2012

Launching our long-term impact strategy

Half of the dropouts come from just over 10 percent of schools.

The dropout crisis is solvable.

There are 13,500 high schools in the United States.

This year, our largest corps ever reaches 150,000 students every day in 247 of Americas highest-need schools. These young AmeriCorps members serve students and schools that are among the most challenged in the nation.Wearing their signature jackets, diverse teams of corps members arrive before the bell rings and stay until the last student goes home from extended day programs, helping transform a schools culture with passion, energy and idealism. They get training and support to help students deal with tough challenges. They know how to spot and respond to critical early warning signs that a student is at risk of dropping out the ABCs of poor attendance, behavior and course performance. City Years AmeriCorps members are there for students, all day, year after year, providing individualized academic and developmental support. Corps members fill a critical gap that exists between the needs of the students in these schools and the schools ability to meet those needs. It is our moral obligation as a nation to ensure that all children, regardless of their zip code, have the opportunity to succeed and meet their full potential. In 2012, City Year unveiled a bold and exciting plan, a Long-Term Impact strategy, to do our part to address the dropout crisis and turn around low-performing schools. We seek to ensure at least 80% of the students in the schools we serve reach the tenth grade on track to graduate, effectively doubling the current rate. At full scale, City Year corps members will reach nearly a million students every day in more than 1,200 high-need urban schools.Simply put, our goal is to challenge the high school graduation status quo in America, dramatically increase the urban graduation pipeline and transform the future for thousands of students nationwide. The Long-Term Impact strategy is our path forward, bringing this critical resource to more students than ever before. The 2012 Annual Report is a testament to the partnerships and philanthropic support that make this work possible. Your support is critical to our ability to achieve these goals for the students we serve. It is with profound gratitude and appreciation that we present this report to you.Yours in Service,

Spring 2013

Dear FrienDS,

There are 13,500 high schools in the United States.

Michael BrownCEO & Co-FounderCity Year, Inc.

Stephen G. WoodsumChairCity Year, Inc. Board of Trustees

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Table oF ConTenTS

16 Our Impact

17 WHERE WE SERVE

18 Q & A with Jim Balfanz and Stephanie Wu

20 Corps member profile: Fatmia Ruiz

22 Student profile: Raymell

24 ALUMNA PROFILE: SHAJENA ERAZO

26 International Work

28 Media Highlights

4 A Special Message from City Year CEO and Co-Founder Michael Brown

ParTnerS 31imPaCT 15

DonorS + SPonSorS 43

leaDerSHiP + FinanCialS 69

32 Teacher profile: Cristin Barnett

34 Interview with Dr. Carol Johnson

36 Diplomas Now

38 Interview with Wendy Spencer

40 School District Partners

44 Partner Profile: Deloitte

46 Champion profile: John and Tashia Morgridge

48 Partner Profile: Luis Ubias and the ford foundation

50 Champion Profile: Julie Uihlein

52 Champion profile: Stephen G. Woodsum and Anne Lovett

54 National Leadership Sponsors

58 In-Kind Sponsors

60 Team Sponsor Program

62 Donors

70 Board of Trustees

72 Board Chairs

74 Senior Leadership Team

75 Executive Directors

76 Financials

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OUR COMMITMENT

a Special message about our long-Term impact GoalsBy City Year CEO and Co-Founder Michael Brown

To help end the nations

HiGH SCHool

I will never forget July 21, 1969. I was eight years old. My parents woke me at 10:56 pm to watch the first astronaut walk on the moon. A great national challenge issued by President John F. Kennedy had been met: we had sent a man to the moon and returned him safely to earth before the decade was out.

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a Special message from michael brown

Dropout Crisis

The Moon Shot: Vital, Transformational, With a Clear Metric for Success

It has become clich to compare every great objective to a "moon shot," or perhaps more commonly to lament, "If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they do X?"But President Kennedy's 1962 challenge to put a man on the moon provides powerful insights into what national cause is worthy of a "moon shot" and what it takes to achieve it.First, President Kennedy presented the "moon shot" as vital to our national security, our national character and our national purpose. Second, he set a bold transformational goal grand but achievable with a clear metric for success.Finally, success would depend, he noted, on developing imaginative new technologies and the heroism of a select cohort of Americans, our astronauts.An Education Moon Shot

If there is any area of our public life that cries out for a new moon shot, it the alarming number of young people who drop out of high school in America, one every 26 seconds. We need to end this dropout crisis

and send students from kindergarten safely through high school graduation before the decade is out.There is little doubt that ending the dropout crisis would be transformational for the country, both in terms of economic cost and our moral commitments.For an individual student who gives up on school as nearly one million do each year dropping out is a fast track to an underclass: dropouts are eight times more likely to be incarcerated and three times more likely to be in poor health and unemployed than high school graduates.By 2020, it is projected that 123 million high-skill, high-wage jobs will be available, but only 50 million American workers will be qualified to fill them. Its essential that our students graduate high school college and career ready.Like President Kennedy's challenge, there's a clear metric for success: raise the national graduation rate to 90 percent. That's the bipartisan goal put forward by President Obama and the Building a GradNation report, released by the Alliance for Excellent Education, Americas Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University.

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Every childis born with

potential

Potential is an animated video about our Long-Term Impact strategy.

Watch it at youtube.com/cityyear.

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Like the moon landing, it will take new technologies to solve the dropout crisis.To reach the moon, Kennedy predicted, we would need "new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented" and heat shields that could withstand "half that of the temperature of the sun."Many of the educational equivalents to the new metal alloys and heat shields needed to solve the dropout crisis are being invented by innovative public and charter schools, nonprofits, academics and education practitioners: extended learning time, high intensity tutoring, rigorous use of student data, and breakthrough attendance and social and emotional learning initiativesThe Need for Extra People Power

As a country, we need to work together to achieve this goal.To land on the moon, it took a few extraordinary Americans with the right stuff. To solve the dropout crisis, it will take many ordinary Americans with an extraordinary commitment to do the right things.Turning this crisis around begins with an effective, committed teacher but in high-poverty schools it often takes so much more.

Whats needed is a dramatic increase in the human capital the extra people power needed to take effective education reforms and school-based innovations to scale.National service is an ideal resource to meet this need. Americans are applying to serve in AmeriCorps in record numbers 582,000 applications last year alone for just 80,000 opportunities to serve. AmeriCorps should be expanded and deployed to help students and schools succeed.City Year is All In on Solving the Dropout Crisis

Across sectors, organizations are collaborating to end the dropout crisis. We at City Year are proud to be doing our part to achieve this education moon shot.Getting to school well before the first bell, City Year corps members cheer for every student and teacher who walks in the door. Throughout the day, they partner with teachers to provide evidence-based academic, attendance and social-emotional supports. After school, they help students with homework and lead enrichment activities that extend the learning day. Throughout the

a Special message from michael brown

City Year isall in

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The direction City Year is going is

breathtakingThe idea of quadrupling the number of corps members,

the idea of just taking on systemically this dropout challenge with great partners,

i think it will transform educational opportunity in this country hopefully for decades to come.

- U.S. Secretary of education arne Duncan

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year, they lead school-wide initiatives to improve school culture.By addressing students early-warning indicators, City Year AmeriCorps members are helping students stay in school in on track or get back on track to graduate.

