The Making of CYGB’s MLK Day of Service!

City Year Greater Boston (CYGB) kicked off 2026 with purpose and collective action at our annual MLK Day of Service, hosted at the James F. Condon School in South Boston. On January 19, our community came together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day on, not off. Joined by our full corps and more than 100 dedicated volunteers, we worked side by side to beautify school spaces and assemble essential resource kits for students.

But a project like this doesn’t begin on event day – it’s the culmination of months of thoughtful planning and collaboration.

Pre-Planning 

Planning for this impactful day begins months in advance, starting with the selection of a school partner. With a long-standing relationship at the James F. Condon School—including past City Year teams serving on site and a principal who is a proud CYGB alum—our Boston Civic Engagement (BCE) team connected with school leadership in September to begin shaping the vision for the day. After conducting a walkthrough to identify spaces in need of attention, the team works closely with the school community to develop plans aligned with the school’s priorities. These plans focused on celebrating the school’s newly defined values and refreshed logo, ensuring that the work would not only improve the physical space, but also reinforce school culture and pride.

Once the designs were approved, preparation shifted into high gear. Materials were gathered—paint, brushes, tarps, tape, and more – and two weeks before the event, the BCE team returned to the school to begin laying down tarp, pre-painting walls, and sketching out mural designs. This behind the scenes work ensured that volunteers could make the greatest impact on the day of service.

During the Event

City Year teams arrived as early as 6:45 a.m. to prepare for the day and welcome volunteers. By 9:00 a.m., volunteers began arriving, and the day officially kicked off with opening remarks from Principal Gregory and coffee generously provided by the Starbucks Foundation. Project leads then guided each group to their assigned areas, walking them through their tasks for the morning.

Working together, our community accomplished an incredible amount of work in two hours. Volunteers painted 10 murals, refreshed the cafeteria and two stairwells, and assembled more than 1,000 resource kits and incentive items for students at the Condon – transforming the space into one that is brighter, more welcoming, and better equipped to support student success.

Follow-Up

After volunteers wrapped up at noon, City Year teams regrouped to assess progress and complete remaining work. The afternoon was spent adding finishing touches to murals, packing up supplies, removing tape and tarps, and ensuring that school spaces were ready to welcome students back the following day.

Thank You

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our champions at T-Mobile and  American Airlines for sponsoring this year’s MLK Day of Service, and to the James F. Condon School for being such thoughtful and collaborative partners. This incredible day would not have been possible without their dedication, generosity, and shared commitment to students and community.

Be sure to check out the full event gallery to relive the day!