Our Work

At City Year’s locations across the United States and in South Africa, young people – called “corps members” – serve full time for 10 months. These young leaders put their idealism to work for children and communities through school-based service, youth leadership programs and community transformation:

Photos by Jennifer Cogswell and John Gillooly/PEI

SCHOOL-BASED SERVICE

City Year’s youth service corps is one of the largest in America, with initiatives tailored to meet community and school district needs.

Corps members serve in schools as:

Tutors

Mentors

Role models

Leaders of after-school programs

As near-peers, corps members are uniquely able to help improve student attendance, behavior and coursework - which research confirms are indicators of a student's likelihood of graduating from high school. This school-based service is at the heart of City Year’s Whole School, Whole Child approach to helping students and schools succeed.

Through City Year’s Whole School, Whole Child service model, City Year deploys diverse teams of full-time corps members in schools to help students stay on track – and get back on track – to graduate.

In each partner school, these young leaders begin their in-school service before the first bell rings and stay until the last child leaves the after-school program by providing:

academic support
attendance monitoring and incentives
positive behavior support
after-school programming; and
in-school programs and activities such as assemblies and celebrations that improve the overall school environment.

Learn more about how how City Year can help students stay In School & On Track.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP

One of the important ways corps members share their belief in service and their commitment to helping children is by leading programs that teach elementary, middle school and high school students about how to be active citizens in their communities and make a difference:

COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION

Photo by John Gillooly/PEI In addition to helping schools and students succeed, City Year corps members engage community members, corporate partners and civic leaders in transformative physical service such as: