Category Archives: Mentoring

Alumni Spotlight: David Lieberman, 1999-2001

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Written by Monica Lee, External Affairs Project Leader serving on the Bain Capital Team

David Lieberman

(Did you miss last month’s Alumni Spotlight? Catch up on 2004-06 alumna Nicole Yongue!) This month, I had the opportunity to interview City Year alum David Lieberman. A native Rhode Islander, David decided to serve with City Year Boston in 1999 after learning about the program from a friend.

As a corps member, David served at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in a computer lab donated by Cisco, offering assistance to whomever came in. When he heard that City Year was going to start up a new site and needed people ready to serve, he eagerly applied to spend another year as a senior corps member in Washington, D.C.

“I loved serving…to focus on other people was a revelation for a 20-year-old kid.  So I loved service – still do.”

WHAT WERE YOUR PLANS AFTER CITY YEAR?

After two years with City Year, David’s interest in politics led him to work as a campaign assistant on a congressional campaign in Boston.  Eventually, he realized that pursuing a career in politics without a college degree would be limiting, so he enrolled at Tufts University to study history.  There, his senior thesis on Harris Wofford – Kennedy’s special assistant for civil rights – inspired him to pursue a career in law, which led him to Columbia Law School.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERING ATTENDING LAW SCHOOL?

A question he has heard often, especially being a City Year mentor, David answers, “You have to love school. [Also] really know you want to be a lawyer.”

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE AFTER LAW SCHOOL?

David is now an attorney at Ropes and Gray here in Boston. He has worked on an array of cases, and he relishes opportunities that make him feel he “really gets to make a difference in people’s lives.” He takes on pro bono cases that often deal with gaining asylum.  David notes, “Sometimes the work is hard. You know some of these people have had extremely traumatic things happen in their lives and then you have to send them through the government and tell their story over and over again.”  But his role as a lawyer is crucial during the whole process, and he works hard at it.

…he relishes opportunities that make him feel he “really gets to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Did you miss last month’s Alumni Spotlight? Catch up on 2004-06 alumna Nicole Yongue!

Idealist Interview: Principal Leah Blake

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Written by Michaela Kinlock, corps member serving on the Summit Partners Team at the Harbor Pilot Middle School

At City Year, idealism is a highly valued quality.  Throughout my year of service, I have decided to periodically interview and profile individuals who represent what it means to be a true idealist.  This month, I interviewed Leah Blake, principal at the Harbor Pilot Middle School in Dorchester.  Check in throughout the year for more Idealist Interviews!

Ms. Leah Blake came to the Harbor during a particularly challenging period.  She took on her role as principal last February after being asked to take over the position mid-year.  The Harbor Pilot Middle School is now in its second year of state-designated turnaround status, which means that it is has been significantly underperforming for several years. The faculty and administrators have embarked upon many initiatives to not only improve MCAS scores but also the morale of the students and overall culture of the school, which is where the school’s partnership with City Year comes into play.

Why did you want a City Year team at the Harbor?

“I know what kind of work City Year has done in other turnaround schools and I was like, ‘Why don’t we have one?’ We have significant growth to make; we need to make progress and we need a team with focused goals on how to help us achieve this progress…Small group tiered instruction is part of our redesign plan, and its hard to follow through with that without extra support.  The district realized our need, and that with the needs of our students we need [a City Year team].  I don’t know how this school would function without extra support.”

What is your vision for the partnership between City Year and the Harbor?

“Continued growth with supporting our tiered instruction and also continued growth with our after school program and external supports.  I would also like to see the student government grow and develop and see how that relates to the governance board and how students have a voice…By June I would love to see [how City Year's attendance initiatives translate] to data…to see how the work that we have targeted has come to fruition.  How have the students made progress based on the extra support you all have given them?”

How do you think City Year has helped the Harbor thus far?  Have you noticed a difference in the school atmosphere or the students since the Summit Partners Team’s arrival?