City Years Long-Term Impact Goal

We are committed to scaling our impact to help more at-risk students unlock their potential, succeed in school, and achieve their part of the American dream.In May of 2012, we gathered with our community of stakeholders, national education leaders and leading philanthropists at our National Leadership Summit to announce City Years own moon shot to address the nations dropout crisis.Joined by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, we announced In School & On Track: City Years Long-Term Impact Strategy, designed to challenge the high school graduation status quo in America, dramatically increase the urban graduation pipeline, and transform the future for thousands of students nationwide.Focusing on the schools where the urban graduation challenge is most concentrated, and tapping the civic energy and talents of young adults in national service,

the goals of City Years ten-year strategy are to help promote 80% of students to 10th grade on time and on-track in the schools where City Year serves effectively doubling the current rate of on track performance; to serve a majority of the off-track students in the communities we serve; and to serve cities that account for two thirds of the nations urban dropouts. At full scale, we will serve in more than 1,200 high-need schools and reach nearly one million students a day, with a corps thats 14,000 strong. Students who are off track in elementary, middle and high school will receive multiple years of City Year interventions and supports.

a Special message from michael brown

of the students in the schools CiTY Year Serves reach

10th grade on track and on time.

we plan to nearly double that rate

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Students who reach10th grade with their peers are

four times morelikely to graduate.

is a ten-year plan to nearly double the number of students who reach tenth grade on track

and on time in the schools we serve

by 2023:

At full scale, City Year will reach nearly one million students every day in more than 1,200 schools.

of the students in the schools City Year serves will reach 10th

grade on track and on time

of the off-track students in City Year communities

of the nations urban dropouts

We will ServeWe will serve in the cities

that account for

City Years

long-Termimpact strategy

80% 50% 2/3

City Year has identified two key accelerators for achieving its long-term impact goal: 1) cultivating systemic change to enable the optimal conditions in partner schools; and 2) developing a robust strategy for mobilizing the organizations nearly 17,000 alumni to influence high school graduation rates.The direction City Year is going is breathtaking, Secretary Duncan said. The idea of quadrupling the number of corps members, the idea of just taking on

systemically this dropout challenge with great partners, I think will transform educational opportunity in this country hopefully for decades to come.

City Year Trustee and Managing Director of Sankaty Advisors, Jonathan Lavine, also made a special announcement at our 2012 Summit: he and his wife Jeannie pledged a gift of $10 million to enable City Year to begin to build the capacities needed for achieving our impact and scale goals. The dropout crisis is the number one economic problem we have, he said. Its a civil rights problem. Its an economic problem. Its a fairness problem. And its an American problem we can solve. You cant be a bystander, you must be an upstander. With our gift, we are delighted to be standing with City Year. We must be bold Together

I co-founded City Year nearly 25 years ago because I believed passionately then and even more so now in the power of young adults to give a year and change the world. It is time to challenge the nations young adults to stand up, reach back and help raise up the generation emerging just below theirs.

a Special message from michael brown

City Year Trustee and Managing Director of Sankaty Advisors, Jonathan Lavine and his wife jeannie pledged a gift of $10 million

[The dropout crisis] is the number one economic problem we have...

...and its an american problem we can solve

- Jonathan lavine

City Years

long-Termimpact strategy

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Research has pinpointed which interventions and supports are effective with struggling students. But, in spite of all we know, there is often a gap between what students require and what schools in their current form have the staff time and resources to deliver. Closing the Implementation Gap, co-authored by City Year President Jim Balfanz, with support from Deloitte, takes a look at the challenges facing schools and highlights the role national service can play to improve student achievement in our lowest performing schools. Read the report on our website at www.cityyear.org/closingthegap.

CLOSING THE IMPLEMENTATION GAP: Leveraging City Year and National Service as a New Human Capital Strategy to Transform Low-Performing Schools

A Report byCity Year, Inc.

Sponsored by: Deloitte

Written byJim BalfanzWilliam AndrekopoulosAllison HertzCarolyn Trager Kliman

July 2012

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a Special message from michael brown

Whenever I talk to a City Year corps member, I always ask the same question: How do you know you are making a difference? I hear about exciting statistics raised test scores, higher grades and dramatically improved attendance. But what inspires me the most are their stories.Ali Bueno, serving in City Year San Jose, told me about Sarah*, who read only four words a minute in the fifth grade. Ali worked intensively with Sarah every day. By year end, Sarah read 70-80 words per minute.City Year Rhode Island corps member Amelia Lavin told me about David*, a sixth grader, who spent every day with his head down on the desk, too frustrated, too far behind to participate in class. I sat down next to him for the next ten months and talked to the hood until it was finally lifted, and then his head lifted off his desk she said. And then his grades lifted from a D to an A and finally his confidence.If we unleash the idealism of Americas young adults to serve at the scale required, with the training needed, in the nations highest need urban schools, our nations

young adults will lift the heads, lift the spirits and lift the sights of Sarah and David and hundreds of thousands of more students who have enormous potential to succeed and help our nation flourish.To do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out, President Kennedy said of the goal to reach the moon, then we must be bold.Our Long-Term Impact Strategy is ambitious, but it is also attainable. To get there, it is certain that we must be bold. More importantly, we must be bold together.

we must be bold together

*Students names have been changed to protect their privacy

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16 Our Impact

17 WHERE WE SERVE

18 Q & A with Jim Balfanz and Stephanie Wu

20 Corps member profile: Fatmia Ruiz

22 Student profile: Raymell

24 ALUMNA PROFILE: SHAJENA ERAZO

26 International Work

28 Media Highlights

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91%

88%

84%of principals/liaisons were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall experience of working with City Year (n=423).

of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that corps members helped

improve the overall academic performance of

their students (n=1024)

of students in grades 3-5 improved scores on literacy assessments (n=1754)

oUr imPaCT

City Years school-based model is called Whole School Whole Child. Corps members tutor students, serve as an additional resource for teachers in classrooms and lead after school programs and school-wide initiatives to improve student achievement and school culture. City Year works in partnership with school staff to monitor student performance on the early warning indicators attendance, behavior and course performance, the ABCs which research shows can identify students at risk of dropping out as early as sixth grade.

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Schools

urban communities

24724

WHere We Serve

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inTervieW

Jim balFanzPresident

STePHanie WUChief Program design & evaluation offiCer

Q&AWhy did City Year decide to launch its Long-Term Impact Strategy in 2012? SW: As a country, we have a goal to achieve a national high school graduation rate of 90 percent by 2020. To get there, we have to improve the graduation rate in our lowest performing schools. The LTI is our rallying cry. Its requiring people across our organization to ask if were implementing the practices we know make a difference with quality and rigor. It also enables us to do a gap analysis of where our performance stands right now against the goal, and test and quantify our assumptions of what we think is going to drive student change.

JB: Were on a mission to help unlock kids potential. Right now, we know kids are going to schools that arent designed to help them overcome the challenges of growing up in poverty. And over time, weve learned that theres a unique role for young adults in national service to support students. We want to do everything we can to help address the urban education challenge. We think this is the optimal contribution that City Year corps members can make to a collective effort to address what is arguably the most daunting challenge the country faces. To achieve the ambitious goals laid out in the LTI, we need strong partners. Can you talk a little bit about the importance of partnerships at City Year?

