Banker

Citizen Schools

Citizen Schools is an innovative nonprofit that lets ordinary people use their professional skills to volunteer-teach at local schools. We spoke to Chris Schmidt, a Program Manager at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch in Boston. At work he specializes in global trade and supply chain finance, but in his free time he's a volunteer mentor with Citizen Schools. Below, he tells us a little bit about his experience: 

What inspired you to want to get involved in volunteer teaching with Citizen Schools?

I attended a lunch-and-learn session hosted by my employer - Bank of America* - on volunteering opportunities with partner organizations, and Citizen Schools was one of the featured presenters. I was very impressed by Citizen Schools' concept of the "apprenticeship" where professionals were invited into the classroom to teach middle school students about subjects that interest them, such as business, finance, law, engineering, etc. I remembered how difficult it was at that age to connect the dots, so to speak, between school and the real world, so I wanted to become a Citizen Teacher to help kids understand the business world around them and encourage them to make connections outside of the classroom.

(*The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is a longstanding supporter of Citizen Schools and encourages employees to support their communities through volunteerism.)

What is the single most rewarding day you've had as a Citizen Teacher?

My most rewarding day was watching my first group of apprentices present at their WOW - the culminating event hosted by Citizen Schools where apprentices teach back what they have learned to friends, families, and community members. It was amazing to see and hear my apprentices teach back with such confidence their answer to the question, "Why does the iPod cost $299?", which we posed to them during our first lesson together. The WOW was really inspiring for me as a Citizen Teacher because I saw how proud and accomplished the kids were after our 10 weeks together and that has kept me coming back to teach again and again.

How do your professional experience and skills help you as a teacher?

I try to bring all the experiences and skills that I have accumulated in my professional life into the classroom such as communication, leadership, teamwork, business acumen, and analysis. Citizen Schools has this mantra of the "teach back" where apprentices are expected to absorb what they have learned well enough to be able to teach it back to their teachers, friends, and families. I have realized that being a member of a business team is not so different from being a Citizen Teacher in the sense that I need to "teach back" what I know and learn everyday to my colleagues and our clients as a coach or advisor rather than as a lecturer. This translates well into the apprenticeship model at Citizen Schools and has helped me to be successful as a Citizen Teacher.

What advice would you give to someone who's thinking about volunteering in the classroom?

Teaching an apprenticeship is not easy, but it is well worth the commitment and effort. Pick a subject that you know and love to talk about. Although you may think your interests would be boring to the kids, they are excited by what you are passionate about and inspired by what you bring into the classroom. Your experience and skills are invaluable resources, so believe that you can make a difference for them and you will.