at the start of the 2025-2026 academic school year. Since then, the senior class within the Government and Economics course have begun to develop their own Service Learning Projects that target specific community needs. The district itself is a rural district, spread out over Rensselaer County, and has a wide range of socioeconomic statuses. Of particular note, senior citizens in the area do not have access to a wide range of services that can be found in other towns outside of the district. Only recently has a senior center opened in Grafton, the most Northern town that makes up the school community.
ÌýIn order to meet this need one group working on their Service Learning Project created the Seniors for Seniors, an initiative to provide assistance with snow removal and other outside tasks for the elderly. Since November they have gone to the senior center to assist with trivia and bingo, played in a band concert for their entertainment, and cleared several driveways after storms. The group is helping connect soon to be graduates to the community at large.Ìý
