Philadelphia is a vibrant, diverse city known for its commitment to community service and education. City Year Philly is proud to be a part of this mission, with 200 AmeriCorps members supporting over 10,000 students in schools throughout the city.
While Philadelphia is widely known for being a vibrant center for academia, business, tech and medicine, some students in the city face significant systemic inequities every day. District-wide, more than 70% of students participate in a state assistance program (SNAP, healthcare or foster care).
The opportunity to do City Year is unmatched. It serves as a leadership program and a social program, while also doing great things in the community. It’s a life-builder.
David Rosenblum City Year Philadelphia, ‘05
Your Corps experience
A close-knit community with ample opportunities to develop meaningful personal and professional relationships, Philadelphia is an ideal place to serve.
We partner with teachers and principals to ensure that students develop strong skills that will help prepare them for college, career and civic life. We serve in schools in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia, supporting over 10,000 students annually. AmeriCorps members also forge positive, caring relationships with students, as mentors and help create an environment where students can build on their strengths, take risks in their learning and feel connected to their school.
By engaging students, families and community organizations, City Year helps the Philadelphia School District achieve its mission of providing the civil right of every child in Philadelphia to an excellent public-school education and ensuring that all children graduate from high school ready to succeed.
Our schools
There are currently 203,229 students enrolled in the Philadelphia School District across 341 schools. The Philadelphia School District is home to a wide variety of students, who come from many different backgrounds and ethnicities, with 157 different languages spoken by families and students. 53% of students are Black African American, 20% Hispanic Latino, 14% White, 7% Asian and 6% being multi-racial or other.
City Year Philadelphia AmeriCorps members serve in 17 elementary, middle, and high schools within the city. View our current school partners.
Work with a committed and diverse group of 6–12 City Year AmeriCorps members who share your passion for service and personal growth. Each team at City Year Philadelphia is managed by one Impact Manager and supported by 1–2 Senior AmeriCorps members who serve as Team Leaders.
Transportation to school
Most schools within the district are accessible by public transportation, SEPTA, with the Market Frankford line, Broad Street line, trolleys and buses being the primary route for our AmeriCorps members. Transportation passes are given, on a monthly basis, to AmeriCorps members who need them. However, there are AmeriCorps members who choose to drive and/or carpool to their specific schools.
Professional development
One of City Year Philadelphia’s top priorities is to ensure that we not only serve the students within the School District but also our AmeriCorps members by offering special programming throughout the service year that is designed to help them continue leading after City Year.
Professional development programs include but are not limited to:
18-Minute Networking — A Networking event hosted by Deloitte that consists if 18-minute rotations where AmeriCorps members can speak with professionals in a field of their interest.
LinkedIn Workshop — Workshops dedicated to perfecting and learning how to utilize your LinkedIn profile.
Career and Education Fairs — Fairs that expose AmeriCorps members to opportunities available post City Year.
College & University Information Sessions – Sessions dedicated to providing tools, information, and resources about colleges and other universities.
Comcast Careers Day — As part of our national partnership, Comcast NBCUniversal provides a day of professional development to each sponsored site in order to support City Year AmeriCorps members preparedness for college and career following their year of service.
Aside from support from Impact Managers and Team Leaders, AmeriCorps members receive support from City Year Philadelphia’s entire beloved community during the service year. With over 60% of our staff being City Year alumni, you will always have individuals who will be able to give you advice or lend you knowledge regarding your experience.
Community involvement
Create a positive climate of civic engagement that ripples throughout the Philadelphia community. During the service year, AmeriCorps members participate in community service across the city and help beautify the community by painting murals in schools, restoring recreation centers and/or cleaning streets and neighborhoods throughout the community.
Over the last few years we have built a robust relationship with our partner schools, teachers, families and the community at large. We can’t wait to welcome you.
Successful City Year @AmeriCorps members who get and give the most out of serving students and schools share three characteristics—they are deeply empathetic, they are able to build strong relationships, and they bring a growth mindset.
Do you know a young adult who exemplifies these qualities? Encourage them to apply to serve during the 2021-2022 school year. Our next application deadline is April 16. Visit cityyear.org/apply-now/ to learn more!...
#Repost • We love seeing so many of our alumni in one place! (Even if virtually.) Thank you to all who came out for last week’s virtual beer tasting and trivia night with @triplebottombrewing. If you’re a CYP alum, be sure to follow @cyphilly_alumni for updates and info on future events!...
"When we talk about the dearth of educators of color in our system, you can’t be what you can’t see. If you don’t have teachers of color, then students can’t aspire to an opportunity that they don’t know exists." - Principal Aliya Catanch-Bradley, Bethune School
We were honored to welcome Principal Bradley from @cybethune and Dr. Abigail Gray from @philly_schools at last month's Lunch & Learn on the importance of mentorship in creating a positive school environment. Visit the link in bio to read a recap and watch the full event recording!...
"I serve because the change always starts with you. The young minds that we teach are capable of extraordinary accomplishments and I want to be a part of their journey. I know how much education has meant to me and I wanted to give back to my community so my students would be inspired to one day do the same. I learn from them just as much as they learn from me." - Felisha Nation, @hardinghawks (@cy_hawks)
Do you want to serve with City Year? Our next application deadline is on April 16th! Learn more and start your application at cityyear.org/apply-now. #WhyIServe...
Standing together while we're apart. Our service in schools may look different this year, but City Year's mission remains the same! Our 200+ AmeriCorps members serving in 16 schools provide whole class support and individualized attention that helps students feel valued and supported in their learning - especially during this challenging year.
Join us for our virtual Red Jacket Gala on May 6th and support our work towards education equity! Everyone who donates any amount to our campaign is invited to attend the party. Link in bio to learn more! #RedJacketGalaCYP...