JB: The only way we are successful is if schools and students are successful. We know we cant do it alone, so in a way, the LTI is forcing us to

City Year President and alumnus Jim Balfanz has led the design and implementation of the organizations scaled impact strategy to address the nations urban education challenge, while Stephanie Wu, has the led the ongoing design and delivery of our school-based model, Whole School Whole Child. Together, the two are chief architects of City Years Long-Term Impact Strategy (LTI), announced in May 2012. The ten-year plan calls for: 80 percent of the students in schools City Year serves to reach 10th grade on track and on time (which is about the twice the current average of 44 percent), for City Year to serve the majority of the off-track students in our locations, and to serve in the communities that account for two-thirds of the nations urban dropouts. By 2023, we will reach 700,000 students a day, up from 150,000 today.

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develop the discipline and the muscle to build thoughtful, comprehensive partnerships. Theyre really at the heart of our strategy to continue to remove barriers and help kids succeed.

We think about partnerships in three categories.

The first is our partnerships with schools. We want to make sure were working in the right schools and that schools understand how to leverage teams of corps members. But we also want school leaders to consider what they could do with 10, 15 or 20 corps members, year after year. We want principals to be thinking: Are there things I want to do, in terms of how my school is organized to support the individual needs of students, that I havent been able to do because I havent had that additional people power?

The second is a value-add partnership, like Diplomas Now. Together our three organizations [City Year, Johns Hopkins Talent Development Secondary and Communities In Schools] achieve things for kids that even under the best circumstances we couldnt alone. In this case, one + one + one is six, not three.

The third type includes partnerships with organizations that provide services for students we know are important, but we arent well positioned to provide. Summer time learning is a great example: students need summertime learning programs so they dont have learning loss, but we dont provide it because we use the summer to prepare or corps for when school starts. So for us, developing partnerships with summertime learning programs is good, smart strategy.

Sometimes we talk about our work as providing a continuum of care, a term often used in public health. How does it apply to City Years service in schools?

SW: At the classroom and school level our corps members face issues that stem from students feeling that school is irrelevant. That feeling develops in part because they learn to feel helpless in the context of povertyand it is reinforced by the inconsistency and unreliability that is part of

almost every aspect of their school life. So, they stop having expectations. When they do that they stop trying. And then a cycle of failure begins, making them feel worse. Corps members are there to create consistency. Theyre present, all day, every day, from year to year in elementary through high school thats the continuum. City Year begins to understand students stories and help students make the connection between their storiesespecially their aspirationsand school. Whole School Whole Child is a program that supports students in skill development - social, emotional management and academic skills but also helps to build a narrative for students school life: Who do I want to be? Where do I belong? Do I matter?

The LTI includes aggressive goals in terms of impact and growth. What makes you optimistic about our chances to achieve these goals?SW: I think its the organizations ability to change from year to year. We went from seven schools implementing Whole School Whole Child six years ago, to more than 200 schools this year. When we make a focused investment, were showing an ability to post results. Thats what makes me feel like we have a shot at this, because we do have a lot of discipline when it comes to making priorities, investing in them and then, being able to execute.

JB: Steph nailed it being a learning organization gives me a lot of confidence. Spending time with the corps and students also gives me tremendous confidence. The energy, the beautiful sense of the possible that the corps instinctively bring to their work, matches up with the possibility inherent in every student. There are so many challenges, but everywhere I go there are breakthroughs a light bulb goes off, a kid realizes how talented he is. This gives us confidence, but its also a tremendous burden because we know costs of failure are so high. When you know and see everyday the potential of these students and you see how hard theyre working, it puts a lot of pressure on us to help them achieve their potential.

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CorPS member ProFile

At 21, Fatima Ruiz has already endured hardships that most couldnt fathom. The deportation letter her parents received when she was 13, and subsequent legal battle and loss of their home, would turn many hearts hard and bitter. But Fatima found inspiration. She saw the risks her parents took in leaving their native Mexico to come to the United States and how that journey benefitted her life.

The sacrifices that my parents have made to give us a better life that was something that motivated me, she said.

In 2012, Fatima earned her bachelors degree in history from the University of the Pacific in her hometown of Stockton, Calif. She was the first in her family to graduate. Fatimas father had attended college but never earned his degree due to financial issues; he urged Fatima to finish.

He always emphasized the importance of an education to us, Fatima said. Its the only way to make it in life if we educate ourselves so that was always a priority.

Undoubtedly influenced by her familys ordeal, Fatima aspires to earn a law degree and practice as an immigration attorney. Without her parents encouragement and insistence on her completing school, she might have met the same unfortunate fate that befalls 41% of students in Stockton schools who drop out before graduation. This all-too-common occurrence in communities like hers inspired Fatima to join City Year Sacramento.

Fatima began her service at Father Keith B. Kenny Elementary School in September 2012. At the Kenny School, 100% of students qualify to receive lunch for free or at a reduced cost. In the 2011-2012 school year, 56% of students did not score proficient in English and Language Arts on the California Standards Test, while 51% didnt score proficient in math.

Fatima Ruiz

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Fatima was struck by a conversation with two fourth-grade boys about their career aspirations. One proudly declared his intent to work for the FBI. The other, Eddie*, admitted he didnt have any career aspirations. Fatima knew by 13 that she wanted to go to law school. For Eddie to have no dreams for the future seemed unimaginable.

It pushed me to want to help them see farther, she said, make them realize their potential.

In a small group with Eddie and three of his classmates, Fatima encouraged the students to write down their long-term and short-term goals. Eddie refused, saying he wasnt interested. Days later he approached Fatima to say he wanted to work together on the goals assignment. He proudly announced that he hoped to become a professional football player. Not an academic goal, but a start.

It was nice to see that he was thinking about something further in the future, Fatima said.

Together, Fatima and Eddie, age 9, discussed the steps he would have to take to achieve this dream. Chief among them were to do well in school and go to college. Since they started working together, Fatima has noticed a marked difference in Eddies classroom behavior. Eddie used to come to class unprepared and uninterested: he would zone out, putting his head down on his desk. Now, hes engaged and enthusiastic.

I see him raising his hand constantly, she said. Theres a difference happening already.

While Fatimas relationship with Eddie may be special, it isnt unique. Paul Willis, the City Year program manager who oversees Fatimas team, says that Fatimas made many connections at Kenny Elementary School.

Shes like a silent warrior when it comes to service. Shes very quiet, shes very humble, but her work with her students since day one has been very powerful, he said.

* Name changed to protect the students privacy.

Shes like a silent warrior when it comes to service. Shes very quiet, shes very humble but her work with her students since day one has been very powerful.

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STUDenT ProFile

At first, Raymell is shy and reserved. The 9-year-old fourth-grade student doesnt make much eye contact and speaks in terse, monosyllabic answers.Once he warms up to you, though, a wide, beaming smile spreads across his face, revealing gaps between new teeth where baby ones used to be.

He takes time answering questions and gives thoughtful responses. Ask him what he wants to be when he grows up and the reply is instant: a lawyer. Raymell has talked about this goal with City Year San Jose corps member Gabe Sehringer and knows all the steps he has to take to get there.

First, finish fourth grade, then fifth grade, then middle school, then high school, then college and then finally law school, Raymell said.

Raymell attends Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the Mayfair Park neighborhood in San Joses Alum Rock section. At the Cesar Chavez, 64 percent of students are English language learners;

the school employs a universal free breakfast and lunch system because the majority of students take advantage of it.

Together, Gabe and Raymell work on math, spelling and handwriting skills. They first met during City Year San Joses summer learning program. Then, Raymells behavior resembled little of the well-behaved, studious boy he is now.