“Oh my gosh, the kids…it’s a different culture.  It boosts the morale of our culture and our staff to have City Year supporting us.  It absolutely helps us move forward together.  City Year creates a culture that we’re all in it together.  Not only do we want the students to succeed academically, but we also want to support them socially and emotionally…You walk into the Harbor and things are just different.  Here’s a school that’s deemed failing, but we don’t see it that way because we’re really working together.  We’ve really put structures in place for students to succeed.”

Harbor Pilot Middle School Principal Leah Blake

Harbor Pilot Middle School Principal Leah Blake

Ms. Blake went on to discuss the specific instances of City Year’s impact on students that she has witnessed in the few short months since the school year began.  For example, one student serving an in-house detention requested to still be able to go to her City Year Leadership Lunch meeting.  Another student proudly displayed a recognition certificate from City Year on his desk during class.  Teachers have even commented to Ms. Blake about the personal transformations some students have begun to make since September.

Ms. Blake is one of the strongest champions of City Year at the Harbor and has really set the tone for how accepting and supportive the staff has been to our team since our arrival in September.  Her dedication to the success of the students, faculty, and the Summit Partners Team are the reason why Ms. Blake represents true idealism.

“It boosts the morale of our culture and our staff to have City Year supporting us.  It absolutely helps us move forward together. City Year creates a culture that we’re all in it together.”

Trust, Tutoring, and Triumph at Orchard Gardens

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A critical piece of City Year corps members’ service in schools is the one-on-one and small group tutoring that they provide for students.  They go through intensive training in order to be the most effective tutors possible so that they can help their students move the needle on their course performance.  Below, Extended Day Project Leader Cammi Maguire shares a story of academic achievement from her service last year at Orchard Gardens K-8 School.

Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for students.

Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for students.

Last year, I served as a corps member on the Johnson & Johnson team serving at Orchard Gardens K-8 School. Every day, I followed a group of 20 8th grade students from class to class, supporting them in their academic work in literacy, math, history, and science.  Over the course of the year, these students showed me just how much they were capable of and I was able to witness the important impact that corps members had on their lives.

Jackie* was one student that I worked closely with who truly transformed over the course of the one year we spent together. Jackie was an incredibly passionate yet aggressive 8th grade girl who thought she knew exactly what she wanted and what she needed, but I realized early on that she just needed someone to help her find a way to channel her aggressive energy into a more positive outlet.

Jackie was selected to attend the 50 Acts of Leadership mentoring program, one of City Year’s behavior initiatives, during her lunch hour. We started off talking about everything from her home life to boys and school drama, and soon she began to open up about school work, her different classes, and the areas that she struggled with in school. Jackie began to trust me, and that’s when she began to transform. She suddenly wanted to be tutored during every class period and began to seek out my help. She started participating in class and began to take pride in her school work. Finally, after all of her hard work, her English and Language Arts grade moved from a D+ to a B- in just one semester. That incredible leap of improvement fueled her for the rest of the year and pushed her to turn all of her grades around.

Cammi and the 2010-2011 Johnson & Johnson Team Serving at Orchard Gardens

Cammi (center) and the 2010-2011 Johnson & Johnson Team Serving at Orchard Gardens

Jackie is a testament to precisely why we serve in schools. All she needed was for someone to take that personal interest in her, someone who could build the relationship necessary to successfully encourage her to channel her passion and energy towards her school work and her future. As a result, Jackie now knows what is required to be a good student and what it feels like to take control of her education. I was, and still am, extremely proud of her, but most importantly, she is proud of herself.

*Name changed to protect identity.

The Top Ten

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City Year corps members strive to serve as powerful mentors to the students they reach in schools around the city.  Many of them are fortunate enough to have had strong mentors in their own lives who helped them get to where they are today.  Below, Josh Waxman, team leader serving at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School, lists his top 10 mentors and describes how they have influenced his life.

1. Dory Waxman: My mother and someone that I have looked up to my entire life. My mother is a strong woman with a profound sense of respect and humanity who has always practiced what she preached, to treat people the way you would like to be treated.

Senior corps member Josh Waxman (far left) with his family.

Senior corps member Josh Waxman (far left) with his family.

