Support Your TEEN DAY Model United Nations Team AND Get Your Leaves Raked

Need your leaves raked? Your bushes pruned? Your garden weeded?

Sign up to have your yardwork done FOR YOU Friday, November 6. Not only will you be able to check those chores off your list, but your financial donation will go toward supporting TEEN DAY’s Model United Nations team!

This March, TEEN DAY is sending a team of high schoolers to participate in National High School Model United Nations Conference in New York City!Conference attendance is not cheap, and, in the case of a homeschool team, members are expected to pay their fees out-of-pocket. To offset these costs and make the program accessible to all those who want to participate, the team is offering their yardwork services NOVEMBER 6!

We offer a flat rate for the following services:

$100 for leaf raking and bagging for city-sized lot (~.25 acres or smaller)*
$180 for leaf raking and bagging for large lots (~.26-.5 acres)*
$60/hr pruning or weeding work (no trees)*

*Homeowners will need to provide leaf bags or a place onsite leaves should be piled. Team will provide rakes and tarps; any other needed tools must be provided by homeowner.

A team of 2-6 people (depending on the size of the project) will be sent to your home on Friday, November 6 between 10am and 4pm. An adult will supervise the project sites and help liaise with homeowners. Checks made out to “TEEN DAY Ithaca” can be left in an obvious location for collection or paid when the team arrives to do the work. Donations can also be made via PayPal using THIS LINK.

To request a team to help at YOUR Fall Creek, Northside, or South Hill home, email ModelUN@teendayithaca.org or text ‪(607) 269-5102‬. There are only a handful of slots available, so sign up NOW!

For more information on TEEN DAY, visit the website: https://teendayithaca.org/
For more information on NHSMUN, visit the website: https://imuna.org/nhsmun/nyc/

Introducing: New History Fall Microgames Series

“Reacting to the Past is an active-learning pedagogy of complex role-playing games. Reacting promotes engagement with big ideas, and improves critical, practical, intellectual, and academic skills.”

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝟓) 𝟐-𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥…𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐘𝐎𝐔! Register for any or all of these micro-games for a sample-sized version of RTTP, with options ranging from 42 BC in Ancient Rome to the 2006 International Astronomical Union, there’s plenty of history to go ’round.

𝐓𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧@𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐚.𝐨𝐫𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧. Simulations are $36 for TEEN DAYers or $40 for those unaffiliated. Games run 2 consecutive weeks. No advanced preparation is needed to participate.

See the full class description HERE.
See the calendar of micro-games HERE.

Select TEEN DAY’s New Logo

A stellar team of seniors in an Ithaca College Capstone Marketing course led by Assoc. Prof. Mark Addona is helping TEEN DAY Ithaca finally get the facelift it deserves! We’re sharing our two favorite designs to get YOUR impressions.

Vote for your favorite design by visiting our social media pages.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeenDayIthaca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenday_ithaca/

Don’t use social media? Send us an email to register your favorite: admin@teendayithaca.org.

OPT In is in the Ithaca Times

TEEN DAY’s On-Purpose Teen Initiative (OPT In) is expanding with a little help from a $10,000 Lead4Change grant! Keep an eye out for details about this year teen grant cycle later this fall.

Read about TEEN DAY Ithaca, the OPT In program, and plans for the 2026-2027 grant cohort in this Ithaca Times article.

UPDATE: The Ithaca Voice picked up the story as well. Read it here.

Teen-Led Initiative Receives $10,000 to Support Other Teens

During the 2025-2026 academic year, a group of TEEN DAY Ithaca participants set out to create an innovative program to support their peers. Eleven teens registered for Lead4Change – a leadership program where they developed skills they would need; created an initiative (OPT-In) to help their community; and, eventually, applied for a grant to continue funding this project.The team applied for a grant of $10,000, and they were rewarded the full amount to go toward funding this project into the future!

Join Us!

TEEN DAY Award Ceremony and Reception
August 17th @ 5pm
Third Street Meetinghouse
120 Third St., Ithaca

Lead4Change and OPT-In

Lead4Change is a curriculum for grades 6-12. It teaches skills such as leadership, self-awareness, teamwork, problem-solving, career-readiness, and goal setting.

A group of students came together weekly to work through the Lead4Change curriculum. Throughout the process, the teens met together to watch lessons, complete worksheets, and plan for their project.

