From the Red Carpet to the Classroom: Celebrity Correspondent Juju Green Visits Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary for a Day with City Year Los Angeles

You’ve seen him in press rooms interviewing Hollywood’s biggest stars and blind-reacting to the latest Marvel announcements—but now, City Year Los Angeles is thrilled to welcome celebrity correspondent and social media influencer Juju Green (@straw_hat_goofy) as this year’s Master of Ceremonies for our biggest fundraiser of the year: Spring Break. Before stepping into the spotlight at Spring Break,  Juju spent a day getting to know City Year on a personal level- seeing firsthand how we’re impacting students in Los Angeles, many from communities like his own in Carson, California. He joined our team at Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School, connecting with the heart of our work—our students and our AmeriCorps members.  

If you’ve watched Juju’s content online, you know that growing up in Los Angeles and uplifting his community means everything to him. After a quick introduction to the City Year Team, Juju and our AmeriCorps members participated in a roundtable with some of the incredible students, who shared how their AmeriCorps  mentors have impacted their learning experience. After some laughs—and a few playful “roasts” of their favorite AmeriCorps members—Juju jumped into on a beloved City Year tradition: “Morning Greeting”. 

During morning Greeting, our AmeriCorps members personally welcome students as they arrive to school. Alongside our team, Juju cheered students on and helped spread the daily dose of joy we strive to provide before they even step into the classroom.  

During his visit, Juju met current Joyner teacher and City Year alum, Kyra Borenstein (Ms.B), who now works alongside AmeriCorps member Tommae Shekhar in her classroom. Ms. B shared,

“City Year creates the space for [students] to go and talk to somebody who is not quite their teacher but still has more life knowledge than their direct peers. [Students] building relationships with their AmeriCorps members and having someone constantly show up for them and show them that they care about them makes a huge impact.”

Before the visit ended, Juju also heard directly from our AmeriCorps members about their experiences serving with City Year Los Angeles – from what motivates them, to their future aspirations, and their favorite moments with students. Reflecting on her students, many of whom face language barriers just as she once did, AmeriCorps member Daniella Rivas shared,

“It’s really nice when [students] see you doing all of these great things and think ‘You’re the best,’ because we can show them that they can also accomplish greatness. It might seem like far away [at their age] but it’s actually much closer than they think.”

 It was an inspiring day that reminded us of the power that young people hold to change the world. 

Thank you, Juju, for spending the day with City Year Los Angeles and making such an intentional effort to connect with our students, AmeriCorps members, and our mission. Your energy, enthusiasm, and dedication make us proud to call you a City Year Los Angeles Champion.

To watch clips from Juju’s visit to Florence Griffith Joyner, make sure to follow him on social media at @Straw_Hat_Goofy.

Don’t miss your chance to see Juju live as our emcee at Spring Break, secure your tickets for Spring Break here.

A huge thank you to AmeriCorps members Miguel Carias, Daniella Rivas, Tommae Shekhar, Kalista Marandas, and Juan Hernandez, Program Managers Silvia Garcia Fausto and Cassidy Rawlinson, and the entire Florence Griffith Joyner community for welcoming Juju with open arms and sharing their City Year Los Angeles experience.