WHAT IS CITY YEAR ?

City Year is a non profit organization that unites young people aged 17-24 for a year of demanding full-time national service. These young leaders come from diverse backgrounds and put their idealism to work by tutoring and mentoring school children, reclaiming public spaces, and organizing after-school programs, school vacation camps, and the Starfish Corps, Young Heroes, and City Heroes programs. City Year was founded on the belief that young people can change the world. Its vision is that one day a year of service will become an opportunity for and common expectation of every young person. As tutors, mentors, and role models, their young leaders make a difference in the lives of children and transform schools and neighborhoods across the U.S. and South Africa. City Year aims to build democracy through citizen service, civic engagement, leadership development, and social entrepreneurship. City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps.

City Year was founded in 1988 by Michael Brown and Alan Khazei, then-roommates at Harvard Law School, who felt strongly that young people in service could be a powerful resource for addressing our nation's most pressing issues. Initially, corps members focused their efforts on community rehabilitation, beautification of neighborhoods, and building a sense of community throughout Boston. Over the years though, the organization has expanded, opening sites, in 18 cities throughout the U.S. In early 2005, City Year opened its first international site in South Africa.[2] Since 1988, City Year has been built on the belief that one person can make a difference, and with the vision that one day service will be a common expectation – and a real opportunity – for citizens all around the world. In 2006 after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf region, City Year opened a site in Louisiana to help with the recovery. The Louisiana Corps motto was “Here to Serve, Here to Stay.

City Year Corps members

The Full-Time Youth Service Corps is the primary program of City Year. Over 1,400 people from the ages of 17-24 serve a year with City Year performing a combination of service, leadership development, and civic engagement as Corps members. They may be part school partnerships with the program Whole School, Whole Child, or the Heroes programs.[3]
To respond to the challenges facing public education, Corps members who are on school partnership teams work in schools full time providing academic support and after school programming. These school partnerships work with a curriculum developed by City Year called Whole School, Whole Child.[4]
The Young Heroes and City Heroes programs for middle school and high school students respectively are leadership and service programs run by City Year corps member teams. The Heroes programs run from January to June on Saturdays. In the morning of Heroes Saturdays, have themes on social issues such as hunger, homelessness, ageism, drug abuse, and racism. During these days, heroes participate in a workshops and, perform community service projects.

Site Locations

Currently, City Year sites are located in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbia (South Carolina), Columbus (Ohio), Detroit, Little Rock and North Little Rock, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Miami, New Hampshire, New York City, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, San Antonio, San José and Silicon Valley, Seattle and King County, Johannesburg in South Africa, and Washington, D.C