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Medford students present CCSR year summary; program reports steady participation despite high school drop
Summary
Rich Trotta presented the Center for Citizenship and Social Responsibility (CCSR) annual report, highlighting student projects, community partnerships, and donor support. Trotta said overall participation is steady districtwide but that Medford High has fewer students than prior years, in part because of adviser turnover.
Rich Trotta, the district’s CCSR coordinator, gave the annual overview on June 18 and played student videos prepared by the vocational film and video class. Trotta thanked the district administration and advisers and highlighted grant support: the Cummings Foundation has provided approximately $406,000 to date, Crystal Campbell-related donations roughly $150,000, and Bloomberg Philanthropies $50,000.
Trotta said about 3,000 students have participated in CCSR since 2013 with more than 700 projects over 12 years and that this year’s enrollment across all schools was 371 students. He said the largest drop occurred at Medford High after a long-serving adviser left; when that adviser had been present the high school program reached about 100 students. “We have to get an adviser,” Trotta said, noting the program provides stipends to advisers funded by grants and that the district currently offers about $2,500 per adviser.
Student speakers described projects including Mystic River and parks cleanups, visits to eldercare facilities, hygiene and clothing drives, a summer art studio funded by a $10,000 Cummings Foundation grant, and a professional library for faculty. Jonah Siegel, student CCSR president, described duties such as mentoring students and running social media for the club.
Committee members asked about declining high school participation and funding. Trotta and members discussed adviser recruitment, stipend levels, and the possibility of reallocating or identifying additional funds. Trotta noted the grant-funded stipend has been raised over time and that the program spent about $45,000 on financial assistance for afterschool programming this year. Committee members encouraged proposals to increase stipends or identify other funding sources to restore high school participation.