It used to be a good day if I could get him to sit quietly in his seat, let alone take in any information, Gabe, 18, said of Raymell.

raymell

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In the past, Raymell would call out, and act up in the classroom, sometimes getting up to walk around and refusing to sit down. Mrs. Erin Amchan, Raymells fourth-grade teacher, knew that Raymell and Gabe had bonded during the summer and asked Gabe to work with Raymell on his behavior.

Now, Gabe notices a marked difference in Raymells classroom conduct. Hes sits quietly taking notes in the front of the classroom and he doesnt even look back when I open the door, Gabe said.

Raymells academics have improved right along with his behavior. When the school year began, he could read 64 words a minute. Now hes improved to 104 words a minute. When Gabe and Raymell first met over the summer, Raymell struggled with simple addition problems. Now, Raymell said, hes really enjoying multiplication.

True to his thoughtful nature, Raymell deliberated long and hard before landing on three traits to describe his corps member, Gabe. He settled on funny and nice, said Gabe was a good City Year person and added that Gabe helps him a lot in school.

Gabe, in turn, said that Raymell is a good listener, a motivated student whos driven by his own success, and someone who is very proud of the work he does.

Raymell has become much more self-reflective...He realizes he has trouble with things and he fixes them.

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alUmna ProFile

ShajenA Erazo

Three years ago, Shajena Erazo laced up her Timberland boots and zipped her red jacket every morning before joining her City Year Washington D.C. team at Malcolm X Elementary School in Southeast Washington, DC. This year, Sha, now a teacher with a classroom of her own, was named one of three finalists for the 2013 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year award.

This seemingly stratospheric leap isnt surprising to anyone who knew Sha as a corps member during the 2009-2010 school year.

She was always driven, City Years Senior Vice President and Dean Charlie Rose said. Driven to search for answers, driven to make everything around her better.

When Sha graduated from the University of Miami in 2009 with an English degree, she had an inkling that she wanted to be a teacher. She grew up in Miami, but her mother and father came to the United States from Puerto Rico and Honduras, respectively. Sha traveled the thousand miles north to our nations capital to begin her service year at Malcolm X, a decision that cemented her drive to become an educator.

It definitely confirmed I want to be in the classroom and I can definitely make an impact, she said.

Three days after completing her corps year, Sha eschewed a well-deserved break and reported to Teach For America, another AmeriCorps program, to continue her dream of working in the classroom long-term. Now, after two years with TFA and a Master of Arts in teaching from American University, Sha runs her ninth and tenth grade classes at Ballou Senior High School, in DCs Southeast quadrant, with tough love and wisdom beyond her 26 years.

I dont give them what they want. I give them what they need, she said. They believe I have their best interests at heart.

Only 50 percent of students at Ballou graduate within four years, which is almost 25 percentage points below the national average, but on par with our nations largest urban school districts where the dropout crisis is most concentrated. The vast majority of Shas students live in poverty and many regularly experience violent crime: she has seen a student pass away, students become parents and students get arrested. Naturally, Sha has also had students drop out.

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In those cases, her biggest fear is not having done enough, she said.

Sha uses the ABCs (attendance, behavior and course performance) she learned during her City Year corps year to help keep track of her current students. Every night, she spends two hours calling the homes of students who had been absent. Her experience as City Year teams behavior coordinator has helped her recognize the behavior acting out, disrespecting teachers and peers that shes seen precede a students decision to drop out. In her English classes, Sha introduces her 130 students to iconic works of literature like Romeo and Juliet. Her favorite book to teach is Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart because many students can identify with the protagonist, Okonwko, and his struggles with his ancestors and the inevitable changes to his pre-colonial African village.

Working at Malcolm X as a City Year AmeriCorps member taught Sha patience and humility. She teaches and inspires students who hail from neighborhoods rife with violence and poverty, but doesnt envision herself as a savior of any kind.

My job is to empower my students to empower themselves, Sha said.

Outside of school, Sha volunteers her time as co-chair of the City Year Washington DC Alumni Association, which brings past corps members together for networking opportunities and service with the current corps. Nearly a quarter of City Year corps members say they want to become professional teachers, so Sha is in good company.

While she enjoys networking and socializing with her fellow alumni, Sha would love to interact more with City Year corps members in the hallways and classrooms of Ballou.

Im waiting for the day City Year comes here, she said.

My job is to empower my students to empower themselves.

alUmna ProFile

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City Year South Africa service leaders (the position equivalent to a corps members in the U.S.)

President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton joined City Year South Africa for a service day in Soweto. Photo Credit: The Clinton Foundation

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In addition to the 24 City Year locations in the United States, young men and women also serve with City Year in South Africa and in the United Kingdom.

The roots of City Years international work stems from the deep commitment shared by former Presidents Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton to citizen service as a means of strengthening democracy. In 2002, City Year was invited to join a U.S. delegation attending the Civil Society Conference in Cape Town by Presidents Clinton and Mandela, to speak to the powerful role young people in full-time service could play in helping to address pressing social problems. This conference ultimately led to the launch of the Clinton Democracy Fellows program, which brought promising young civic leaders from South Africa to Boston to learn from and build connections with social entrepreneurs in the United States, and then, the founding of City Year South Africa in 2005.

Since then, more than 1,300 young people have served with City Year South Africa, providing nearly a million hours of service to the children and families of Johannesburg. This year, more than 120 young South Africans served in 10 schools from Johannesburg to Soweto, providing afterschool programming and classroom support to primary and secondary students.

City Year London is rapidly gaining recognition as a leading youth and education nonprofit in London, with 11 teams operating in 12 schools across the city. Since its launch in 2010, City Year London has doubled the size of its original corps and will expand its service footprint by launching in a second UK city in September 2013. London is one of the greatest cities in the world, but we have shocking education inequalities between rich and poor children. Our mission is to tackle this injustice so that every child has a better chance of reaching their potential, says Sophie Livingstone, CEO. Our unique blend of national service, culture of civic idealism and youth-led mentoring is having a transformational impact on children, and of course, on our young volunteers. City Year London corps members delivered 100,000 hours of service during the 2011-2012 school year.

All of us at City Year are deeply inspired by the tremendous impact our affiliates in London and Johannesburg are having on the idealistic young leaders who are putting on their red jackets with the energy and passion, and on the students they serve, says AnnMaura Connolly, a City Year London and City Year South Africa Trustee, and Chief Strategy Officer & Executive Vice President of City Year, Inc. We share their belief that young people can change the world and that every student deserves a chance to reach their full potential.

City Year London corps members work with primary and secondary students on academics, behavior and attendance initiatives in order to improve student performance.

City Year London corps members celebrate the end of their service year.

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City Year Keeps Kids On Track to GraduateFebruary 12, 2012

City Year kicks off mission to mentor Denver studentsSeptember 27, 2011

More high school kids graduating in Miami-DadeDecember 12, 2011

City Year program gives students that extra boostMarch 24, 2012

Can service unite a country and create solutions? Michael Brown says it can.April 26, 2011

Say yes to the idealism of Americas young people.February 15, 2012

CBS DENVER

22 M | September 2010 Reprinted with permission

by NaN Bialek | photography by DaN Bishop

Back to SchoolJason M. Holton knows its going to take a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of focus,

but he believes it can be done so he and a group of 60 young volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to help at-risk Milwaukee students stay on the road to graduation.