2. Dan Waxman: My father and one of my closest friends. My father’s approach to life and work and the balance between them is something that I continue to carry with me.

3. Ben Waxman: My brother and close friend. I have always looked up to Ben for his relentless work ethic and his constant need to better the world around him.

 4. Adam Waxman: My brother and someone that I look up to. I look up to Adam as someone that has consistently pursued what he calls “a quality of life.” But through his work as a middle school teacher, Adam has also shown me that life is not only about pursuing that quality of life for yourself but about striving to help others achieve it as well.

 5. Simeon Arloding: My brother from whom I have gained new perspectives. Simeon joined my family from war- torn Liberia when I was 10 and we shared a room for 3 years. Sim taught me to consider people from a global perspective and to understand that, as human beings, we have a responsibility to pick each other up when we have fallen.

6. Yessika Ares: My sister, who taught me to appreciate the little things in life. Yess became a part of my family when I was 9. She taught me more about the small things that can help ensure strong peace of mind than anyone else ever has. Family and Puerto Rican culture were very important to Yess, as well as her ability to find humor in almost any situation. These are values that I have carried closely with me throughout the years.

7. Sam Waxman: My Grandfather, Pop, who imparted to me a sense of pride and duty. Listening to stories from my pop about everything from serving in WWII to living through the Civil Rights era has driven me both professionally and socially. Pop and his tales of the ‘greatest generation’ have instilled in me a sense of pride in both my country and my community that drives me to do the work that I do. 

8. Abby Snyder: My 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Snyder always had a way of working with kids that made teaching look so easy. With a heart and mind that gave every child an opportunity regardless of where they came from, Abby was able to help every student develop. I am lucky to have had such an amazing educator, and her ability to build and cultivate relationships is something from which I continue to learn.

9. Muhammad Ali: A man who overcame so much adversity with so much confidence in his abilities. Ali pursued both his professional and personal goals with unmatched passion and effort, which is something that I have always admired and striven to emulate.

Josh with program manager Mike McGinn and co-team leader Aaron Canto.

Josh with program manager Mike McGinn and co-team leader Aaron Canto.

10. Mike McGinn and Aaron Canto: Two gentlemen whom I have the pleasure of working with this year. As my program manager and co-team leader, Mike and Aaron’s hard work, humor, and dedication have helped to form one of the best teams that I have ever had the opportunity to lead. I am excited to see what this year holds in store for us.

A Mentor for Myself

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City Year corps members strive to serve as powerful mentors to the students they reach in schools around the city.  Many of them are fortunate enough to have had strong mentors in their own lives who have helped them get to where they are today.  Below is team leader serving at the Irving Middle School, Elvia Sornoza’s story about a strong mentor that she has had and how that mentor has influenced her life.
2010-2011 corps members Laura Coleman (left) and Elvia Sornoza (right) with program manager Dan Foley at graduation on June 11, 2011.

2010-2011 corps members Laura Coleman (left) and Elvia Sornoza (right) with program manager Dan Foley at graduation on June 11, 2011.

When I began my first year of service with City Year Los Angeles, I knew that I would make a difference in the lives of others and become the mentor my students needed. What I didn’t realize was that in the process, I would find a mentor for myself as well.  I feel that my year as a corps member truly challenged me and led me to develop as a person and a leader, and it was through the guidance of my program manager, Dan Foley, that I saw the potential in myself.

At the beginning of my City Year, I was very shy and kept to myself most of the time. I was always amazed by the wonderful people that surrounded me; I felt that I was placed on a team with great leaders that could do anything, but for some reason I just didn’t feel that way about myself. I went through the first half of my year without taking advantage of very many leadership opportunities because I felt that others on my team were more capable of leading.  During a mid-year meeting with Dan, I expressed my hesitations and admitted that I hadn’t really felt ownership over any of our team’s previous projects.  He looked a little confused and asked me, “Why?”  I didn’t really have an answer for him, but he challenged me to lead our team’s next project, which happened to be our parent orientation. I took the project on because I saw that Dan believed in me and knew that I was fully capable of making our parent orientation a success.  Now I just had to believe it for myself.

