On Our Mark, Get Set, Serve!
Young Heros Kick-off

The event in Seattle featured remarks from Naomi Ishisaka, Editor in-Chief of Colors NW Magazine, and launched 90 middle school students into five months of weekend service activities. Led by City Year corps members, middle school age participants will learn about challenges facing society and how they can help. For example, a typical Young Heroes Saturday might be spent meeting with a formerly homeless family to learn about homelessness, and then renovating a shelter and stocking a food pantry.

“For City Year, Martin Luther King Day is a ‘Day On’, not a day off,” said City Year Seattle/King County’s Executive Director Lisa Chick. “By bringing together the idealism of these diverse students and the tangible power of community service, we make a difference in our community and honor Dr. King’s life and legacy. On this day, we should all be reminded that together we have the power to build a better world.”

“Bank of America and City Year share a commitment to build and sustain thriving neighborhoods,” said Marie Gunn, Market President; Bank of America. “We are proud to make this event possible and to work with the Young Heroes and City Year corps members as they exercise a leadership role in making this community a better place to live.”

Day On, Not A Day Off
MLK Holiday

City Year’s founding values are based on those of Dr. King. Not only does it strive to build a Beloved Community within the organization, but they also do their best to include the rest of the community in this effort. Dr. King believed that young people have the power to make positive change, and the well-being of our future still depends on what today’s generation of youth decides to do with it. It was with this in mind that City Year decided to partner with two groups of diverse youth for this year’s MLK celebration: a handful of self-selected high-school students from Seattle’s alternative Center School, and the entire student body of Meany Middle School. This year, in the week leading up to MLK Day, City Year Seattle Corps members partnered with eight 9th to 12th graders to teach curriculum focusing on Dr. King’s legacy. The curriculum was presented to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students at Meany Middle School. Through discussions, lectures, and activities, the City Year and Center School pairs challenged Meany students to commit to improving their school, their community, and their world. Students learned about Dr. King’s vision of a Beloved Community, and how as young people, they are responsible for building that community today and in the future.

The City Year team was especially excited to have the opportunity to work with Meany Middle School this year. Meany is a very diverse school that focuses on diversity training, embracing student and staff differences, and celebrating different cultures. Each year Meany participates in a march honoring Dr. King on his birthday, and this year Meany teachers and City Year hoped to provide more background on Dr. King and his life to Meany students in preparation for the march. With the help of the Center students, along with the cooperation and assistance of Meany administration and staff, the presentation of MLK curriculum at Meany was very successful. Despite only having a few days to prepare for their role in the week leading up to MLK Day, the Center students did an outstanding job. Many of them had no facilitation experience, yet they brought confidence, spirited opinions, and intelligence to their presentations.

On Friday, January 13th, Meany’s student body and staff marched with City Year and the Center School students from Meany to Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park. Students carried handmade signs and banners celebrating Dr. King’s life and legacy, and upon arrival at the park, were met by speakers James Hampton, Program Director for City Year Seattle/King County, Princess Shareef, Principal of Meany Middle School and Mickey Fearn from the Mayor’s Office of Civil Rights. The three speakers recalled Dr. King’s inspiring words and challenged Meany students to continue his struggle for tolerance, justice, and peace.

Martin Luther King, Jr. cared about love, equality, and fighting for the Beloved Community. There is no better place to continue that quest than with hundreds of youth making the active decision to talk about their pasts and futures with their classmates, and to open up to their strengths and fears as their own powerful reply to Dr. King’s dream.

PITW# 91
Putting Idealism To Work, Bing!

Words To Live By
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-Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

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