Beginning in 2008, Kids Grow New York became The Mandell School's annual Kindergarten class community service initiative. Kids Grow New York focuses on how Mandell students and children at other schools around New York City can influence their communities and the world by caring for trees, planting and caring for the "green" parts of our neighborhood. This project serves as a model for the students to learn from, so that based on their own ideas they can launch their own initiatives and projects in their upcoming years at Mandell.

Kids Grow New York 2009-2010:

The Street Tree Initiative
The Street Tree Initiative's focus is the care of the trees on the 94th, 95th, and 96th Street blocks between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.

Education
The Mandell School community researches street tree care and plan to educate our neighbors. Our students create brochures explaining proper tree care and how to help keep our neighborhood trees healthy. These brochures are distributed by teachers and students to the community in preparation for Kids Grow New York Planting Day.

Action
This year The Kids Grow New York Planting Day will be held on Saturday, May 22nd 2010 beginning at 9:00am. Four Upper West Side neighborhood schools, P.S. 163, P.S. 166, Manhattan Children's Center, and The Mandell School will gather to care for the street trees on their respective blocks. Volunteers will install tree guards, clean, and plant flowers in street tree pits.

Outreach
On Thursday, April 8th, 2010 The Mandell School hosted the Kids Grow New York Art Exhibition. This event celebrated the student's tree artwork at P.S. 163, Manhattan Children's Center, and The Mandell School. This artwork was featured in a calendar sold in all three schools to raise funds for the Kids Grow New York Planting Day. With the funds raised through the sales of the calendars, Kids Grow New York is able to provide flowers, t-shirts and watering cans for Planting Day. We are thrilled that each year we have an opportunity for both public and private schools to come together to make their neighborhood and community a greener place. For more information on Kids Grow New York, please visit our website www.kidsgrowny.org.