In the 2024—2025 school year, a group of three teens had participated in Lead4Change (they also achieved a grant of $10,000!) Two came back, and they brought the community initiative they had worked on last year.

“It’s helped me to develop a lot more confidence in leading something and also just understanding what that takes.” -Amaya (L4C and OPT-In participant)

That project is called the On Purpose Teen Initiative (OPT-In). It is an initiative designed to support teens both financially and socially as they explore their interests, build skills, and bring ideas to life.

OPT-In strives to bring encouragement and community and motivate teens to take that first step with their ideas. Participants work on self-directed projects of their choice: anything from creative pursuits, to hands-on builds, to community initiatives.

To support these projects, OPT-In offers microgrants of up to $100; weekly meetings for support, troubleshooting and accountability; and a collaborative, teen-centered community. This was all led and organized by many of the teens who participated in Lead4Change.

“It was really nice to have peer support and to have a schedule and fun meetings.” -Anya (OPT-In participant)

OPT-In was able to support 15+ teens this cycle (some were also members of the Lead4Change team), each with a unique project. Projects included building a playhouse, creating a website to help teens find volunteer opportunities, designing and making an outfit, long-distance walking, crocheting small cats, designing a board game, and more.

Some projects needed funding, and some just needed accountability and support. At the end of the cycle, there was a showcase, where participants could display and/or present their process and result.

OPT-In has had a positive impact on many teens so far.

“I think I grew a lot in this program, both from a leading standpoint and from contributing peer support.” -Lonny E.

“I think it made me realize just how much I could get done if I decided that I wanted to.” -Abby

Looking Ahead

With this $10,000 grant, TEEN DAY plans to continue cycles of OPT-In for the school years of 2026-2027 and 2027-2028…and hopefully beyond that! There will be some changes and improvements building off the success of the first year, including raising the maximum microgrant amount to $200.TEEN DAY is so proud of this team, and are looking forward to the 2026-2027 cycle!

World History: From Modern Times to Our Contemporary Era

“What I love about history is that it’s really just a collection of good stories. The role of historians is to dig deeper for more and better stories based in more and better facts.” – Mike Timonin

TEEN DAY follows a three-year History course rotation. From Modern Times to our Contemporary Era is the final installment in this cycle. It begins with Prehistory Through the Middle Ages, to Our Modern World, and finally, From Modern Times to Our Contemporary Era. This year, students are studying the events from the 1820’s (the end of the Napoleonic Wars) and working their way through history to get as close as they can to the current day.

They have already covered major events such as the creation of European nations, including Italy & Germany, the Civil War in the United States, colonialism in Africa & Asia, anti-colonial movements in South America, worldwide industrialization, and the First World War. They will soon discuss the Great Depression and the beginnings of the Second World War.

“He’s very good at making [his lectures] interesting, more like stories.” – Nadia H.

^{This is a photo when students attempted to play a version of musical chairs in which no one lost.}

Because so much time is being covered and so many different places, it can be hard to get the scope right. Mike Timonin, the instructor for this course, balances his own interests and the interests of the students to determine what events to spend the most time on.

Something Mike is consistently praised for is his inclusion of play in his classes and the role of storytelling he takes on. Many students have mentioned the characters they create in a specific historical period and the process of thinking through how their day-to-day would look, how their lives would be affected by the events taking place.

In contrast, Mike instructs students to bring in current news articles every week. This informs students of the history they are currently living in and makes them more aware. This year, that has also evolved into them learning about democracy. At first, students would vote to see who would share their article first, but this led to arguing and bribing. They shifted their focus to secret ballots, but, of course, every system has its flaws, and students are experiencing that firsthand with votes for non-candidates. A simple ritual has turned into another educational experience!

“He also has us bring in news every week to share with the class, which is awesome because we get to talk about the history we’re living in currently!” – Avani Q.

At the end of the year, Mike has asked students to research the history of something—anything, and present their findings to the class. Students are getting really involved with this because they’re able to follow their interests.

Overall, students are engaged and excited to be learning about history, whether that be the industrialization of China, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, or examining current events as a part of history. Mike has created a class where an interesting narrative shapes the events and format of the class.

“I will be researching the history of the best food in the world, peanut butter. (You could argue with me on that, but you would lose.)” – Nadia H.

Geometry

Math is one of the foundational subjects in school that many students either hate or love. Here at TEEN DAY, teachers like Amanda Gray are pushing boundaries and encouraging students to see the subject in a new, refreshing light. One that isn’t so scary.

