Young leaders dedicate a year of national service with City Year

AmeriCorps members will serve in Boston Public Schools to help local students stay on track to graduate high school and prepare for college and career success.

Boston, MA (September 16, 2019) – On Friday, September 13. 2019, 250 City Year AmeriCorps members pledged to make a difference in the lives of more than 12,600 students in Boston Public Schools at the Opening Day ceremony for City Year Boston, an education nonprofit dedicated to helping prepare students with the skills and mindsets to thrive in school and in life. Opening Day celebrates the start of a new school year across City Year’s national network as 3,000 AmeriCorps members serve as student success coaches 350 schools across the country. As part of their year of full-time service, these AmeriCorps members will provide students with tutoring and in-class support, run extended day programs and organize school-wide initiatives to increase academic achievement and student engagement.

Across the country, more than 10 million children live in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, and these students are two times more likely to face traumatic experiences that can interfere with their readiness to learn. City Year AmeriCorps members provide support and add capacity in systemically under-resourced schools by helping students build on their strengths and cultivating social, emotional and academic skills that are important in school and in life.

Congressman Joe Kennedy, Latoyia Edwards and others joined City Year AmeriCorps members as they recited the City Year pledge to demonstrate their commitment to serving Boston.

“Starting this week, the red jackets of City Year volunteers will once again become ubiquitous with this city, and energy, empathy and education will be lifted in schools across Boston,” said Congressman Joe Kennedy. “In the year ahead, these new City Year Boston AmeriCorps members will not only change lives young and old in the communities they serve, but will change their own as they give themselves to these students. Seeing so many committed volunteers ready to serve our city was energizing and inspiring.”

“We’re honored to be partnering with 25 schools, which is only possible given the support of Boston Public Schools, Boston’s business community and our generous sponsors, as well as our AmeriCorps members and their supportive families and friends,” said Sandra Lopez Burke, City Year Boston executive director and vice president.

Comcast NBCUniversal is the national sponsor of City Year Opening Day ceremonies nationwide. In Boston, Comcast NBCUniversal also directly supports a team of AmeriCorps members at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with City Year to ensure that every child has access to the learning environments they need to succeed,” said Latoyia Edwards, Anchor NBC Boston and NECN, Comcast New England Region. “We know City Year AmeriCorps members truly transform the lives of the students and communities they serve, and we are honored to support their professional development during their year of service.”

A dedicated partner since 2001, Comcast NBCUniversal has provided nearly $115 million in cash and in-kind support to City Year and continues to support many other City Year programs. In addition to serving as City Year’s national Opening Day sponsor, Comcast NBCUniversal supports City Year’s leadership development programs; hosts Career Days for more than 1,000 City Year AmeriCorps members each year; recognizes the accomplishments of City Year alums through the annual Comcast NBCUniversal Leadership Awards; and provides national resources and trainings to expand digital access, computer science and coding experiences for students City Year serves. Comcast NBCUniversal also donates significant communication and broadcasting resources to help City Year raise awareness about its mission and is Presenting Sponsor of City Year’s annual training academy.

City Year Boston is made possible by a public-private partnership between corporations, philanthropic individuals, Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts Service Alliance and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

View photos from Opening Day.