As the year went on, I opened up to my team and took on more leadership opportunities. Parent orientation was just the first of many other projects I successfully led throughout the year.  I was able to gain confidence in myself because I felt constantly supported, reassured, motivated, and empowered to do anything and everything by my program manager.  Dan is one of the most committed, invested, caring, selfless, dependable, motivated, determined, and dynamic individuals I’ve ever met, who is an inspiration to not only me but his entire team from last year.  I told him many times, “I want to be like you.”  His response was always the same: “Don’t be like me, be better than me.”

A Ripple: Profile of Tykent Rogers

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This week, senior corps members will Tell a First Year Corps Member’s Story: Why they serve, how they have fit in with the City Year Boston village or an outstanding experience or contribution they have made in their first weeks of service. Jack Korpob, team leader on the Bain & Company Team serving at English High School, reflects on the role that his team from last year had to play in first year corps member Tykent Roger’s journey to City Year.

One of the reasons that I love City Year and have returned for a senior corps year to serve as a team leader at the English High School is because I love being around such inspiring and idealistic people – people like Tykent Rogers.

Last year, I had the pleasure of serving my corps year at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester. Every Wednesday, students in the Burke’s Freshman Academy had the opportunity to interact with upperclassmen mentors as part of the Ignition Mentoring Program. A lot of the mentors really helped to push the younger students outside of their comfort zones using fun games and activities. It was here that I had the privilege of getting to know Tykent, who was a senior at the Burke and one of the program’s mentors.

Throughout the year, we had the opportunity to share the experience of being a mentor to the same cohort of students. Along the way, I learned a little bit about Tykent’s dedication to school and sports. He played three sports, baseball being his favorite, and he really enjoyed working with students his age and helping them to understand that it’s possible to achieve their goals if they really put their mind to it. I was so proud of him, and he served as a true inspiration to a lot of the students. One of his personal goals was to play baseball in college, and all of his hard work paid off when he earned himself a baseball scholarship at the University of Maine.

Corps member Tykent Rogers

Corps member Tykent Rogers

Little did I know that just a few months later, Tykent would begin a year with City Year Boston. I served tirelessly last year to support my freshmen, but I never thought that Tykent would notice and begin to consider City Year as an option for himself after high school. When I found out that he had applied to City Year, I had to ask about his scholarship and what happened to his plans to attend college this year. He simply stated that the University of Maine took care of it and agreed to defer his admission and scholarship for a year so that he could serve with City Year Boston; he felt it was important to have an experience that would allow him to serve his community before going to college. He’s even already considering serving a second year with City Year.

Now, I am more aware than ever of my actions and how the different ways in which they might impact people. Whether we realize it or not, the red jackets and City Year affect lives outside of the classroom as well. When people see us in our uniforms, tutoring students or doing PT (Physical Training) in Copley Square, we are sending a message that we are ready to serve, to change lives, and to improve communities. Because of his interaction with City Year at the Burke, Tykent now serves with City Year Boston as a corps member on the Johnson & Johnson Team serving at Orchard Gardens K-8 School in Roxbury. His decision to serve at City Year inspires me. Now it is his turn to impact students’ lives and to continue this ripple of positive change in the Boston community.

Smell the Flower, Blow Out the Candle

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Inspiration is a catalyst that moves individuals to stand up for something they believe in, to make a difference, or to simply keep going. At City Year, the most inspirational moments are often those that reveal the sometimes unexpected ways in which we have impacted the students and the communities we serve. Below, senior corps member Lilah Rossi, team leader at the Harbor School, shares a particularly Inspiring Moment from her corps year in Miami, Florida.

Last year, I had the unique experience of being a Boston native who chose to serve my corps year at City Year Miami. There, I spent 10 months in a community called Liberty City at Lenora B. Smith Elementary School. One of the most exciting initiatives that my team implemented at the school was our extended day program, Starfish Corps.