The 17- to 24-year-old volunteers have signed up for City Year, a national service organization affiliated with AmeriCorps. Holton has been associated with the organization for five years and is now executive director of Milwaukee City Year.

The 2010-11 school year will be the first time Milwaukee students will have City Year corps members in the classroom. Holton promises the volunteers will put their all into helping kids remain on track.

They want to change the world, he says. They want to have the effects that take nine to 10 years to change, but they want to do it in 10 months. And I love that about them.

They will be concentrating on middle and high school students who are on the cusp of achievement, but have at least one risk factor that could derail their success. Holton

points to a Johns Hopkins University study that found if a child has one off-track behavior such as spotty attendance, behavior issues or difficulty performing in the core subjects of English and math the student is 75 percent more likely to drop out of high school.

There is often a stigma attached to getting extra help in school, Holton says, but City Year mentors are Near Peers. They are old enough to command students respect and young enough to understand what makes kids tick.

Getting tutored by a corps member becomes cool, Holton explains. And its another adult figure telling (students) they cant wait to see them at school. Theyre there at the first bell and the last bell.

City Year corps members work with each school in a different way, Holton says, but usually the volunteers are matched with a teacher and will provide some in-class support. If a group of students in that class is lagging behind, for example, the mentors will work with those students to help them keep up with their peers. There are incentives for the entire class to demonstrate pro-social behavior, and students who are doing the right things to encourage leadership and consistently attending class are recognized.

Holton notes that across the country 1 million students drop out of school every year, and thats why we have to do something. City Year, founded in 1988, has 20 affiliates across America, and is seeing results in the schools where corps members are working. In Chicago, for example, reading levels improved; in Cleveland, fourth-graders in City Year schools improved math proficiencies dramatically; and in Philadelphia, suspensions dropped by 40 percent.

City Year volunteers, who receive a small stipend for rent and food, have idealism on their side, even though the task may sometimes seem daunting. Some are high school graduates, some are college grads, some defer graduate school in order to participate.

This young generation is saying, I want to do something and I want to do my part. For a lot of corps members, that becomes a life of service, Holton says.

City Year Milwaukee Executive Director Jason Holton is leading a corps of 60 volunteers that will work with Milwaukee students this school year.

Fast Facts City Year volunteers will work with students at 81st Street Elementary School, Mitchell K-8 School, Northwest Secondary School, Rogers Street Academy, Roosevelt Middle School and South Division High School this year.

City Year volunteers tutor students in English and math, and also organize community service projects and assist in after-school activities.

Major sponsors in Milwaukee are David and Julia Uihlein, Milwaukee Public Schools and AmeriCorps.

Visit www.cityyear.org for more information.

22 M | September 2010 Reprinted with permission

by NaN Bialek | photography by DaN Bishop

Back to SchoolJason M. Holton knows its going to take a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of focus,

but he believes it can be done so he and a group of 60 young volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to help at-risk Milwaukee students stay on the road to graduation.

The 17- to 24-year-old volunteers have signed up for City Year, a national service organization affiliated with AmeriCorps. Holton has been associated with the organization for five years and is now executive director of Milwaukee City Year.

The 2010-11 school year will be the first time Milwaukee students will have City Year corps members in the classroom. Holton promises the volunteers will put their all into helping kids remain on track.

They want to change the world, he says. They want to have the effects that take nine to 10 years to change, but they want to do it in 10 months. And I love that about them.

They will be concentrating on middle and high school students who are on the cusp of achievement, but have at least one risk factor that could derail their success. Holton

points to a Johns Hopkins University study that found if a child has one off-track behavior such as spotty attendance, behavior issues or difficulty performing in the core subjects of English and math the student is 75 percent more likely to drop out of high school.

There is often a stigma attached to getting extra help in school, Holton says, but City Year mentors are Near Peers. They are old enough to command students respect and young enough to understand what makes kids tick.

Getting tutored by a corps member becomes cool, Holton explains. And its another adult figure telling (students) they cant wait to see them at school. Theyre there at the first bell and the last bell.

City Year corps members work with each school in a different way, Holton says, but usually the volunteers are matched with a teacher and will provide some in-class support. If a group of students in that class is lagging behind, for example, the mentors will work with those students to help them keep up with their peers. There are incentives for the entire class to demonstrate pro-social behavior, and students who are doing the right things to encourage leadership and consistently attending class are recognized.

Holton notes that across the country 1 million students drop out of school every year, and thats why we have to do something. City Year, founded in 1988, has 20 affiliates across America, and is seeing results in the schools where corps members are working. In Chicago, for example, reading levels improved; in Cleveland, fourth-graders in City Year schools improved math proficiencies dramatically; and in Philadelphia, suspensions dropped by 40 percent.

City Year volunteers, who receive a small stipend for rent and food, have idealism on their side, even though the task may sometimes seem daunting. Some are high school graduates, some are college grads, some defer graduate school in order to participate.

This young generation is saying, I want to do something and I want to do my part. For a lot of corps members, that becomes a life of service, Holton says.

City Year Milwaukee Executive Director Jason Holton is leading a corps of 60 volunteers that will work with Milwaukee students this school year.

Fast Facts City Year volunteers will work with students at 81st Street Elementary School, Mitchell K-8 School, Northwest Secondary School, Rogers Street Academy, Roosevelt Middle School and South Division High School this year.

City Year volunteers tutor students in English and math, and also organize community service projects and assist in after-school activities.

Major sponsors in Milwaukee are David and Julia Uihlein, Milwaukee Public Schools and AmeriCorps.

Visit www.cityyear.org for more information.

City Year makes a difference in Tobin SchoolDecember 28, 2011

Why volunteer programs like City Year, the Peace Corps and Teach for America reward childrenFebruary 2, 2012

Aaron Clark Beat the Odds, Now Helps Other Kids SucceedJune 14, 2012

A Narrower Focus Helps City Year Win Grants and Increase Its ImpactDecember 4, 2011

32 Teacher profile: Cristin Barnett

34 Interview with Dr. Carol Johnson

36 Diplomas Now

38 Interview with Wendy Spencer

40 School District Partners

30

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Cristin Barnett, a 35-year-old teacher with 10 years of experience, speaks with a charming twang that radiates affection and concern for her students. Ms. Barnett has 122 students divided among five sections of seventh grade English at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School in Arkansass Little Rock School District. With just one of her and so many of them, things can get a little hectic.

But not when Matts around. For several of Ms. Barnetts classes each day, City Year AmeriCorps member Matt Denis joins her, doubling the number of caring adults in her classroom. They know that they have somebody else in class who is here for them and thats huge, she said.

Matt, 24, takes advantage of being relatively close in age to Mabelvales pupils to connect with Barnetts students as a mentor and tutor.

If were doing an activity and shes teaching a lesson as students are working, Im looking around to see if students arent getting it, Matt said. I help them one-on-one so she can keep teaching.

With assistance from Matt, Ms. Barnett can differentiate her instruction, pausing to help struggling students or offering more challenging material to students who are more advanced. For example, during an in-class lesson comparing Robert Louis Stevensons Treasure Island to its film counterpart, Matt took a student aside to work on his essay. If a situation calls for Ms. Barnetts special attention, Matt uses his academic background (he has a BA in English) to carry on the class discussion, so she can tend to a students needs.

Matt was an English major so he jumps right in, Ms. Barnett said.

