Building your leadership skills

All AmeriCorps members participate in year-long leadership development trainings based on six skills:

Communication

Throughout the year, you’ll become an expert at clearly and effectively articulating your thoughts and ideas orally and in writing, as well as learn how to tailor them to a specific audience.

Team collaboration and leadership

Your membership in an organization focused on teamwork and collaboration will teach you invaluable leadership skills. Consistently working in a team environment, you’ll learn to value diverse perspectives and to resolve conflicts in constructive ways.

Successful relationship development

You’ll learn how to work with and build relationships with partners (internal and external to City Year), establish interpersonal understanding, and demonstrate cultural competence while working with diverse colleagues. You’ll also learn how to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes and advance City Year’s mission while demonstrating confidence in dealing with partners.

Problem solving and decision making

You’ll be able to apply broad knowledge, experience, creativity, and critical-thinking to solve problems. And you’ll learn how to look beyond the obvious for answers and solutions, along with how to make well-informed, ethical decisions.

Execute to results

Your year will make you an expert at accomplishing tasks accurately, without sacrificing quality or timeliness. You’ll learn how to prioritize work, manage your time efficiently, multitask, accept accountability, and take initiative.

Civic knowledge and fluency in education practice and reform

You’ll get an understanding of the National Service and Education environment in which City Year operates and learn how local and national policy and reform affects City Year’s service and outcomes. You’ll also learn how to apply industry insight to strengthen partner relationships and enhance results. All of this will help you emerge from your City Year experience with knowledge of district, policy, politics, and procedures. Proficiency in these competencies will benefit you in any career path you choose, because these are all skills sought after by employers across every industry.