During one particular Starfish Corps unit, we talked a lot about different stress relievers and anger management. One method that we taught the students to employ to when they felt angry and wanted to fight consisted of a breathing technique. The technique we practiced with them involved making their right hand into a fist that holds an imaginary flower and inhaling as they pretended to sniff it. In their left hand, they would hold an imaginary candle that they would then pretend to blow out with an exhale.

Senior corps member Lilah Rossi and Darryl

Senior corps member Lilah Rossi and Darryl

One afternoon, after the program had ended for the day, I was outside with Darryl*, a child who had difficulty managing his anger and who fought constantly with other students. He was playing around with one of the other students when he started to get mad because the other student, intending to be playful, had hit him. He wanted to attack back, but I told him not to. He was angry and clenched his fists and I asked him to not do that. He unclenched them, but when I turned to look at him again, I saw that his fists were re-clenched. I looked at him sternly and asked him why he was still clenching his fists, and his response was: “Ms. Lilah, I’m not!” He followed up by demonstrating the inhaling of the “flower” and exhaling of the “candle,” the technique we had taught him just the other day.

As you can imagine, I was so impressed that this normally frustrated young boy was using one of our techniques. It is something that I hope he continues to use, especially to help keep him from getting into fights. It was one of the most inspiring moments of the year for me; it was then that I realized that our students had really been listening to us and were trying to work to change their behavior.

*Names have been changed to protect student privacy.

Learning To Lead From Exceptional Leaders

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Over the next couple of months, City Year Boston senior corps members will be contributing their own insights to the City Year Boston blog. This week’s theme is “Learning to Lead.” Senior corps members share their experiences on what it takes to be a leader, from how far they have come, to where they want their journeys to take them. Jack Korpob shares of how his last team’s leadership helped him grow to become a Team Leader at the English High School.

By Jack Korpob, Team Leader, serving at the English High School.

My experience as a Corps Member last year has definitely prepared me to be a Team Leader serving at the English High School in Jamaica Plain this upcoming year. Through countless trainings, workshops, and learning through my everyday service at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School last year, I have gained leadership experience that is invaluable and will help me lead a team of corps members this next academic year.

Navigating through my first City Year was a challenge, but I had incredible mentors and true leaders to follow. When I came into City Year last year, I knew that I would be doing full-time service, but a big part of City Year is the leadership development portion. My Program Manager, Julia Leb, and my two Team Leaders, Kayla Faust and Renaldo Mili, challenged me to step up and be a leader amongst a team of leaders. They constantly encouraged me to do more for my team and to always strive to make our team stronger.

My Program Manager always checked in with me and coached me constantly. She had high expectations for me, which led me to have high expectations for myself in service.

Julia Leb and I after City Year Boston's Graduation (photo credit: Jack Korpob)

My Team Leaders really pushed me last year to not fall into a comfortable place and to always stay in my challenge zone. Therefore, I was encouraged to seek leadership opportunities both on the team and through the larger Boston site.

I found myself as a part of the City Year Boston Corps Council as my team’s representative, on the Recruitment Department’s Ambassador Team (or A-Team) where I helped run open house events, and a part of different speaking opportunities that helped represent and speak about the service we do in schools and in our communities. Now, I find myself as a senior corps member as a Team Leader and I was recently asked to be one of two City Year Boston Dean’s Council Members, which means I will help represent the site across the network this upcoming year.

I credit my leadership experiences last year to my leadership team because they helped me navigate my City Year experience and helped me find my niche. They always built me up and prepared me for success in all the work that I did.

Renaldo Mili and Kayla Faust stop to take a picture before graduation as Senior Corps Members from City Year Boston (photo credit: Jack Korpob)

It’s not a surprise to me at all that both my Team Leaders are now Program Managers (Kayla is continuing at Boston and Renaldo has moved over to New York) alongside my former Program Manager Julia, who helped lead such a successful team last year. Even better, my former Team Leader, Kayla, is now my Program Manager of the English High School Team.

I believe that leadership is best attained and learned through the experience and leadership of others. I thank Julia, Kayla, and Renaldo for allowing me to learn so much from them.

