Not only (!) is City Year fighting the drop-out crisis and systemic inequality by empowering students in urban public schools all around the country....

City Year was probably THE defining element of my early career and adulthood: it has shaped me into the leader I am today. My students, my teammates, my staff colleagues, my school leaders, and certainly my CMs all taught me so much about how I want to live and lead: from corps service at the Burke HS in Boston ('12-'13) and MLK Jr. EC in Denver ('13-'14) to managing two teams at the Irving Middle School ('14-'16), I learned about hard work, empathy, teamwork, and a cause much greater than myself. 

I continue to be a physical service volunteer, as well as worked on a pro-bono consulting project for CY while I was at Deloitte for my MBA summer internship.

I donated $10 for each year I worked at CY; Please continue to support students in need (especially now!), young future leaders giving a year of service, and this amazing organization by giving back alongside me for Starry Night! 

In March, Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced the closure of all 125 schools citywide. These school closures left 50,000 Boston students without access to in-person schooling.  City Year Boston is working closely with BPS to provide innovative distance learning opportunities to students, adapting our Whole School Whole Child program model to suit virtual spaces.

While teachers continue to provide whole-class instruction using platforms like Google Classroom or Zoom, City Year’s AmeriCorps members are providing academic supports in English language arts/literacy and math by facilitating breakout groups, answering questions, and leading enrichment activities.  Our corps members are assisting teachers in planning lessons and reviewing students’ assignments and holding office hours to provide one-on-one and small-group tutoring.  Importantly, our AmeriCorps members are also supporting students’ social-emotional health and placing phone calls home to students and their families as a way to build connectedness, troubleshoot, and communicate updates. 

City Year Boston is one of the only partners to support Boston Public School students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic

City Year’s support of virtual classrooms is a pivotal step in preventing learning loss and generating opportunities for new learning, as well as ensuring greater equity of experience among families who may not otherwise have the ability to facilitate in-home instruction.  Beyond this school year, City Year will continue to engage in the virtual space to support BPS students and will be in schools next year to support students when they will need more than ever.