Tag Archives: City Year Boston

Top Five Friday: 10 Things Every Corps Member Must Have, Vol. 2

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By Molly Brown, City Year AmeriCorps Recruitment Project Leader on the Bain Capital Team. @mollyrecruits

[First up, Volume 1: See items ten through six here]

5. T-Pass
Because you can’t afford to lose it. Literally, you cannot afford to lose your T-Pass, you’re on a stipend. (Thank you MBTA!)

4. Pencils
Because the pencils you gave out yesterday are already gone.

3. A Book
Because a headphone-free commute is a great opportunity to get caught up on your reading.

2. Patience
Because students may not always grasp every concept on the first try, and it’s up to you to get them there. Plus, waiting for the signal to change when you’re crossing the street can take a while.

1. Extra pair of socks
Rain or shine, you just never know when you’ll need an extra pair of socks.

What do you think? Anything missing from this list? Share your thoughts below!

Wordless Wednesday: Why Ms. Bryson Cares

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By Jennifer (JJ) Javier, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the MFS Investment Management Team at the Dever-McCormack Upper School.

Working in Ms. Bryson’s classroom for seven months has been nothing short of inspirational. I have come to admire her drive to improve student achievement and, most importantly, her commitment to each student’s well-being. Hear from Ms. Bryson below!

Monthly Creative Project: What Does City Year Mean to the Kids?

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Created by City Year AmeriCorps members Diana Mai, Erin O’Donnell, Nithya Prabhala, and Rian Yalamanchili. Read their full bios here.

“When I see City Year, I think I want to be one too!” yells a third grader excitedly.

The first thing that many of us look at in the morning is our City Year uniforms. Day in and day out, we all wear the same parts – white shirt, khakis, belt, bright red jacket and Timberland boots.

“City Year has mad stylish jackets,” claims a fourth grader.

Even though it is a uniform all corps members are required to wear, it is also representative of the unity we all feel while we serve. Despite the fact that we each come from different backgrounds and serve at different schools, we are all committed to City Year for the same reason – to serve full-time for a year in in schools and communities and to make a difference in the lives of others.

“CY is an inspiration for me to be a better me.”

Looking at the uniform from the lens of our students, we wanted to see what the City Year jacket symbolized and what kind of difference City Year had personally made to them. All across the spectrum of younger children to teenagers at the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy, The Jeremiah E. Burke High School, The Holland Elementary School and the Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School, we asked students from elementary to high school what the red jacket’s significance was for them.

“The City Year uniform means you have to be responsible and trustworthy because people look up to you,” says a fifth grader.

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Click here to view slideshow. This is the third installment of a monthly collaborative project. See last month’s project here - We ask incoming Boston Corps, “Why did you choose City Year?”

Interview with a Fourth Grader

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By Jordan Frias, City Year AmeriCorps member on the National Grid Team serving at the Blackstone Elementary School.

Marleen* is an exceptional fourth grade student at the Blackstone. She has one of the highest test scores for English Language Art assessment in her entire grade level. Considering that this is her first year out of an SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) classroom, she’s come a long way. I was curious to hear about how life is going for Marleen at the Blackstone.

Q: How long have you been at the Blackstone for?

A: Since Kindergarten (K-2).

Q: How do you like the Blackstone this year?

A: I like it because we got a new principal to tell us to stay focused, do our work and tell teachers to encourage us.

Q: What else do you like about the school beside the principal?

A: The teachers! They’re sweet, they’re nice and they help you when you need the help and so do the City Years!

Q: What’s different about fourth grade from third?

A: The work because right now we’re getting deep deep into the fractions, multiplication and division.

Q: What do you want to be or do when you grow up?

A: Something that includes math because I love all numbers. Ms. Peralta (my third grade teacher) used to say that all math numbers used to be naked without their story problems.

Q: What do you think Ms. Gorman (your current teacher) and Ms. Peralta have in common?

A: Ms. Peralta is the sweetest lady. They’re both like grandmothers. Sometimes when they have to be tough with their learning they are and that’s awesome!

Q: What do you like to do for fun?

A: Dance with my cousin. She has the other half of this (heart shaped) charm bracelet.

Q: Do you like to read?

A: Yes. My dad’s worker at his job always gets me books. My favorite is “Bunnicula.” It’s about bunnies that they think are vampires because they suck all the juices out of tomatoes.

*name changed for privacy

What’s a Fun and Interactive Way to Learn? Field Trips!

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By Nicole Chandler, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the MFS Investment Management Team at Dever-McCormack Lower School.

I have the pleasure of working in a 4th and 5th grade Spanish-English Immersion class. My students are either improving their English speaking skills or learning English for the first time. I’ve found that my young students learn best through innovative ways like watching videos, working on the computer, playing games, conducting experiments, and my favorite method – taking field trips!