Charlie Rose’s Top 10 Qualities of a Leader

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Over the next couple of months, City Year Boston senior corps members will be contributing their own insights to the City Year Boston blog. This week’s theme is “Learning to Lead.” Senior corps members share their experiences on what it takes to be a leader, from how far they have come, to where they want their journeys to take them. Today, Maurice J. Tobin Team Leader Aaron Canto shares his own take on Charlie Rose’s advice to all senior corps members from Summer Academy.

In the vast vault of City Year icebreakers and warm-up games, the one that I look forward to the most is crafting a “Top 10” list. Whether its creating a list of your “Top 10 All-Time Favorite Albums” or the “Top 10 Things You Wish To Accomplish During Your Year Of Service,” I always enjoy not only making my list, but getting the opportunity to learn about other people’s interest, ideas, and beliefs.

During Summer Academy, the two week long summer conference at Northeastern University for all senior corps members and staff throughout the City Year network, Charlie Rose enlightened us on what he believes to be the most important characteristics and qualities of a leader.

Charlie Rose speaking at Summer Academy

The list provided great insight on how to effectively lead and is something that I will strive to emulate while I serve as a Team Leader at the Maurice J. Tobin Middle School in Roxbury.

Without further ado, here is, in my opinion, an excellent Top 10:

1.) Walk the Talk—Role model for the Corps, because what they see from their leadership, they will emulate in their service.

2.) Admit Mistakes—If you do not make at least one mistake a day, you are not putting yourself out there enough.

3.) Be A Good Listener—We have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

4.) Support Each Other—Service is tough, and in order to get through the tough times, it is important to share in each other’s successes.

5.) Be As Intentional And Authentic As Possible—Be who you are and be willing to share yourself with others.

6.) Be Present—Live in the moment. Everyday is a chance to do something great or impact a student’s life.

7.) Enjoy It—While service is demanding and stressful, enjoy the simple joys that you receive from your team or the students you work. They are your support system.

8.) Find Balance—Don’t stress yourself with work. While the work we do is essential, make sure to find time for yourself. Personally, I find my balance in a nice block of cheese and some smooth jazz in the background.

9.) Try Not To Take Everything Personally—Feedback is important to our service. In order to become an effective leader, you must be willing to accept your weaknesses and be willing to work on them.

10.) Try To Capture It—Take pictures or write a blog about your experiences. The ten months of service goes quickly, so have something concrete so that you can remember it.

In order to provide effective leadership in our service and in the workplace, it is essential to implement as many of these elements as possible. Although the fundamental rule of a “Top 10” is to list what you feel are the 10 most important things, I extend the comment section to anyone who would like to add more to this list, because as we all know, there are many styles to leading effectively.

How to Grow Your Brain

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Nick and Yanna, still optimistic after a hard day of brain-growing.

by Nick Karoutsos, National Grid/PTC Team serving at Blackstone Elementary School

“Mr. K, I don’t get it! It’s too hard!”

These are words I’ve heard far too frequently from Yanna, one of my fourth-grade students.  The feeling these phrases evokes is similar to that of skipping through a flowery meadow and slamming smack-dab into a brick wall; we are on the road to progress, the student gets stuck, they shut down, and we can’t move forward. Frustration ensues and I may too quickly hand out compliments of encouragement such as, “Don’t worry you can do it,” or “I bet if you try your hardest you’ll figure it out,” and my personal worst; “you’re smart, you’ll get it”. But what happens if the day ends and Yanna, in fact, still doesn’t “get it”? I had never before realized the implications of my “positive” praise.

About a month ago, during a planning period with teachers, the topic of praising students arose. Evidently, one research group has conducted specialized surveys on how praise affects students. A very simplified analysis of what they had found is that when you tell a student “you’re smart, you’ll get this” and they do not in fact comprehend it, the student feels betrayed, lied to, and dumb. This discussion pushed me in a completely new direction with my praise.

The following afternoon Yanna had asked to go to recess and lunch with me, as she does from time to time. “Let’s play UNO,” she chimed. “Yanna,” I replied sternly, “I really feel like we should go over your math homework.” We eventually agreed to split the period half and half.

