Our Service Programs

SCHOOL-BASED SERVICE PROGRAMS

Goal - Convert off-track students into on-track learners

City Year’s youth service corps, with more than 1,600 across 19 sites, is one of the largest in America, with initiatives tailored to meet community and school district needs. City Year Cleveland's 50 corps members - 17-24 year olds giving a minimum of 1,700 hours of service - serve full-time for 10 months working Monday through Thursday in Cleveland's schools.

As near-peers, corps members are effective tutors, mentors, role models and leaders of after school programs all of which help improve student attendance, behavior and coursework - which research confirms are indicators of a student's likelihood of graduating from high school. This school-based service is at the heart of City Year’s Whole School, Whole Child approach to helping students and schools succeed.

Read this In School & On Track article for more information regarding City Year's strategy to address the national dropout crisis.

Teams of eight to 10 City Year Cleveland corps members serve as tutors, mentors, role models and leaders of after-school programs in five specific Cleveland schools:

City Year Cleveland's Civic Engagement Team of five corps members facilitate business/school partnerships in numerous Cleveland schools:

Bank of America - multiple east side K-8 schools.
Federal Executive Committee - three K-8 schools.
GE - Henry W. Longfellow K-8 School.
Huntington National Bank - Nathan Hale K-8 School.
The Club at Key Center - SuccessTech Academy.
Water Pollution Control - East Clark K-8 School.

Starfish logo

Starfish Corps is an after-school program designed for elementary and middle school students to convey the importance of community issues by combining academic enrichment activities with community outreach, environmental awareness, and culture and diversity appreciation.

Click here to read Starfish Stories submitted by individual Cleveland corps members about their experiences tutoring and mentoring students.

Camp City Year is a positive day camp experience conducted during spring break, assisting working parents while teaching the core City Year values of diversity, service and responsibility. Cleveland corps members run two camps – one on the east side of Cleveland and one on the west – to accommodate children across the city.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

“Multiply” the power of everything!
The dictionary defines “multiply” as increasing in number, spreading in effect or using in several ways. Within City Year, “Multiplying” is a powerful tool for social change. Almost everything we do at City Year can and should be multiplied so that its effect produces more inspiration, more service, more idealism, more civic engagement and more resources for the common good.

City Year Cleveland's Civic Engagement Team works to leverage business and community resources on the need to convert off-track students into on-track learners by:

Establishing effective business/school partnerships in Cleveland's schools (tutors and monetary/in-kind donations).
Recruiting community volunteers into schools and service projects.
Planning and offering numerous service projects throughout the year involving students and community members.
Managing stakeholder engagement events.
Directing a media relations and comprehensive communications plan.

GE employee tutors, Cleveland's Henry W. Longfellow K-8 School tutees and City Year corps members celebrate the successful tutoring program facilitated by the Civic Engagement Team.

2008-2009 Civic Engagement Impact

1,009 community and business volunteers served 16,525 hours.
19 service projects completed from September 2008 through June 2009.
28 key community leaders visited our school and community based service projects.
Business/School Partnerships facilitated:

Bank of America: 12 employees provided 83 hours of tutoring to 12 Miles Park K-8 School students.
Federal Executive Committee: 109 Federal employees provided 1,199 hours of tutoring to 34 Clark K-8 School students.
GE: Eight employees provided 95 hours of tutoring to 29 Henry W. Longfellow K-8 School students.
Huntington National Bank: 14 employees provided 452 hours of tutoring to 64 Nathan Hale K-8 School students.
The Club at Key Center: Nine employees provided 87 hours of tutoring to 18 SuccessTech Academy high school students.

Media relations and communications:
30 media hits
Delivered more than 10,000 e-Newsletters, specialized emails and alumni correspondence.

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES

In addition to helping schools and students reach new heights, City Year corps members engage community members, corporate partners and civic leaders to transform communities through physical service projects.

Painting murals - CSX employees joined City Year Cleveland to paint murals at one of Cleveland's Boys and Girls Clubs in 2007.
Planting gardens - Smith Barney employees joined City Year Cleveland for an Opening Day 2007-2008 service project at Cleveland's MLK High School.
Creating play spaces - CSX employees, again, team with City Year Cleveland to create added value to this play space at a Cleveland Boys and Girls Club location.
Renovating schools and refurbishing community centers - Algae employees work with City Year Cleveland to renovate and paint portions of Cleveland's Giddying K-8 School. Alack and the Alack Foundation are also Codding' year-round corporate partner.