While Boston’s nickname is The Hub, known for being a vibrant center for academia, business, tech and medicine, some students in Greater Boston face significant challenges every day. Together we can help students build on their strengths and thrive.
While Boston is known for being a vibrant center for academic, business, tech and medicine, some students face significant education inequities and challenges every day. As the largest school district in Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools enrolls more than 53,000 students across 125 schools.
I signed up for a year of service because I wanted to fully dedicate my time to a cause that is larger than myself. Our students are at the forefront of our service.
Sophia Riviello First-year AmeriCorps member proudly serving at the Madeline English School
The corps experience
City Year Greater Boston partners with Boston, Everett, and Medford Public Schools to help create environments where all students can build on their strengths and fully engage in their learning. Our AmeriCorps members serve in schools all day, every day, preparing students with the skills and mindsets to thrive in school and in life.
They serve as tutors, mentors, and role models to students who need extra time and support to engage in school and stay on track to graduation. For many students, having this one-on-one attention is so important. We have some of the finest teachers in the country, but teachers can’t do it alone. And that’s where City Year lends a hand.
AmeriCorps members are truly making an impact. Last school year, math scores dropped by 16%. Students with an AmeriCorps member increased an entire grade level. What’s more is that City Year is having an impact on whole school outcomes. 98% of our school partners share that City Year AmeriCorps members serve as positive role models and add important resources to their classrooms. This close-knit community with ample opportunities to develop meaningful personal and professional relationships makes Greater Boston an ideal place to serve.
Our schools
As the largest school district in Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools (BPS) enrolls more than 53,000 students across 125 schools. Boston Public Schools is home to a wide variety of students, who come from many different backgrounds and ethnicities, with many different languages spoken by families and students. 42.5% of students are Hispanic, 33% Black, 14% White, 9% Asian and 1.5% multi-racial or other. 45% of students do not speak English as their first language.
In the 2023-2024 school year, 86 AmeriCorps members served in 18 Boston and Everett Public Schools elementary,middle and high schools.
Transportation to school
Most schools within Greater Boston are accessible by public transportation, the MBTA.
One of City Year Greater Boston’s priorities is to support the personal and professional growth of AmeriCorps members by offering programming throughout the year designed to help you discover or pursue your post-service plans and ways you can continue to be a leader after your time with City Year.
Join City Year as a Teaching Fellow to pursue your Master's in Education (M.Ed.) from Umass Boston, or explore tuition scholarships available to City Year alumni at other accredited universities.
18-Minute Networking – A networking event hosted by Deloitte that includes professional development workshops on networking, job searching and financial planning, as well as an opportunity to speak with professionals in a field of your interest.
Comcast Careers Day – As part of our national partnership, Comcast NBCUniversal provides a day of professional development to support City Year AmeriCorps members preparedness for college and career following your year of service.
Public Speaking – Throughout the year, City Year Greater Boston hosts a number of events where AmeriCorps members share their service story through writing and public speaking.
Comms Crew – Working closely with City Year Greater Boston’s communications department, help share service stories and highlight AmeriCorps members’ work in Boston and Everett Public Schools through the school team’s Instagram account and other storytelling opportunities.
Community involvement
Create a positive climate of civic engagement that ripples throughout the Greater Boston community! During the service year, AmeriCorps members participate in community service across the city and help beautify the community by painting murals and common spaces in schools and creating school supply kits for students and classrooms. If you are most interested in this aspect of our work, consider applying for Civic Engagement team! Civic Engagement First-Year Corps members will focus on community engagement and facilitating service opportunities. You’ll gain professional experience planning, coordinating and leading Service Events that engage community and corporate volunteers, youth and fellow AmeriCorps members in transformational service with City Year.
Over the last 30 years we have built robust relationships with Boston, Everett, and Medford Public Schools, teachers, families and the community at large. We can’t wait to welcome you.
In honor of Mother’s Day, City Year Greater Boston staff raised just under $3k for single mothers to purchase groceries and household items at local supermarkets.
Thanks to Wamweni Shamambo for her courageous advocacy on behalf of all mothers, and for organizing the prize for those who contributed!
Swipe to see how it unfolds 👉🏼
Thanks to Marika, Impact Director, for being a great sport and the selected “winner”!
And, of course, thanks to Henry, Impact Manager, for winning the honor… 🥧
We are still ✨glowing✨ from our Starry Night Gala last week.
🙏🏽Thank you to everyone who joined us to support @bostonschools and @everett_schools students and #CYGB AmeriCorps members!
💪🏿In addition to honoring @mass_ago with our Idealism in Action award, we raised over $140,000 on the night of the event - all to support student success next year.
🫶🏻Special thanks to our sponsors for helping to make it all possible @ropesgray @deloitte @brplusa @elkusmanfredi @gilbanebuilding @needhambank @nelliemaeedfdn @takedaoncology...
Our #WomenCrushWednesday is none other than @mass_ago, who has been a true City Year Champion throughout her career in public service.
⚖️In honor of her commitment to equity, we are excited to be presenting Attorney General Campbell with City Year's Idealism in Action award tomorrow at our Annual Starry Night Gala.
🙏🏽A big thank you to our event Gold Sponsor @ropesgray for helping to make this special event possible....