The boys enjoying their first trip to Harvard Square

The boys enjoying their first trip to Harvard Square

Since January, I’ve been able to join my students on three field trips. We’ve visited Continue reading →

Top Five Friday: 10 Things Every Corps Member Must Have, Vol. 1

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By Molly Brown, City Year AmeriCorps Recruitment Project Leader on the Bain Capital Team.

10. Cell phone with internet access
Because you’ll need to look up the definitions of words you were only pretending to know in front of your students. For example, it’s a good thing if you’re “the bomb-dot-com” and a bad thing if you’ve been “salted.” And answer emails from your Program Manager, of course.

9. Hand sanitizer
Because you only get 10 personal days, and when you work in a school, germs are everywhere.

8. Stickers and/or candy
Because a good corps member understands that a little positive incentive can go a long way. Especially for a child that won’t do their homework.

7. Nametag
Because without it, all the youth in Boston would probably be calling you “City Year.”

6. Scissors
Because according to Team Leader Emily Bekenstein, who deliberately carries scissors in three different sizes, “There is always a bulletin to put up and letters to cut out, and you never know what size letters they might be.”

To be continued…

Have any of your own suggestions? Leave your feedback below.

Wordless Wednesday: Historical Photos of Boston Schools

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By Elijah Fanelli, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Bank of America Team at Young Achievers Science and Math K-8 Pilot School.

As I was browsing around online for photographs of my service site – Young Achievers – I ran across the City of Boston Archives Flickr account. Along with scores of historical photographs of schools within the Boston Public School system, there are also hundreds of photos from all over the city! Below, I compiled a collection of historical photographs of some of the buildings that City Year serves in. I encourage you to check out more photos here.

Young Achievers, formerly the Solomon Lewenberg School | Source
Young Achievers Science and Mathematics K-8 Pilot School - Mattapan, MA

Harbor Pilot Middle School, formerly the Grover-Cleavland School | Source
Harbor Pilot Middle School - Dorchester, MA
English High School | Source
English High School - Jamaica Plain, MA Continue reading →

Alumni Spotlight: Mary E. Ward

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Written by Thomas Story, City Year Boston Project Leader serving on the Comcast Team. City Year Boston Alumni Spotlights featured on the last Friday of the month.

“I grew up very poor,” says Mary Ward, ’99-’00 City Year Boston alumna, “Very poor.” Mary was born in Philadelphia and moved to central New York State in her childhood. But everything changed for her when she enrolled in Haverford College and received significant financial assistance from the government. “I was thinking about what I wanted to do after Haverford, I thought, well I wanted to give back to society in some way for allowing me to have access to such a great education.” Mary found just the opportunity during her college years.

In her first year at Haverford, Mary met three people who were City Year corps members prior to enrolling at Haverford. She laughed as she described her close friend Dan. “When he came to Haverford, he was in his (Timberland) boots.” After hearing more about City Year, Mary had found the perfect way to give back.

[Rewind: Last month Tom Story sat down with Alison Coleman-Hardy, hearing about a radically different City Year experience]

Mary applied to City Year Boston during her senior year of college, and after graduating from Haverford in 1999, she began her corps year. She served on the Chinatown Team at the Josiah Quincy Elementary School in a kind of experimental, combined third-grade general education and fourth grade special education classroom. The third graders were all performing at grade level while their fourth grade classmates received extra support from Mary to perform at grade level. The third graders learned how to work with classmates who needed extra support, especially when to Continue reading →

Wordless Wednesday: We ask incoming Boston Corps, “Why did you choose City Year?”

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Created by City Year AmeriCorps members Epiphany Acevedo, Nicole Chandler, Kevin Fish, and Samantha Schnell. Read their full bios here.

Meet some of next year’s corps and find out why they sought out an AmeriCorps service year at City Year Boston. This is the second installment of a monthly collaborative project by contributing corps. See last month’s project here – “Building a Community in Boston.”

Idealist Interview: Lilah Rossi – Choosing to Serve a Second Year

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By Michaela Kinlock, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Summit Partners Team at the Harbor Pilot Middle School.

For this edition of Idealist Interview, I chose to interview my Team Leader Lilah Rossi.  Originally from Malden, MA, Lilah served her corps year last year at an elementary school with City Year Miami. Lilah came to City Year after earning her Master’s degree in elementary education at Sacred Heart University. She decided to serve because she wanted to give back to underprivileged communities in an educational setting before she dove into teaching. Lilah is an absolute superstar – she is a fantastic person and an inspiring leader. Read on to see what she has to say about City Year and her experience serving in her second year compared to her first!

Lilah Rossi

Why did you choose to serve a second year with City Year? How did you decide to serve your second year at City Year Boston?

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I was serving in Miami. A lot of people on my team were from the Miami area and were so thankful to serve there. I knew I wanted to go home and give back to my community. I wanted to see what the education system was like around where I grew up. Plus, I really enjoyed the work that was done and wanted to bring what I did in Miami to Boston.

[Rewind: Idealist Interview - Michaela Speaks with Principal Blake]

What is your favorite part about being a Team Leader?

