M-DCPS TEACHER RECEIVES OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER AWARD AT
NATIONAL SERVICE CONFERENCE

Miami — Janis Klein-Young, a fine arts teacher at the Young Men's Academy @ MacArthur South was honored with the “Spirit of Service Award” by the Corporation for National and Community Service at its National Conference on Volunteering and Service yesterday at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The awards are given annually to individuals representing each of the corporation's three national service programs – AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America – who have performed exemplary service in their communities.

Klein-Young, who was honored under the category of Learn and Serve America, has taught fine arts for 35 years in Miami Dade County Public Schools.  With funding from Florida Learn & Serve, Klein-Young designed and executed an arts-based service learning project at MacArthur South in 2002 that has expanded into a nationally recognized program and model. As part of the program, students work each week learning indigenous arts and crafts techniques including painting, sculpture, ceramics, ornaments and woodwork from local artists at ArtSouth in the Homestead Community.  The students also conduct community, cultural and arts events in Homestead; provide tours of ArtSouth; and create public murals.

The National Conference on Volunteering and Service, co-convened by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Light and Hands On Network is the world's largest annual gathering of volunteer and service leaders. For more information, visit www.volunteeringandservice.org.

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10-JS/198/GC

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