Following an eventful game of UNO, Yanna and I began to go over math word problems. I soon received the “It’s too hard!” retort and instead of reverting to the generic “you’re smart, you can do it” I decided to pause and have a conversation with her. “Yanna, I bet you didn’t know this, but every time you try something difficult or challenging, you’re brain is actually growing, like a muscle!” The rest of the conversation followed along that general theme. It was a meaningful discussion, and although we didn’t complete all of the math work, Yanna walked away feeling better.

Afterward, I thought very little of our conversation but, nonetheless, began anew; praising students specifically for their processes and not for their solutions or intelligence. As time passed, my students began to work harder and seemed less frustrated when confronted with a difficult problem.

About a month had passed, and I had yet to see dramatic results from my new approach to praise. But suddenly, this past week during the independent work portion of our math lesson I spotted Yanna stuck, yet again. Feeling sympathetic, I approached her, “Are you having a hard time on that problem?” I asked. Without looking up at me, and with an unfamiliar air of confidence, she replied, “Yeah Mr. K, but it’s okay. My brain is growing.” And with that said, I knew: sometimes it’s the simplest conversations and correctly placed praise that can change a student’s perspective on life.

*students names have been changed to protect their privacy.

Young Achievers Tour Boston College

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Article written by Matthew Tow, Bank of America team, serving at Young Achievers Math & Science Pilot school.

Group of eighth graders and I posing on the BC campus.

On Saturday, May 14th, as a part of the after school program called HASP at Young Achievers, I led a group of eighth grade boys through a tour of Boston College Campus. Having visited BC’s beautiful campus before, I wanted to expose the students to a collegiate atmosphere that they may not yet have been introduced to.  The idea was that this experience would allow them to create a clear image of what their futures could look like.

The day started early at 9:30 at Forrest Hills and we made the long trek to Boston College on the T. It was a beautiful day for the tour.  The BC students were just finishing up finals and the eighth grade students were about to see what college life was really like.

Upon arrival we were able to tour the facilities of upper campus.  Here, we explored the Career Services building, the Admissions office, the library (full of students studying for finals) and even a classroom where students were just leaving from a final.  The eighth graders spoke with a BC student fresh from her final on the American Government and the Presidency. She gave them an overview of the final and then imparted with them the message to read more.  The eighth graders that morning, between witnessing the library full of studying college students, and an impromptu history lesson on the American Presidency got a strong taste of the academic rigor of college life. 



Then came lunch. The eighth graders, in comparison to the delicious school lunches served at Young Achievers, were wowed by the variety and quality of a college dining hall. Even better was when they sat down for lunch they were joined by BC students from The United Front Multicultural Student Organization.  The eighth graders were able to speak and listen to what college life was like with current students, many of whom were from the same neighborhoods they were from.  They were able to speak on almost every aspect of student life.  It was truly a revealing experience from them.  

After lunch came the fun, as a group we trooped out onto Alumni Stadium, the field where Doug Flutie, Mat Ryan and the rest of the BC football team plays.  We played a game of football on the field and students from The United Front Organization joined us, one of them even currently plays for BC Football.  Then our group was graced with a private tour of the football facilities including the locker room, weight room and meeting area led by a current player. They were able see areas where even normal BC student wouldn’t ever get to see.

All in all, it was an unforgettable experience for the eighth grade boys. Attending and graduating college should be one of many major goals in their young lives.  Exposing youth early to a collegiate atmosphere is essential in shaping the successful future for what I hope lies ahead of them.   

Less Fights, More Play

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By Elijah Rooks, corps member serving on the CSX team at the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy

Lunch and recess for schools across the country have long been periods of yelling, arguing over games, and gossiping about others.  The CSX City Year team at the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy is trying to change that. Through behavior coaching and a little good weather, recess has become a far more pleasant experience at the school.

City Year runs a program called Lunch Buddies to mentor students as well as coach their behavior.

Lunch Buddies consists of a corps member and a student sitting down, eating lunch, and talking about everything from the weekend updates, to stress in the students life, as well as covering topics such as conflict resolution and study habits.