The opportunity to see a team of people having the same experience that I had last year and getting excited by the things that go on this year. Watching my team of corps members develop and grow throughout this year has also been very exciting and rewarding.

What are some differences between your corps year and this year as a Team Leader?

The biggest thing is that the interaction is different with the students. There’s Continue reading →

City Year Pride: The Lasting Power of the Red Jacket

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By Jordan Frias, City Year AmeriCorps member on the National Grid Team serving at the Blackstone Elementary School.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
-Isaac Newton

City Year is known for its Timberland boots and its bright red all weather and bomber jacket. I was reminded of this at ATA, our annual Advance Training Academy at City Year Headquarters. During the “State of the Site” address given by Lisa Fortenberry and Bryan Rotach, Lisa said something that made me realize that I am truly part of something bigger than myself. She was reminding us of the importance of the red jackets we wear and how privileged we are to be serving as a City Year corps member. Immediately, I was brought back to the first few weeks of service at the Blackstone Elementary School.

That September, I felt that students were instantly drawn to my team without really knowing us. I didn’t understand why at the time. One of our founding stories at City Year is Isaac Newton’s quote, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I slowly began to realize what we stood for in our students’ eyes and what history the teams before us built at the school.

As the months rolled by, however, I began to hear comments from students that weren’t so pleasant. “Last year’s City Year was SO much better!” “You guys are the worst City Years ever!” It took a lot of time and a lot of effort to win them over.

Nowadays, I feel very connected to my students and school. I take ownership and pride in calling them “my students” rather than “those students.” I’ve realized how seriously I take my role as a mentor, role model, and near-peer tutor when in uniform. I can truly say that my teammates share the same sentiment as I do about the red jacket, and we owe it all to City Year Boston for constantly encouraging us to take pride in ourselves, our service, our schools, and our community.

Interview with Marc Schlief: Taking Service from LA to Boston

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By Jennifer (JJ) Javier, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the MFS Investment Management Team at the Dever-McCormack Upper School.

Not too long ago, at the beginning of the year, a few of us from the MFS Investment Management Team serving at the Dever-McCormack Upper School were in our red City Year uniforms, waiting anxiously for a train. All of a sudden we hear, “Yeah! City Year!” We all turn and a young gentleman walks up to us, grinning from ear to ear. “I served in City Year Los Angeles!” he said. Being a native Californian, this excited me to no end. I instantly wanted this person to be my friend. We encouraged him to attend City Year Boston’s Opening Day at English High School and he ended up serving on my project, painting a set of bleachers.

Since then, Marc has been involved with City Year Boston by volunteering on more service projects. He is also a student here in Waltham at Bentley University, one of City Year’s Give-A-Year scholarship sponsors, and continues to help City Year by hosting info sessions on campus.

Marc served in City Year Los Angeles in 2010-2011 in a fourth grade classroom at Malabar Elementary School in Boyle Heights. I sit down with the alumnus to ask about his City Year experience and how it helped set him apart.

What is your favorite memory from City Year Los Angeles?

I was a math and literacy coordinator and one of my favorite moments was when I threw my first whole school event – Nightmare on Malabar. It was a Halloween-themed math event that involved parents, community members, students, teachers, faculty and staff. I was overwhelmed for weeks planning it, but it was amazing to see my team’s hard work come together for the hundreds of people that came. The second I saw the kids having fun – it was all worth it. To get parents and kids to come to an event after school in a neighborhood where that wasn’t the norm at all was incredible to see.

What did you take away from serving at City Year? 

I took a lot of things away from my year. I’m a computer science major and a lot of people ask me what that has to do with tutoring kids for a year. I’ve been interviewing for internships recently and everything from working on a diverse team, to being incredibly detail-oriented is directly relevant to any job I’ll ever have…interviewers always have so many questions about my experience. The perspective I’ve gained from the year and the ability to take a step back and look at situations with a neutral point of view has also been huge – working on a team with people from all over the country and from different backgrounds really changed how Continue reading →

A Community of Learners: Teachers Discuss Impact of City Year

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Editor’s Note by Igor Kharitonenkov, Communications Coordinator
at City Year Boston:

To hear what kind of difference City Year is making in our schools, just ask a teacher. In February, my new position as Communications Coordinator at City Year Boston and my background in film converged in a series of interviews filmed at the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy, an elementary school in Hyde Park, Boston, that our CSX Team serves at. The compiled footage would eventually be edited down into a short film presented at the Legal Breakfast Community Breakfast.

I’ve spent many touching hours hearing testimonials from our corps, some of which are featured right here on this blog. This visit, however, was my first interaction with the faculty that work with our corps on a daily basis to facilitate a culture of learning for young students. Hearing from teachers first-hand was incredibly moving; it was a look into the symbiotic bond formed between City Year and faculty, and the mutual goal of keeping students in school and on track to graduate. This is the story of Elihu Greenwood Academy, a community of learners.