Matt and Omari Holt, who worked with Ms. Barnett last year but now leads the team of City Year corps members at Mabelvale Magnet, have leveraged their near-peer position to relate to students. Ms. Barnett credits them with bridging a gap she could not.

Were in southwest Little Rock and many students have had behavioral, home or economic issues, she said. Having Omari there was the biggest help ever. He could talk to these boys on a more personal level that they could relate to.

In December, Ms. Barnett and Omari hosted a workshop for Mabelvale Magnet teachers about how best to use corps members in the classroom. For Ms. Barnett, Omari and Matt have served as valued colleagues and as confidants for her students in a personal but professional manner, she said.

They keep me up to date on students lives so I understand that if somebodys shutting down in class there could be a situation at home, Ms. Barnett said. Together, we sit down and think lets do what we can to help that student succeed in the classroom.

Cristin Barnett

TeaCHer ProFile

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33

inTervieW

Dr. CarolQ&a with

What challenges are you and other superintendents of urban districts facing?We face funding challenges, of course, as targeted federal and state resources decline even as mandated spending and costs increase. But the real challenge has to do with a perceived lack of opportunity. Many children, especially in urban areas, can feel cut off from the same opportunities that families in wealthier communities are able to offer their children. This is why Mayor Menino has challenged me and my team to expand opportunities for students and why we have worked so hard to expand summer learning and after-school opportunities because our schools must be the ones to offer tutoring, arts, music, exploratory field trips and other enrichment activities that upper-middle-class and wealthier families offer their children outside of school.

Dr. Carol Johnson was appointed superintendent of Boston Public Schools in 2007. In partnership with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the Boston School Committee, Dr. Johnson and her team have enacted a series of strategies and reform initiatives coupled with new investments from Mayor Menino that have led to increased student achievement and the highest four-year graduation rate on record while reaching the lowest dropout rate in decades. One of the initiatives included engaging City Year Boston as a strategic partner in turnaround schools.

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Superintendent, boston Public Schools

Johnson

There are no shortage of organizations nonprofit and for profit interested in working with BPS. What do you look for in a partner?We look for someone who is willing and able to take on every challenge and this means engaging every family, no matter what language they speak or income level they may be a part of. Our partners must connect meaningfully with every child, whether he or she has a learning disability or a physical impairment or just struggles every day with challenges in and out of school. We demand that our partners see an opportunity for excellence in every student. We also look for proven performance. City Year has a strong track record of success both here in Boston and around the nation and uses data to identify areas of success and adjusts its model to drive performance even higher.

When people ask, Why are you partnering with City Year? what do you say? City Year corps members dont just bring energy and enthusiasm to our schools. They also bring experience, credibility and respect that our students can quickly see. Many corps members are BPS graduates themselves, or they grew up confronting the kinds of challenges that have prepared them to understand what our students need. We have placed corps members in every one of our most-struggling schools to focus on things like improving attendance and adding after-school support. For teachers and school leaders, City Year has become an important tool to ensure our students get the very most out of every precious minute in the classroom.

Boston has 12 Turnaround Schools and City Year is a partner in each one. Why? We prioritize our partnerships based on where we believe they will be most effective. We want to ensure every student gets a great education in every school, and in these schools, we know that hasnt been happening. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Mayor Menino, our Turnaround Schools have critical new flexibilities around staffing, leadership and have longer school days and the strategy is proving successful with higher test scores, stronger attendance and a 44 percent increase in the number of families choosing these schools than in the past. We believe that City Year has not only helped us lift many of these metrics, but they have also given our teachers new partners to help ensure classroom instruction is successful.

Whats your dream for the Boston Public Schools? To welcome and educate every child, regardless of ability, and get them ready for college and career success. Our schools are becoming centers of excellence that families see as safe and welcoming places where their children can learn and grow as they explore the world beyond the classroom walls. We have great teachers who tailor instruction for every child and who partner with the community to extend learning time and ensure all our children are well-prepared to learn every day.

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45% 68% decrease decrease

the number of students with < 85% attendance

the number of suspended students

Diplomas Now is an innovative school turnaround model that unites three nonprofit organizations City Year, Communities In Schools and Johns Hopkins Talent Development Secondary to work with the nations most challenged middle and high schools.

Diplomas Now partners with the school community so each student at risk has the support of caring adults, and those adults have the tools to improve student success. An early warning system identifies struggling students, and the Diplomas Now team creates a plan for each student.

Working with administrators and teachers, Talent Development Secondary organizes and supports schools to strengthen achievement and engagement while providing curriculum, teacher coaching and student support. City Year corps members welcome students to school (and call students when they dont show up), provide tutoring in math and English, and celebrate positive behavior. After school, City Year

provides homework help and engages students in service and enrichment programs. For the neediest students, Communities In Schools provides case management and connects them with community resources, such as counseling, health care, housing, food and clothing.

During the 2011-2012 school year, Diplomas Now was being implemented in 11 cities:

Baton RougeBostonChicago DetroitLos AngelesMiami New Orleans New York City Philadelphia Seattle Washington, DC

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Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant In August 2010, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Diplomas Now a $30 million Investing in Innovation (i3) Validation Grant, which made it the only secondary school-focused turnaround model with national reach to receive an i3 award. As a result of the grant, Diplomas Now has recruited 62 schools to participate in a rigorous third-party randomized control study of the model. Thirty-two of these schools are implementing the Diplomas Now model, while 30 schools are participating in the study as control schools.

The PepsiCo Foundation, the founding investor of Diplomas Now, generously provided the $6 million match funds required by the Department of Education for the i3 grant to be formally awarded.

The 2011-2012 school year was the first year of Diplomas Now program implementation through the i3. Research shows that students who are at-risk of dropping out can be identified by three early warning indicators or ABCs: poor attendance, disruptive behavior and course failure. Diplomas Now works with students to improve their performance in those early warning indicators. The following results were seen for students that were identified as off-track at any point during the year:

45% decrease in the number of students with less than 85% attendance

68% decrease in the number of suspended students

61% decrease in the number of students failing English

52% decrease in the number of students failing math

61% 52% decrease decrease

the number of studentsfailing English

the number of students failing math

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inTervieW

inTervieW WiTH CY: What is it about national service that makes you so passionate about it?WS: I think it is such a unique American idea that we engage citizens formally to address local problems. There are so many things right about that. With national service, you make a conscious choice to commit one year of your life for a cause. I call it a year of sacrifice to support others. To focus Americans time on a community problem is something that money just cant buy. There is so much that comes with the contribution of ones time: life experiences, surrounding influences, energy, thoughtfulness, concern. That personal connection that service members achieve, you just cant put a price tag on it.

CY: How can national service have the greatest impact in schools?WS: 50 years ago schools were prepared to handle around 15% of kids that were off track. But today children have so many problems that schools arent equipped to address. A program like City Year - an AmeriCorps program - can come in and be the implementation partner for those

additional supports for children with chronic problems. Principals, counselors and teachers know the children that could use this added support by name, but they dont always have the time or resources to do it. So AmeriCorps members can come in and address those children, providing direct support, mentoring, tutoring, and emotional support to help them overcome the problems they face, closing the gap for those children so they can have an equal opportunity to learn.

