Learning & development

Our vision is that City Year Miami’s staff and AmeriCorps members are a community of life-long learners with the passion, skills, and courage to advance educational equity through powerful support of students and one another. Learning at City Year (used synonymously with professional development) is any experience that supports performance and personal growth through the cultivation of identity, skills, intellect or criticality. It is the combination of experiential, social and formal learning experiences driven by learners and nurtured by their managers in a supportive and engaging environment. Our four key strands of learning in our work, around which we aim to organize all our learning efforts include: professional integrity, relationship building, community engagement and leadership and delivering transformational service.

You can support our staff and corps through the following learning and development opportunities:

Basic Training Academy (August 2022) – Our learning and development programming kicks off with our Basic Training Academy; an onboarding experience for our incoming City Year AmeriCorps members, by introducing the corps to foundational content, as well as, covering required information and training; building cross-site connections and relationships among the corps and staff; and building up their professional integrity and leadership.

Learning and development days – Throughout their 10 months of service, AmeriCorps members will participate in one to two learning and development days a month. This is a perfect opportunity for us to engage local corporations and organizations to provide skills training and programming to our members.

Team Leader Tuesday’s – Held every other Tuesday, our Team Leader’s take part in a yearlong leadership learning and development program to support them in building the necessary skills, knowledge, and mindsets needed to best support our students, schools and fellow AmeriCorps members. While also providing them with unique opportunities to engage further with our community partners and develop life-long leadership skills beyond their City Year experience.

Mid-Year Summit (January 2023) – Mid-Year Summit provides skillfully facilitated, programmatic learning in communities with others to uncover new understandings, build efficacy and spark joy. We do this by thoughtfully using a responsive set of experiences and activities designed with pillars of adult-learning and data-driven practices. This will help our AmeriCorps members to continue to develop skills and make meaning of their shared service journey thus far; by reflecting on progress, deepening their sense of purpose and impact and recommitting to building the knowledge, skills and intentional relationships necessary to have the greatest possible impact on the students they serve.

Spring Break Retreat (March 2023) – Our Spring Break retreat provides an opportunity for AmeriCorps members to participate in unique educational and service experiences through two essential components: the celebration of our AmeriCorps members and their work with the community and students thus far and career development opportunities centered around making connections to and honoring the various goals AmeriCorps members wish to achieve in their next steps. This component will assist AmeriCorps members in building their professional network, communicating transferable skills and developing a career plan, all while making meaning of their shared service journey.

If you or your company are interested in sponsoring this initiative, please click HERE or contact Juanita Giraldo-de la Paz at jgiraldo@cityyear.org.