The Penny Harvest, an educational program created by the not-for-profit Common Cents

Common Cents

Common Cents is a national educational, not-for-profit organization, which specializes in creating and managing service-learning programs for young people between the ages of four and 14...

, engages students in Youth Philanthropy – fundraising, grant-making and service – with the goal of developing their generosity and moral character as well as their understanding of democratic participation.

Nationally, over half a million children participate in the Penny Harvest and have raised over 5 million

Million

One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...

 dollars since the program’s inception. Students use the funds to provide monetary grants to non-profits and carry-out Neighborhood Service projects. Many of the causes and charities these children support through the Penny Harvest include sexual abuse

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...

, LGBT rights, issues surrounding homelessness

Homelessness

Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...

, animal cruelty, and immigration

Immigration

Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...

 rights

Rights

Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...

, and charities such as American Red Cross

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...

, Make-A-Wish Foundation

Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 non-profit organization founded in the United States that grants wishes to children who have life-threatening medical conditions. The charity now operates in forty-seven countries around the world through thirty-six affiliate offices.The president & CEO of this...

, and the American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...

.

The Penny Harvest is a service-learning

Service-learning

Service-learning is a method of teaching, learning and reflecting, frequently youth service, throughout the community. As a teaching method, it falls under the philosophy of experiential education...

 and character education program that strives to continue US President Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

’s vision of expanding opportunities for Americans to serve their communities. The program endeavors to bridge the theoretical leap from community service to total service-learning, where service is integrated into the classroom through instruction. “School-based philanthropy initiatives, like the Penny Harvest, are now catching on nation wide.”

Penny Harvest: The Beginning

The Penny Harvest began in 1991 with a question from then 4-year old Nora Gross – “That man is cold. Why can’t we take him home?” She was referring to a homeless man she saw while walking on NYC’s Broadway with her father Teddy Gross

Teddy Gross

Teddy Gross is the founder and executive director of Common Cents, a national not-for-profit educational organization, which specializes in designing citizenship programs for children and young people, and supporting their work in schools throughout America...

, founder of Common Cents and the Penny Harvest.

That one question was the catalyst for what was to become the Penny Harvest program. Gross began “harvesting” in his building, “asking neighbors if they had any pennies, and how they would feel about giving them to the homeless.”

”Each year in New York City, 2 million dollars’ worth of pennies are wasted. People dump them into jars….” Others of them “disappear into drawers, behind car seats, into trash heaps and into penny oblivion.” The Penny Harvest program ventures to capitalize on these annually discarded pennies.

Gathering Pennies: Phase 1

Each October and November, children between the ages of four and 14 connect with their parents, friends, neighbors and local businesses as they go door to door in search of pennies. Neighbors of all types and generations talk and share with the ultimate goal of coalescing as a stronger community.

The program attempts to engage New York City schools to involve the entire student body. Through activities like penny rallies and “Wheel of Caring” assemblies, students, teachers, parents and staff join forces for one common goal: beating the “25 Sack Challenge” Each school strives to fill 25 sacks of pennies weighing 750 pounds (340.2 kg).

To encourage participation, student leaders make PA announcements, create and decorate bulletin boards, rally individual classes and lead assemblies. “Teachers also use [the program] to connect real-life issues with subjects like math, English and social Studies.”

Making Grants: Phase 2

The Philanthropy Roundtable, distinctive to the Penny Harvest program, enables the students to ultimately decide how to spend the harvest funds. In brief, young people form Philanthropy Roundtables, study community problems, and try to determine which organizations best alleviate those problems. They then make cash grants, with the pennies they collected earlier, to those organizations.

Taking Action: Phase 3

Students conceive and plan their own Neighborhood Service projects. They partner with experienced neighborhood groups to learn more about complex community problems and how to solve them.

Outcomes

In a study of the impact of the Penny Harvest program conducted by Dr. Chris Weiss, the Director of Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences at Columbia University, teachers involved in the program expressed that students who participate gain self-confidence and the self-awareness that they can make a difference. The teachers saw participating students sharpen their teamwork, communication and leadership skills and increase their effort academically. Importantly, teachers said they see students carry these positive impacts over time. In addition, teachers reported the program connects their schools to people and resources in the surrounding community and helps to get parents involved.

Accolades

In 2006 Chancellor Joel I. Klein of the New York City Department of Education

New York City Department of Education

The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...

 told principals that he recommended they bring the Penny Harvest to their schools “as part of a comprehensive strategy to improve the culture in your school. Consider the Penny Harvest as the key to service-learning and community involvement in your school.”

“The Penny Harvest takes place early in the year and helps foster school spirit, a positive atmosphere, improved community relations and favorable publicity,” said Principal Robert Guzzio of PS 14 in the Bronx. “The program develops a commitment to community, self worth and a caring attitude among students.”

Many youngsters find themselves taking part in group activities and even transforming into leaders for the first time as they get caught up in the thrill of the harvest. Diane Gonzalez, a teacher at PS 94, said “Everyone participated. Even students with speech problems were speaking and interacting, giving presentations and making phone calls!”

One parent said, “It was without a doubt the best thing my son did all year ... out of all of the classes and school assignments, he got the most out of the Penny Harvest.”

Major Funders

• Ford Foundation
  Ford Foundation
  The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
  
  
• Foundation for Jewish Community
• JPMorgan Chase
• New York City Council
  New York City Council
  The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
  
  
• New York City Department of Education
  New York City Department of Education
  The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...