My first experience with City Year was visiting my sister in Boston and tagging along to her school as she served as a AmeriCorps Member. After spending one day watching her interact with her team, lead students in small reading groups, and manage an after school program, I knew this was a special organization.  I decided that college could wait and that I wanted to serve as an AmeriCorps Member with City Year Boston.

A few weeks after my high school graduation and having just turned 18, I packed my (few) belongings into my family's SUV and moved to Boston.  I served in a 5th grade classroom during the 2010-2011 school year and decided to return as a Senior AmeriCorps member on the Boston Civic Engagement team for 2011-2012.

City Year not only gave me a chance to serve the community of Boston, but I also grew personally and professionally from this experience. It was incredible spending a year working with a group of bright, energetic, and intelligent fifth graders that never let me forget that I once fell asleep on a bench while they were at P.E. It was equally incredible to spend my second year working on a small team planning over 25 volunteer service events to beautify schools and community centers across Boston.

I went from a clueless high schooler from Florida to a (somewhat) mature adult at City Year. I learned how to manage my finances and how to interview for jobs. I made best friends that I'm in contact with 10 years later.  I found a passion for service, which is what brought me back to City Year after my four years of college. City Year is part of my family. All three of the Zinger kids served at least one year with City Year Boston. 

City Year has changed my life and it changes so many others - from the students we work with to the thousands of AmeriCorps Members across the nation.

Consider giving so that City Year can continue to ensure our students and communities are thriving. Just like it did for me.

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.