City Year Greater Boston, an education organization that helps students and schools succeed, announced the official launch of its expanding partnership to five K-8 schools in the Everett Public Schools district. Formerly City Year Boston, City Year Greater Boston will partner with George Keverian, Madeline English, Lafayette, Albert N. Parlin, and Whittier schools in the Everett district, and an additional 15 Boston Public Schools.
For over 30 years, City Year Greater Boston has partnered with schools, bringing together diverse young adults to serve full time in schools as AmeriCorps members, helping prepare students with the skills and mindsets to thrive in school and in life. This year, City Year Greater Boston will place 200 AmeriCorps members across 20 schools. Diverse, trained teams of City Year AmeriCorps members serve as student success coaches, helping students build on their strengths and cultivate foundational social-emotional, and academic skills, whether that’s learning to work in teams, cope with frustration, or master fractions – skills that are important in school and in life.
“City Year is an ideal reflection of our Core Values of Integrate, Access, Empower, and Cultivate,” said Superintendent Priya Tahiliani. “It has a proven track record in serving student populations like ours. Districts that partner with City Year see better student outcomes. And we are thrilled to be able to launch this partnership in all of our K-8 schools simultaneously.”
When learning environments shifted to remote in Spring of 2020, City Year adapted its service model to continue to meet the needs of students, teachers, and schools by supporting Google and Zoom classroom spaces, hosting online office and enrichment hours, and continuing to work with students individually and in small group settings. A 2021 case study by Motivation, Mindset & Equity Consulting captured City Year’s ability to respond and adapt to distance and hybrid learning during the pandemic. Some key findings include:
Modeling a personalized approach to learning and development at all levels of the organization allowed for nimbleness and innovation during a global pandemic.
Prioritizing trust and strong relationships are the foundation for successful personalization of learning for young people.
Leaning into building strong developmental relationships proved critical for maintaining student engagement.
“I cannot convey how appreciative I am to have City Year in my class. Not only do they provide more engagement and allow for differentiation and targeted support, but City Year simply provides another caring and positive role model,” one partner teacher shared. “With our school fully in remote learning…this cannot be understated. Our City Year team has helped to create a positive culture and a place where students feel welcomed and appreciated.”
Expansion Supported by Edelman Financial Engines, Wellington Management Company and Comcast
To support this expansion, Edelman Financial Engines, Wellington Management Company, and Comcast have each committed $100,000 to sponsor teams of AmeriCorps members in full-time service at the Sumner G. Whittier, Lafayette and Albert N. Parlin schools for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Teams of AmeriCorps members will serve George Keverian, Madeline English, Lafayette, Albert N. Parlin, and Whittier schools
“At Edelman Financial Engines, we’re committed to supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Joe Nedder, Chief Operating Officer at Edelman Financial Engines. “As a board member for City Year Greater Boston, I have had the privilege of seeing the results of the great work they do every year and by sponsoring City Year’s ‘Whole School Whole Child’ program, we are proud to be a part of supporting their amazing work to help students in our local area develop the tools and skills they need to succeed in the future.”
Each of the Everett schools partnering with City Year Greater Boston will work with teams of eight AmeriCorps members and a full-time staff member. The first day of school for Everett schools is Tuesday, August 31st where students will be greeted by their City Year AmeriCorps members.
“The City Year partnership extends over a period of years, so our students can ‘grow up’ with the program,” said Madeline English School Principal Theresa Tringale. “Students really benefit from extra support as they advance from third through eighth grade, when they need help in developing an understanding of who they are and how that will set them on a path of lifelong learning and success.”
In addition to its expansion and subsequent name change, City Year Greater Boston will also announce a new Executive Director this fall.