City Year Patch

give a year. change the world.

What You'll Gain

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There are benefits of joining City Year that are impossible to quantify: life-long friendships, real world experience, new perspectives and the lasting effect you have in the lives of children. You will also earn benefits that make your year of service even more rewarding.

Photo by Todd Shapera

“My year of service with City Year was not about what I could gain but what I could give. Nonetheless, I did benefit. By serving in City Year, I was able to cover 75 percent of the cost of my college education at a competitive liberal arts institution because of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award and other scholarships that I earned as a direct result of my year of service – not to mention the intangible personal growth I experienced, which prepared me for college in ways that I never would have been without it.”

– Lia Payne, Corps Member

Benefits

City Year supports corps members during their service year by providing the following full-time, education and career benefits:

  • Stipend
    You will receive a modest stipend to help you meet living expenses while participating in the program. The stipend amount varies from each location.
  • Higher Education Funding
    At the end of your City Year service year, you will receive an education award of $5,550 through AmeriCorps. You can apply the award toward a college degree, a graduate school program or existing or future qualified student loans.
  • Career and Education Opportunities
    • give a year Partners: City Year has partnerships with dozens of colleges and universities who provide benefits to City Year alumni to make education more affordable, including City Year's give a year Partners, who provide at least 25% scholarships to alumni.
    • Partnership with the Peace Corps: Serving with City Year strengthens a Peace Corps applicant's competitiveness and chances for being selected for Peace Corps service in education and youth development.
    • Service Opportunities with City Year: After your corps year of service, you can serve a second year as staff or senior corps member.
  • Federal Student Loan Deferment
    You can request that qualified student loans be put into forbearance during your term of service. You can also request to have any accrued interest paid by AmeriCorps at the successful completion of your service term.
  • Uniform
    Provided by our Official Outerwear and Footwear Provider, The Timberland Company, and our Official Apparel Partner, ARAMARK, the City Year uniform is a symbol of service to the community.
  • Samsung Cell Phone with T-Mobile Service
  • Health Insurance
  • Childcare Coverage
  • Alumni Network

Leadership Development

As a City Year corps member, you will be provided with the skills and experiences you need to change the world. City Year offers leadership development training throughout the year that engage you in understanding who you want to be, what you need to know and what you can do to affect change. You will develop skills and experience in the following leadership areas:

  • Working with Children and Youth
    example: Learn from experts about how to identify and help students at risk of failing, especially by understanding your unique role as someone who is neither a peer nor a parent.
  • Team Leadership
    example: Lead a team of City Year corps members in planning fun learning activities for Camp City Year, a positive camp experience conducted during school vacation.
  • Project Planning and Management
    example: Plan and organize a Thanksgiving can drive for a local food bank by securing in-kind donations, managing a limited budget and delivering excellent service.
  • Civic Knowledge and Imagination
    example: Work with a student government organization to learn about legislation affecting high school students and write letters to state and local representatives about its impact.
  • Communication
    example: Talk about your involvement in national service before the City Council or at the State House.
  • Community Assessment
    example: Create a map of community centers, libraries, health clinics and police stations in the neighborhood to help students and parents identify resources in the area.

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Photos by Jennifer Cogswell, Andy Dean, John Gillooly/PEI, Kevin Jenkins, Jim Harrison and Todd Shapera.