FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Johnny Barr
Mobile: 312-404-0828
Email: jbarr@cityyear.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 28, 2009
MEDIA ADVISORY
CITY YEAR CHICAGO TO HOLD ANNUAL OPENING DAY CEREMONY ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
125 young leaders prepare for a year of service in Chicago schools, perform initial service day in Pilsen
| WHAT: | City Year Chicago, the premiere leadership-development organization for young people ages 17 to 24, will hold its 2009-2010 Opening Day Ceremony on Friday, October 2. At the ceremony, 125 new corps members will pledge a year of full-time service––the equivalent of 1,700 hours each––as tutors, mentors, and role model for children in Chicago schools and as leaders of physical service projects in Chicago communities. These leaders are among 1,500 City Year corps members also pledging a year of service on October 2nd in cities across America. Prior to the ceremony, City Year Chicago's incoming corps members will perform a service day in Chicago's Pilsen Community. Corps members will perform landscaping, interior and exterior painting, and mural projects serving alongside developmentally disabled adults from El Valor (www.elvalor.org) a Pilsen-based organization empowering people with disabilities. |
| WHY: | Research shows that focused early intervention keeps students from dropping out of high school. City Year's "near peer" corps members adopt a Whole School/Whole Child approach, working directly with elementary, middle and high school students to improve attendance, behavior, and course performance—the three best indicators of staying in school.
|
| WHO: | Civic, corporate, and community leaders including: Lisa Morrison Butler, Executive Director, City Year Chicago; Ted Gibbs, Executive Director, SERVE Illinois; Michael Mayo, Senior Director, Deloitte; LeAnn Talbot, Senior Vice President–Comcast, Greater Chicago Region; and 125 incoming City Year Chicago corps members, their families, and friends.
|
VISUALS: | A diverse group of 125 corps members in City Year Red Jacket uniforms will perform high-energy chants and calisthenics.
|
| WHEN: | Friday, October 2, 2009
Opening Day Ceremony: 4:00PM to 5:00PM
|
| WHERE | Opening Day Ceremony: The Congress Lounge, Roosevelt University (430 South Michigan Avenue, 2nd Floor) **Please note the change in location** |
City Year unites young people of all backgrounds between the ages of 17 and 24 for a year of full-time service, giving them the skills and opportunities to change the world. As tutors, mentors, and role models, these diverse leaders make a difference in the lives of children and transform schools and neighborhoods at 19 locations across the United States and in Johannesburg, South Africa. City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps. For more information, please visit http://www.cityyear.org/chicago.