Who’s Serving in 2020-21?

October 9, 2020

We are thrilled to share a few highlights and shout-outs for our six school teams. Even in the face of social distancing and disconnect, City Year AmeriCorps members are giving 110% to their students and schools!

The Team at Success @ Thurgood Marshall

A City Year AmeriCorps members sits at her command center to support distance learning, bringing joy and enthusiasm AmeriCorps member supports in a classroom with students with masks and dividers

“Our City Year AmeriCorps members have been so supportive and crucial in our level of success with virtual learning. Every day they are monitoring classrooms, providing feedback to kids, overcoming tech challenges, staying on top of class attendance and making connections with students. They are the fuel in the engine and we are so lucky to have them on our team.”
– ADAM MEINIG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT SUCCESS @ THURGOOD MARSHALL

The Entergy Team at Arthur Ashe Charter School

The Entergy team serving at Arthur Ashe Charter school gathers for a City Year team picture in the outdoor garden classroom

“This team is a dream. They are so willing to hop in and support without being asked that it feels like they’ve always been here with me. It is so refreshing to have a group of people willing to do whatever is needed to support our students.”
– ROSE REYNOLDS, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AT ARTHUR ASHE CHARTER SCHOOL, CITY YEAR ALUM ’15

The Team at ARISE Academy

The City Year tam at ARISE Academy stands on the front steps of the school in their striking City Year red jackets Several pieces of artwork created by students at ARISE Academy in art club with a City Year AmeriCorps member

“When I think about our values, Innovation comes to the top of my mind when I consider the impact our AmeriCorps members have had thus far this year. Their innovative solutions for technology challenges during distance learning, creative bulletin boards to affirm students’ identities, and co-teaching support have been essential during this time. We are grateful to have this group of leaders with us during such a critical time, and we know their service will leave a legacy of impact at the end of this historic year!”

– KRISTA PATRICK-BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT ARISE ACADEMY

The Team at Langston Hughes Academy

A City Year AmeriCorps member works with a student on letter recognition skills

“We are incredibly grateful to work with our City Year AmeriCorps Team. They bring energy, fresh ideas to our after school program, and additional support to the team at Langston Hughes, and are an inspiration to our scholars. During these unprecedented times when flexibility and communication is key to ensuring our scholars reach their goals, our City Year team has gone above and beyond to make it happen – from supporting in distance learning classes to ensuring materials get to families for virtual lessons, our team has been a joy to work with. Thank you for all you do!”

– CARRIE BEVANS, SCHOOL DIRECTOR AT LANGSTON HUGHES ACADEMY

The UWSELA & IMH Team at Mildred Osborne Charter School

A series of photos showing City Year AmeriCorps members working at computers and supporting distance learning in the online classroom

“Every Friday, we kick off our afternoon all staff meeting with shout-outs and celebrations. It is no surprise that, pretty much every week since the start of the school year, our City Year Team has received at least one shout-out. Teachers and other staff have praised AmeriCorps Members for assisting with tech support during virtual instruction, for making attendance calls for tardy/absent students, for facilitating high-quality Digital Citizenship or College and Career Exploration lessons – and the list goes on and on! Last week, during an Academic Leadership Team meeting, a statement was made by one of our content leaders to the effects of, ‘I have no idea what we would do without City Year’ and I couldn’t agree more! The level of flexibility and can-do attitude from this year’s City Year Team is so amazing, and much appreciated during this ever changing time. Osborne City Year Team: thank you for being so awesome and remaining so values and missioned aligned.”

– JOLENE GALPIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT MILDRED OSBORNE CHARTER SCHOOL

The Team at Phillis Wheatley Community School

A City Year AmeriCorps member gestures to her empty middle school classroom proudly

“This year at Wheatley, we are utilizing The Science of Reading to inform how we assess and instruct reading comprehension with our ~850 students. Research shows that interventions for struggling readers is effective only when it addresses each student’s specific weakness. Our City Year AmeriCorps members are an integral part of successfully doing just that: they, like all staff members, were assigned a caseload of students and assessed them virtually in a safe, socially distanced space. We now have more detailed insight than ever before into our students’ specific reading skill needs. This year, our City Year team will play an incredible role in teaching tailored small group reading interventions.”

-DIANA ARCHULETA, SCHOOL DIRECTOR AT PHILLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY SCHOOL