EDUCATION

MV4NY is committed to engaging in projects that support education and service learning. We organize a combination of book and stationary drives, volunteering initiatives, service workshops, and various special events. MV4NY's volunteers support Project Cicero annually.

MV4NY participates in Service Fairs to promote service learning and volunteerism as well. We network with public and private schools as well as some colleges and universities throughout the city to engage students in a variety of service learning activities and curate student based volunteering opportunities. One of the largest drives in this category is the annual MV4NY Ramadan School Food Drive (to combat summer hunger in school kids when public schools are closed) which cross pollinates the Education platform with the Hunger and Poverty Alleviation platform: The Drive is designed to help develop student leadership as students take charge of some or all aspects of the drive at their school. We mentor them and provide tools to support their work. Students receive community service letters upon request for all their volunteering. This program cultivates MV4NY Student Ambassadors across NYC schools as students engage in activities leading to ‘kids helping kids’. For more information about the Student Ambassadorship program please click here. 

MV4NY hosts author workshops to promote and showcase diverse books and to raise multicultural awareness. We have hosted two author workshops to celebrate children’s author Hena Khan. In 2023, MV4NY will be hosting a special evening featuring author Sabeeha Rehman, the acclaimed author of three books, to share her experiences on stereotypes and identity. 

MV4NY organizes various virtual events which became especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has hosted multiple book reading ‘Listening Circles’ for younger audience in relation to Ramadan and Summer Hunger. 

In 2016 MV4NY helped establish a library at a Title 1 School on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (PS 191) by donating over 10,000 books in collaboration with other city schools. We encourage hands on learning through donating musical instruments to Education Through Music and by sponsoring teaching gardens at public schools. 

In 2017 we also co-sponsored the first Eid-ul Fitr celebration  at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, an event attended by over 750 people.  

From time to time, MV4NY engages in one-off projects to meet the need of the hour. These include donating gifts to an after school program at a deserving school, donating books and supplies to Charter and other schools, providing gently repurposed or used furniture and other supplies to educational institutions.