In her class, students are learning proofs and puzzle-solving. They’re doing parallel line proofs, congruent triangles, properties of triangles, and coordinate geometry. While there is still a good amount of calculator usage in geometry, it can be a big shift for students because it’s no longer about getting an answer, but rather knowing and explaining how that answer is true.

“She’s a good teacher— she explains things well and is very helpful with classwork and also makes it fun.” – Eloise L.

Classes are structured so that students get a mix of lecture, group work, class discussion, individual practice, and sharing. The mix of formats leads to various conversations of approaches to a problem or proof. Students can see things from multiple perspectives and can benefit from hearing how other people approach or see the same problem. Students are sharpening their individual critical thinking skills as well as building their confidence when asked to share aloud.

Additionally, students are applying what they’re learning in the classroom to real-world things. Over winter break, the students were asked to complete a “construction art project,” a collection of geometric shapes that were turned into artwork. Geometry doesn’t have to solely be about theorems and proofs, and instead can be used for various, fun designs. (See picture to the left and more pictures below.)

“…Amanda always makes math fun to learn. As someone who isn’t super math oriented, I’ve found that throughout algebra and geometry, Amanda has made the learning process quite a lot better than other experiences I’ve had.” – Addi F-W

Amanda Gray really enjoys math and science and works at Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) as a tutor in those subjects. In her free time, she works with TEEN DAY to provide excellent instruction on a wide range of subjects within the math and science fields. She wants to share her love of math with her students and help them to see the joy in the subject.

Overall, students are thriving in this collaborative setting and enjoying what they’re learning. Amanda’s instruction goes beyond that of the traditional classroom, with students sitting quietly in their seats, memorizing steps. But rather, her teaching style engages the students critically in the various stages of a problem, creating a unique and welcoming environment.

“It’s a classroom where students aren’t just doing geometry, they’re talking it through, questioning it, and starting to think like real mathematicians.” – Amanda Gray

Geometry is a part of a three-year rotation for lower-level math. First, Algebra I is offered, then Geometry, and finally Algebra II (which has a dual enrollment option). In 2026-2027, Algebra II will be offered, and the year after that, the cycle will reset, starting with Algebra I.

Economics

Pat Sewell, an adjunct associate professor at TC3 and member of Ithaca’s Common Council, is teaching the class on economics (dual enrollment offered through TC3 for those who wish to earn college credit). He received his M.A. from the University of North Texas in moral attitudes and sustainable decision making. He also specializes in ethics, economics, and public policy. His work regularly involves the intersection of these subjects, so it is no surprise that Pat teaches students about these interconnecting topics and all the other various topics related to economics.

^{“I love economics as a discipline because it is a beautiful tool for understanding human behavior, understanding society writ large, and ultimately thinking about why we have organized our lives the way that we have.” – Pat Sewell}

To understand the connection between these topics, one must first understand the different levels of economics: economics is often split into macroeconomics and microeconomics. The latter deals with supply & demand, labor & resource allocation, price determinants, and the market. The former deals with what money is, the Federal Reserve, inflation, tariffs, and all the parts that make up the economy.

Previously, the class has looked into microeconomics, and currently, they are tackling macroeconomics. They’ve covered topics such as the law of diminishing marginal utility & returns, labor markets, financial markets, rival and non-rival goods, monopolies, poverty, inflation, and so much more. Currently, they’re trying to answer the question of: “What is money?”

The class is set up to be done mostly through lecture. Each day there is homework and an assigned reading, and every other week there is a quiz. This provides consistency and predictability. This way, students can better understand what is expected of them on the various assignments.

^{“[Pat’s] knowledge and love of the subject is eminent, and his engaging and conversational teaching style, along with the usually lively participation of the class has made this class an enjoyable, educational, and enriching space.” – Eliza L.}

Though this class is mostly a lecture-based class, there are occasions where students can participate in games. The study of economics lends itself to gamification, which can help students better understand its concepts. Recently, students took part of a bartering game where they could see the importance of money in facilitating our modern world. Another game involved the difference in the number of suppliers and consumers. They got to see firsthand what happens when there are more suppliers than consumers, when there are more consumers than suppliers, and when there is an equilibrium of distribution.

In this class, students are learning the basic principles of economics and, moving forward, will be able to apply them to their everyday lives.