CY: Youve mentioned that theres no better time to invest in national service than right now. Why?WS: We are seeing record applications for AmeriCorps. We turned down a half a million applications last year. I think thats because people see AmeriCorps as a pathway to other opportunities. National service is perfectly placed to meet that need, now more than ever. But its also never been better for other organizations that can benefit from the human capital resources that AmeriCorps can provide. Its a great cost-effective benefit, not to mention a great benefit for the community.

When Wendy Spencer enters a room, its clear shes on a mission. Her energy and passion for service is surpassed only by her encyclopedic knowledge of the programs under her watch as the nations top service advocate. She leads the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps. Spencer can best be described as a dynamo, particularly as she crisscrosses the nation, making the case for investment now in the low-cost, high-yield solutions that national service can offer to some of our nations most pressing challenges.

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CY: If theres one thing about national service that you wish everyone knew, what is it?WS: I was sitting at a City Year graduation after the first year in Miami, seated next to a principal at a school. When I asked her about her experience, I expected her to respond with the measurable impact statistics how many students grades had grown, and how many students were back on track in attendance. She told me all those things. But she surprised me when she added, I didnt expect it to change the entire environment in my school, and it did. We have a real can-do spirit in this school thanks to City Year that I just couldnt foresee when we started. I hear that in programs all over the country. I see it in Hurricane Sandy response. I see in conservation programs. These AmeriCorps members are lifting everyone up around them, and thats contagious.

Wendy SpencerinTervieW WiTH Chief executive officer of the Corporation for national and Community Service

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Baton RougeEast Baton Rouge Parish School Board Dr. Bernard Taylor, Jr.

Superintendent

BostonBoston Public Schools Dr. Carol R. Johnson

Superintendent

ChicagoChicago Public Schools Barbara Byrd Bennett

Chief Executive Officer for Chicago Public Schools

Cleveland Cleveland Metropolitan School District Eric S. Gordon

Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Metropolitan School District

ColumbiaRichland County School District One Percy A. Mack, Ph.D

SuperintendentLexington School District Four Dr. Linda G. Lavender

Superintendent

ColumbusColumbus City Schools Dr. Gene T. Harris

Superintendent/CEO, Columbus City Schools

DenverDenver Public Schools Tom Boasberg

Superintendent

Detroit Harper Woods School District Todd Biederwolf

SuperintendentRiver Rouge School District Darrick R. Coleman

SuperintendentTaylor School District Diane Allen

SuperintendentEducational Achievement Authority of the State of Michigan John Wm Covington, Ed.D

ChancellorDetroit Public Schools Roy S. Roberts

Emergency Manager

Jacksonville Duval County Public Schools Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti

Superintendent

Little Rock/N. Little RockLittle Rock School District Dr. Morris Holmes

Superintendent

Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified School District Dr. John E. Deasy

SuperintendentPartnership for Los Angeles Schools (PLAS) Marshall Tuck

Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools

MiamiMiami-Dade County Public Schools Alberto M. Carvalho

Superintendent

Milwaukee Milwaukee Public Schools Dr. Gregory E. Thornton

Superintendent

New HampshireManchester School District Dr. Thomas J. Brennan

Superintendent

New OrleansFirst Line Charter Schools Jay Altman

Co-Founder and CEO

New YorkNew York City Department of Education Dennis M. Walcott

Chancellor

OrlandoOrange County Public Schools Barbara M. Jenkins

Superintendent

SCHool DiSTriCT ParTnerS

We are proud to partner with the following school districts and their leaders

40

Greater PhiladelphiaThe School District of Philadelphia William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D

SuperintendentUniversal Companies/Charter Janis C. Butler, Ed.D

EVP EducationMastery Charter Schools Scott Gordon

Chief Executive Officer

Rhode IslandProvidence Public School District Susan F. Lusi, Ph.D.

Superintendent

Sacramento Sacramento Unified School District Jonathon P. Raymond

Superintendent

San AntonioNorth East Independent School District Brian G. Gottardy, Ed.D

SuperintendentSan Antonio Independent School District Dr. Sylvester Perez

Interim Superintendent

San Jos/Silicon Valley Alum Rock Union Elementary School District Jos L. Manzo

Superintendent

Seattle/King County Seattle Public Schools Jos Banda

Superintendent

Washington, DCDistrict of Columbia Public Schools Kaya Henderson

Chancellor of DC Public Schools

41

44 Partner Profile: Deloitte

46 Champion profile: John and Tashia Morgridge

48 Partner Profile: Luis Ubias and the ford foundation

50 Champion Profile: Julie Uihlein

52 Champion profile: Stephen G. Woodsum and Anne Lovett

54 National Leadership Sponsors

58 In-Kind Sponsors

60 Team Sponsor Program

62 Donors

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43

Deloitte& City Year

Buying a suit to wear to my job interview with Deloitte was the biggest investment I made as a City Year corps member, Staci Carney says with a laugh. More than the suit, though, it was the skills she perfected during her corps year that helped her land and succeed in her dream job as a Business Analyst in Deloittes consulting practice.Having that experience at City Year has truly been invaluable. The skills that I use every single day here are skills that I learned at City Year, and City Year not only helped me refine and build these skills, but also gave me the confidence to know I was good at them.

ParTner ProFile

44

As a corps member, Carney also benefited from an innovative mentoring program Deloitte and City Year launched five years ago a program she now helps lead in Deloittes Philadelphia office. She lists project planning, working in a team environment, leading people and projects, and the ability to manage up as skills that she learned at City Year and honed with her mentor from Deloitte.

The mentoring program pairs nearly 250 Deloitte professionals from all levels of the company with City Year AmeriCorps members. Together with their mentor, they prepare for the next phase of their lives, such as entering the workforce, moving on to graduate school, or serving their community in another way.

We all have so much respect and appreciation for what City Year corps members do each day, says Alison McCourt, a manager in Deloitte Consulting LLP, who has played a lead role on the majority of Deloitte-City Year pro bono projects to date. When mentoring corps members, we share insights that help corps members plan and prepare for life after City Year.

This program is just one example of the growing relationship between Deloitte and City Year.

It really started with local leaders in our Deloitte U.S. firms who were personally passionate about City Year, said Evan Hochberg, who leads Deloittes National Community Involvement programs. Their enthusiasm and commitment caught the attention of our national leaders. It became clear that City Years mission and outcomes-focused approach align with our strategic view of making the greatest possible impact with the resources we provide. Over the past few years, working with City Year, we believe weve contributed toward substantive change in our communities.

Deloitte has provided City Year over $4 million in cash and pro bono resources to date, and currently engages 13 Deloitte leaders on City Years local boards and Jessica Blume, Deloittes U.S. Public Sector Leader, serves on City Years national Board of Trustees. Deloittes pro bono services have helped City Year complete the transition from an organization providing general community service to

one that is laser-focused on ending the dropout crisis.

That City Year has built this capacity to be a national leader in both service and in education is extraordinary, and I think highlights what is exceptional about City Year, notes Hochberg.

City Years Long-Term Impact strategy, the ten-year plan to dramatically increase the number of students who are on track to graduate, is the product of two years of intense pro bono engagement between City Year, a team of consultants from Deloitte Consulting LLP, and other strategic stakeholders. The strategy helps focus the entire organization on achieving these bold goals, an output that is indicative of the larger partnership.

From City Years operating model, to the development of new sites, to the strategic direction of the organization, Deloittes contribution has helped City Year shape its mission, and build the capacity to achieve it.

