Volunteering in Schools

JVN is passionate about schools volunteering and getting children involved at an early age helping the Jewish and wider community.

JVN is supported by the Children's Aid Committee (CAC) and is grateful to them for their funding of our various in-school projects, especially the development of the Yoni Jesner Award Scheme and volunteering days in schools in the London area.

YONI JESNER AWARD - The Yoni Jesner Award is a volunteering award scheme for young people aged 11-14 - launched in 2006 by UJIA and the Yoni Jesner Foundation. The scheme currently runs in the seven London Jewish schools plus other regional schools, synagogues and youth groups.

Yoni Jesner (z"l) was a young, Scottish Bnei Akiva leader tragically killed in a Tel Aviv bus bombing in September 2002. He was committed to encouraging young people to do as many acts of chesed (good deeds) as possible, and an inspirational role model for many young people.

The Yoni Jesner Award - supported by The Yoni Jesner Foundation, UJIA and JLGB - is given to children who complete 20 hours of volunteering in their community during the academic year. At the end of each academic year an award ceremony takes place for the presentations of certificates.

For more information about the Yoni Jesner Award, contact Leonie Lewis leonie@jvn.org.uk

If your school, synagogue or youth group is taking part in the Yoni Jesner Award Scheme, visit www.jlgb.org/yonijesner to sign up and record your volunteering hours.

JLGB/JVN SIXTH FORM VOLUNTEERING PROJECT - JVN together with JLGB host a series of volunteering fairs and promotions in Jewish schools for 6th Form students, giving them the opportunity to volunteer with many diverse and exciting organisations within the Jewish and wider communities. The fairs held so far have been very successful and hundreds of Sixth Form students have taken on volunteer work for several Jewish and non-Jewish charities.
Jamie Field of Jewish Care, who attended the fairs, said: "The volunteering fairs we attended were well organised and provided us a great opportunity to recruit young people to discreet pieces of work which sparks their interest in the work we do for a longer term association."
Melanie Schutz at King Solomon High School said about their fair, held on 17th January 2012: "It is wonderful to be able to offer our Year 12 students the opportunity to make a difference in our community. We look forward to building on the programme next year."
Ask your school social action co-ordinator for details!

JVN works with UJIA JAMS (Jewish Activities in Mainstream Schools) - presenting assemblies and lunch and learn sessions for the Jewish students in mainstream schools on how to get involved in volunteering, the Jewish responsibility to society and other topics. JVN has spoken at a variety of schools including: Highgate School, North London Collegiate School, Haberdasher's Aske's Boys, Merchant Taylors, Queen Elizabeth Boys and South Hampstead.

To hear JVN speak in your school, contact Anthony Ashworth-Steen at JAMS anthony.ashworth-steen@ujia.org or contact JVN directly to make the request for you - leonie@jvn.org.uk