CITY YEAR, INC.
BOSTON, MA

Our culture is the air we breathe - it is the set of values, structures and practices that creates an environment in which idealism can be successfully practiced. Our unique, intentional culture and values powers our impact in schools and provides an immersive context for developing leaders. We're looking for highly passionate and motivated professionals who believe in our mission. If you're interested in joining our highly skilled team, please browse our open career opportunities. Our leaders are a dedicated and inspiring group of professionals who are committed to ensuring that City Year makes significant impact in helping students who are at risk stay on track to graduate on time. Our leadership is comprised of business professionals, community leaders, and devoted alumni. City Year has two international affiliates. City Year South Africa, founded in 2005, deploys more than 100 corps members to serve in 9 schools in Johannesburg and the surrounding communities. City Year UK, founded in 2010, has more than 200 corps members serving in 21 schools in London, Birmingham and Greater Manchester. AmeriCorps has created a growing movement of citizens committed to improving our communities and nation— City Year is proud to be part of this sweeping national service network. We’re excited to celebrate its extraordinary impact over the last 20 years and look forward to another 20 years of even greater impact and growth. A parent approached me saying, "You're Miss K?" "Thank you for helping my child." #parentinvolvement #makebetterhappen #CYO Our 2016 Annual Report highlights the powerful relationships that fuel City Year's work to help students and schools succeed—particularly the connections that develop between City Year AmeriCorps members and the students they serve. In addition to sharing stories of our AmeriCorps members, the Annual Report includes interviews and profiles of City Year's remarkable donors and champions who make our work possible. City Year Chicago City Year Chicago recruits a corps of 230 recent college graduates to work in Chicago's most economically challenged public schools. Although they only make $12,000 for the full year, the number of applicants vastly exceeds the number of available slots. Four years ago I joined the board of City Year Chicago, an amazing nonprofit organization that is tackling both problems with remarkable success. Sound too good to be true? It's not. City Year Chicago uses mentorship to enhance the educations and lives of tens of thousands of students, while making dangerous neighborhoods safer at the same time. Each year, City Year Chicago recruits a corps of recent college graduates who sign up for a year of full-time educational service in urban areas. Although these young people only make $12,000 for the full year, the number of applicants vastly exceeds the number of available slots because of the altruistic nature of the mission. Corps members are eligible for subsidized housing and food, but not all take advantage of this option — roughly 60 percent. It's a very competitive process to be selected as a City Year Chicago corps member, and we look for the best and the brightest. City Year Chicago's 230 corps members are sent into the most economically challenged Chicago public schools in teams of 8 to 10 people per school. These schools are typically in high-crime neighborhoods, with a vast majority of students of color. And within these resourced-strapped schools, City Year focuses only on the most "at risk" kids — students who may have one or both parents missing, who may have learning and/or behavioral issues or other external factors preventing success. Obviously, focusing on the toughest students in the toughest schools is a very heavy lift, because these are students who almost always fall through societal cracks. Mentorship is the secret sauce. When students need extra attention, City Year corps members immediately pull them aside and provide targeted one-on-one mentoring. This not only frees the teacher to continue educating the 30-plus other kids in the class, it forms a tremendous bond of trust between the student and corps member. When chronically absent students don't show up for school, the City Year corps mentor calls the students at home and motivates them to come in. When students have problems at home, they go to the City Year corps member for emotional support. The list goes on and on. Given the volatile and under-resourced world in which these students live, in many cases the City Year mentor becomes the most important person in the student's lives. The University of Chicago recently concluded a multiyear study of the effectiveness of City Year Chicago, and the results are amazing. Schools that use City Year mentors have a 20 percent higher graduation rate versus similar schools, which translates to hundreds of kids who get a diploma each year who wouldn't have otherwise. Even more impressive is that City Year schools reduce the amount of detentions by 86 percent, and behavior-related expulsions by 33 percent. Why is this so important? Because in Chicago, students who drop out of school are nine times likelier to end up in prison or get caught up in gangs. By "having the back" of these at-risk kids (who tragically could end up as shooting victims or even perpetrators), City Year Chicago is literally saving lives while furthering education. (In fact, a recent Deloitte report showed that schools partnering with City Year each receive 1,900 hours of extra educational hours annually.) Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel talks to City Year Chicago corps members at a fundraiser hosted by GMM Nonstick Coatings CEO Ravin Gandhi in January 2018. Clearly, City Year has a wonderful mission. And clearly, it works. But as a CEO, I had a practical question. Is it economically affordable? On this measure, City Year Chicago shines. Each school that uses City Year pays (on average) $96,000 per year but gets $853,000 in value because the corps members are typically able to do the work of six different service providers. Thus, the public and private dollars that fund City Year are multiplied eight times, which is a great return no matter how you slice it. In our economically strapped city, City Year is a rare "sure thing" investment in the future.