Organization Profile
Randall Area Youth Service Council
http://rayscouncil.webs.comService Learning has always been a passion for Kristy Verdi. The idea that kids can help their community as they learn their lessons just seems logical in her opinion! During the summer of 2007, she decided to give the students at Randall Middle School a chance to help out their community. She contacted Florida Learn & Serve for a grant. She received a grant for $1200 to organize a youth service council at Randall Middle School. The council’s first project was on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of 2008. We organized a clean-up on the Alafia River. Instead of students getting the day off, they took a day on! Later, in April, they organized yet another environmental project. Around Alderman’s Ford Park, they cleaned up the invasive air-potato. All of this allowed us to help our community AND learn important curriculum. In May of 2008, the Randall Service Learning Council applied for a larger grant and welcomed 10 new members. Over the summer, the Leadership Team elected to change the name to the Randall Area Youth Service Council, or R.A.Y.S.! For this school year, Florida Learn & Serve granted the council $5200. This school year, Mrs. Verdi introduced an elective for all RMS sixth graders to see what service learning is all about. The class was called “Think, Learn, & Serve”. The R.A.Y.S. Council and the T.L.S. students planned and organized several service learning, community service, and volunteer projects throughout the 2008-2009 school year and many students got involved.
.png)