TEEN DAY Ithaca’s First CAD Class!

Computer Aided Design, or CAD for short, is an online program used to create real-world objects based on one’s own imagination. Anything can be created in a virtual space, and with the help of a 3D printer, it can be brought to life (so to speak). CAD is used by many different professions, such as engineering, medical, architecture, and video game designers, but one doesn’t need to use it in a professional setting. Many people use CAD from their personal computers for their own enjoyment and personal interest. CAD is a practical, multi-disciplinary program that merges creativity with ease, resulting in something that you can hold in your own hands at the end of the process.

There are many different versions of CAD, but this class only uses FreeCAD. As you may have guessed, this version of CAD is free, but it still has many features and is easy to use. Additionally, many of the skills students are learning in FreeCAD are mostly transferable to other CAD programs. Even if students end up using a different version of CAD, they’ll already have a leg up in figuring out the software.

*^{Ronia D. rendered this model of a temple.}*

Brian Kardon, a neuroscience lab technician at Cornell University, teaches this class. He first discovered CAD in high school and has continued to use it for various projects since then. He often designs and builds experimental equipment.

^{“Something about the combination of precision and creativity of CAD is really very engaging for me, and taking a physical object out of the printer that I designed in a virtual space still feels really exciting.” – Brian K.}

In his class, he is teaching students to use FreeCAD and how that can work with 3D printing, a popular manufacturing tool. Not only do students learn a cool program and its applications, but their basic computer skills are also being sharpened. Students are learning to navigate a file system, common UI motifs, keyboard shortcuts, organizing/switching windows, and so much more. Students’ technological literacy is skyrocketing!

^{“It [referring to the class structure] is open-ended enough to explore the software independently while still having plenty of guidance and support.” – Orion M.}

*^{Orion M. has designed the Big Ben clock as his personal project.}*

Each class, Brian demonstrates how to use a new tool or process, then works with students to create a model together. Students are then tasked with creating another model using the tool they just learned, as Brian offers help as needed. The rest of the class is devoted to their personal projects.

Throughout this course, students are challenged to create their own personal project, which will ultimately be 3D printed at the Tompkins County Public Library makerspace in December. They will do this again at the end of the school year for their second personal project. This is an open-ended project with the only limitation of one’s own imagination. Some students are designing headphone stands, model guitars, or landmark buildings like the image to the left. Overall, Brian hopes students fall in love with the process of designing and printing something that came from their own minds.

^{“I think the CAD is nice and I’ll likely use the stuff I learned once the class is over to make more fun things.” – Ronia D.}

Academic Writing

We always have a lot of choice in what we write about – within the structure of a certain type of essay – and it’s been really fun for me to explore things I’m interested in through the assignments.” Amaya M.

Academic writing is a college-level course that students at TEEN DAY are able to take in order to improve their writing and prepare them for college or the working world. The course covers a wide range of writing techniques, including cause-and-effect, comparisons, evaluation, and much more. Students explore these techniques by researching and writing about a topic of interest, and include these forms of rhetorical writing to convey their opinions or arguments.

The class is structured so students participate in lectures, discussions, and workshops. The various modes of communication allow for students to be engaged with all stages of their own writing, as well as their peers. Nancy Holzer, the instructor for this class, emphasizes the importance of editing and peer review. She says, “All writing is REwriting.” Even professionals benefit from feedback and editing. An advantage of teaching this course at TEEN DAY rather than in a college course is that the classes are much smaller, allowing for more detailed and personalized feedback.

Nancy is a writer and editor who studied medieval literature at Brown University. She has published several short stories, novels, and technical books. She has been interested in writing for as long as she can remember, and after she earned her Ph.D., she took to editing. She enjoys helping others improve their writing and encourages students to pursue their interests through their writing.

“I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned about writing–as writer, editor, and teacher–with a new generation of writers.” Nancy Holzner

So far, students have written four essays exploring a variety of different topics and using learned writing techniques to convey their arguments or theses. Students are expected to write several more essays, with the final essay being a culmination of everything they have learned. Students will explore a topic of interest, being sure to avoid logical fallacies, research and evaluate sources, incoportate other’s work into their own piece, and work with and develop complex ideas.

“The academic writing course is really good, and definitely one of my favorites.” Gabe K.

Through this class, students sharpen their critical reading, writing, and research skills. These skills are not only a great foundation for college-level writing, but can be used in everyday life.