As the year progressed, I noticed a trend with not just my lunch buddies, but also the entire school. Many conflicts and fights that began during lunch and recess were carried over into the classroom. Due to all the conflicts, students began losing time to play because they were being reprimanded for their playground behaviors.

The answer to our playground problem was simpler than we could have expected. With the winter finally coming to a close, students were anxious to finally begin going back outside for recess. The nice weather led to lunch buddies and corps members taking their lunches to a local playground. Students began tossing the football, and as everyone finished lunch, students managed to organize a kickball game.  No one argued about foul balls or whose turn it was to kick; instead they simply played and had fun trying to ensure that everyone got a turn to play.

As the next week began, students took the idea of just having fun back to their classmates. During 5th grade recess, the gossip and silly arguments over games have slowly begun to die down. Students have a greater chance to enjoy recess, rather than being chastised for their behavior. In class, we have begun to notice students having better afternoons because they are able to get energy out and enjoy themselves. Students now look forward to recess not just because they can go outside, but also because they know they can have a pleasant time together with classmates.

Sign-Out Duty: A Blessing in Disguise

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 Article Written by Katie Brush, corps member serving on the Bain & Company team at the Agassiz, and returning 2011-2012 senior corps member.

If you visit the Louis Agassiz Elementary School in Jamaica Plain around 5:30 PM, I’ll be the one in red presiding over the cafeteria entrance. Most afternoons Monday through Thursday, I tackle our Starfish Extended Day Program’s sign-out process armed with nothing but a clipboard full of attendance rosters and a watchful pair of eyes. It’s a job that might seem dull to some people; while other corps members lead Starfish in enrichment activities that include everything from relay races and kickball games to arts and crafts and double dutch, I’m tied to my post at the cafeteria door. But as crazy as it may seem, sign-out is a responsibility for which I very willingly volunteer, for several reasons.

Here, I am flanked by two happy Starfish as we share our last goodbyes before I send them on their way home.

Running sign-out is a great opportunity for me to watch students interact with their parents. I get to watch students beg their parents to stay a little late with them to complete a service project, to join them in making pillows for sick children in hospitals. I get to see them hop up and down and plead to stay at school for a HASI (Harvard After School Initiative) Math Night, and most importantly, I get to witness many parents put off whatever other plans they had to sit down at a cafeteria table and spend time with their children. We often hear about the difficulties that our students face outside of school in their homes and communities, but it’s during sign-out that I am reminded every day that our Starfish come from families that love and care for them.

I particularly enjoy watching one Starfish during this time, a boy from my 3rd grade class named Ryan*. Ryan often seems like a teenager inside of an eight-year-old’s body – he struts through the hallways in his baggy pants, answers no when he knows you’re looking for a yes, and suffers from chronic eye rolling – and sign-out is one of the few times throughout the day when I’m reminded that he really is only eight. As soon as his stepfather arrives, Ryan’s face lights up and he charges towards him to tackle him with a hug and a cry of greeting.

Sign-out is also the time of day that I’m able to witness the important relationships that my fellow corps members have built with their student’s families. During sign-out, we often check-in with parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles about everything from their child’s rough day at school to what a great job they did on their multiplication quiz in class to how they might need a little more sleep or a pair of glasses to see the board. There are parents that routinely check in with us every day: “How did he do today?” or “I’m worried about her last math test – is there anything you can do to help during homework hour?” I get to watch their faces glow with pride when they hear about their child’s accomplishments, and even when the news isn’t always good, I am privilege to overhearing the following: “Thank you,” a grandmother recently said to one of my teammates, “I know you’re telling me because you care.”

Most importantly, I believe Starfish sign-out can be one of the most significant moments in a child’s day. Most afternoons, I am the last face our Starfish see on their way out of school. In spite of what went on during the day and what will happen when they leave the building, I’m always there to wish them good luck on tomorrow’s test, remind them to bring in that permission slip for next week’s fieldtrip, and to let them know that we’ll see them again tomorrow – same time, same place.

*Name adjusted to protect privacy