Positive Learning Environment - City Year Detroit corps members add a critical mass of people power at their partner schools and provide the right supports to the right students at the right time. These "near-peer" role models are helping students and schools succeed by improving Attendance, Behavior and Coursework.
The idealistic culture and values of the City Year Detroit corps members, infuses energy and spirit into the life of the school and helps transform each school's culture into a positive learning environment for all.
- Academy of Critical Thinkers at Cody High School
- Academy of the Americas
- Bow Elementary/Middle School
- Brenda Scott Middle School
- Butzel Middle School
- Cesar Chavez Academy
- Cody High School
- Chadsey High School
- Cleveland Middle School
- Crossman Alternative
- Detroit Collegiate Prepatory
- Detroit Lions Academy
- Duffiled Elementary School
- Emerson Elementary/Middle School
- Foch Middle School
- Friends School of Detroit
- Harms Elementary School
| - Harper Woods Middle and High School
- Henry Ford Academy
- Keller Middle School
- Maybury Elementary School
- Osborn High School Academies
- Palmer Park Preparatory Academy
- Phoenix Academy
- River Rouge High School
- Roberto Clemente Learning Academy
- Salina Elementary School
- Trix Elementary School
- Truman High School
- Vetal Elementary/Middle School
- White Elementary School
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City Year corps members have helped students in our partner schools succeed and, in turn, learned that the true value of service begins with making a difference one child at a time. These children often become what we call Starfish; individuals who remind us that even though we cannot help everyone, we can make a difference to someone. Below is one such starfish story.
Starfish Story
 | "Tiara was a fifth grade student. When I first met her, Tiara was way behind in her reading skills, reading only at a 1st or 2nd grade level. I began working with Tiara daily. We made small goals: “OK, you got 2 out of 20 on the last spelling test; next week let’s get 5!” These small goals worked, and by December she was consistently getting 10 to 15 correct answers out of 20. Her spelling was getting better but reading continued to be a problem, so we kept at it. In October, she was reading about 20 words a minute, in January we were up to 40! I noticed that Tiara needed practice reading, something she rarely, if ever, did at home. I talked to her about the importance of reading at home with her mother. One spring day when I was working with Tiara, we started reading. She was like a whole new person! A paragraph that took her 40 minutes to read before now took only 10! She credited the difference to at home reading time with her mom! I was so proud. Additionally, I had been stressing to Tiara the importance of speaking up in class. She lacked the confidence to answer questions posed by the teacher, even when I knew that she had the correct answer. I challenged Tiara to answer at least one question out loud each day. She began responding to this challenge, and started speaking up more and more. This was affecting her social life also. At lunch she used to always just sit silently. Then I began seeing her laugh and talk with other girls. I think that her increased literacy helped her gain confidence in more ways than just academics; she felt like an equal with her classmates instead of an outsider."
- Colleen Kushlak, City Year Detroit Alumna |
For more information on becoming a service partner please contact Nicole Byrd at 313-874-6861 or nbyrd@cityyear.org.