As a professional services organization, exceptional talent and leadership are critical to the success of Deloitte, says Hochberg. City Year also places the utmost value on talent and leadership, and that has strengthened our relationship even further.

These common values have led to Deloitte and City Years latest collaboration an initiative that provides a pathway for corps members, like Staci Carney, to pursue full time jobs.

When corps members are in the middle of their year of service and so focused on their work, it can be difficult to focus on whats next, Carney explained. Now, I see every day how that experience has made me better at my job. I am thankful for that support and the opportunity to build a career at Deloitte.

McCourt added, This relationship extends beyond the relationships you typically see between companies and nonprofits. Our work together has impacted both our organization and our people in a positive way, and City Years mission is truly a personal passion for so many of us. We look forward to whats next for City Year and Deloitte.

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CHamPion ProFile

John and Tashia Morgridge recently returned from a trip to Antarctica. They were traveling with students from Stanfords Graduate School of Business, where John is a lecturer (hes also an alum, class of 1957). Polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton figures large in Morgridges syllabus, so the voyage to the South Pole was a field trip. But the Morgridges are known for these sorts of adventures: at sixty-three, they biked cross-country; and at seventy-three, they hiked the Long Trail in Vermont. Theyll both turn eighty in 2013.

Education is one of the few ways you can influence the futureits a foundational undertaking.

John MOrgridgeCHairman Emeritus, CIsco

and TashiaMorgridge

46

John Morgridge is the Chairman Emeritus of Cisco, one of the worlds largest developers and manufacturers of networking equipment. He first learned about City Year in 1993, five years into his tenure as CEO and Chairman, and just after Cisco moved its headquarters to San Jose. He jokes that he and City Year Co-founder and CEO Michael Brown clicked right away because he immediately committed Cisco to a substantial gift. It was a one-call close, as we say in the trade, he says.

The gift that helped found City Year San Jose grew into a partnership between the Morgridges, Cisco and City Year that now spans twenty years.

Since 1993, Cisco and the Cisco Foundation have contributed more than $9.2 million in products and cash grants to help City Year expand and enhance its programs and upgrade its technology infrastructure and network capabilities, improving communication across the organization.

And in 2006, in the early development phases of City Years school-based model, Whole School Whole Child (WSWC), Cisco affirmed its commitment as an essential strategic partner. Cisco and the Cisco Foundation have since granted millions of dollars to support the delivery, implementation and evaluation of WSWC.

John witnessed and helped guide the evolution of City Year from a national service organization working in education, to an education-focused organization leveraging national service. I think change is part of the health of an organization, Morgridge says. Its the continual realigning to the realities of your own capabilities and modifying your model as the environment you work in changes, which of course it will always do.

John and Tashia have also remained personally committed to the organization, making substantial gifts to City Year sites in San Jose, New Hampshire and Milwaukee.

High quality education has always been a priority for the Morgridges: they both attended public schools in Wauwatosa, WI and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and both

of Johns parents were teachers. Education is one of the few ways you can influence the future, Morgridge says. If you have that innate desire, as I think Michael [Brown] does, to have an impact, not only on today, but on tomorrow and the day after that, education is one of the most important. Its a foundational undertaking.

Unless someone clued you in, youd never know John Morgridge is one of Americas leading philanthropists. Hes happy to talk about the series of unglamorous jobs he had as a young man: digging storm sewers, working road construction, moonlighting as a brakeman on the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. The Morgridges, whose family foundation is called the Tosa Foundation, signed the Giving Pledge in July 2010, a commitment to donate at least half their net worth to charity. In the letter announcing their decision, they wrote:

Early on we learned the art of giving small checks to causes important to us. Through hard work, good fortune and the opportunities offered by our amazing country and the world, we have prospered beyond all expectation. As a result, we have been able to add many zeros to the amounts of the checks we are now able to write.

That idea, to write small checks, is the advice Morgridge passes on today, to his MBA students and City Year corps members who aspire to a life of service and leadership. Make sure the causes you get involved with are life-long passions, he advises. And maintain a level of commitment to it throughout your whole life.

Morgridge believes that commitment to something bigger than yourself is what makes life interesting. I dont know if this extends your life, but it certainly enriches your life, he says. I just think it makes for a much more fulfilling life than shooting eighty [in golf] in your eighties.

The occasional polar adventure probably doesnt hurt either.

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City Year and the Ford foundationHow do we restore the belief in limitless opportunity that has always defined our unique American experience? How do we make sure every American, rich or poor, new or old, knows that if he or she is willing to work hard, this country is impatient for their contribution?

These are the questions that drive Luis Ubias, the Ford Foundations eighth president. In an interview, Ubias told us. Four years into his tenure, he continues to be inspired by the social justice mission of his foundation: We believe all people should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, contribute to society and have a voice in the decisions that affect them.

City Year has been proud to call the Ford Foundation a partner since 2008, when it helped to strengthen the organizations capacity to partner with school district and policy leaders. Ford most recently supported our work in Detroit by funding Diplomas Now, an innovative school turnaround collaborative that operates in some of our nations lowest performing middle and high schools.

City Year exemplifies how a wide range of adults can contribute to the educational success of the nations most vulnerable students, Ubias says. Corps members provide important support as near peers in schools with expanded learning time, forging supportive relationships with students that personalize their schooling.

Ford has long been an advocate for extending the school day in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. But when the Foundation began working in this space, there were questions about whether more time for children to learn was even possible, and whether it would get results. Those questions are now answered. Research by the National Center on Time and Learning, by Harvard economist Roland Fryer and others demonstrates that when kids spend more time in school, theyre more likely to be successful. Ubias sees City Year as a partner in this work. We think the program has the potential to serve as an innovative model for others on implementing expanded learning time for our students, he explains. By partnering with educators, corp members offer a creative

Luis Ubias

ParTner ProFile

President, Ford Foundation

48

and cost-effective way to make more and better learning time a reality for students, an approach that has the potential to be replicated across the nation.

Ubias grew up in the South Bronx, about one hundred blocks north of Fords offices, which sit on the east side of mid-town Manhattan. He attended Harvard for his undergraduate and graduate degrees, and has worked in the public and private sectors, including time at the March of Dimes in Boston and 18 years at McKinsey & Company. He sees it as part of his lifes work to ensure that the world has the chance to benefit from the knowledge, potential and skills kids in the South Bronx have to offer. And to do that he says, We need to ensure that all kids have a voice and a chance to contribute.

Ubias believes young people, especially, have an important role to play in solving some of our worlds seemingly intractable problems. But he also knows that achieving lasting change takes time,

patience and resolve, which is part the value he sees in City Year corps members commitment to a year full-time of service. They add tremendous value simply by being there for the long haul, by sticking with kids through days of challenge and triumph, he says. That long-term commitment is incredibly valuable to the students, but also for the corps member, who can bring this perspective to everything they do in the years ahead.

Ford distributed $450 million in grants during FY11, and recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. As Ubias looks toward the Foundations 100th anniversary he acknowledges how much progress has been made in a creating a more equitable world, but is also keenly aware of the poverty, exploitation and injustice that remains.

The challenge is to shape and influence the remarkable forces defining our world so that they benefit all people, he says.

City Year exemplifies how a wide range of adults can contribute to the educational success of the nations most vulnerable students.

City Year and the Ford foundation

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Julie UIhleinBoard Chair, City Year MilwaukeeAdjunct Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin

At City Year Milwaukee events, its not uncommon to find board chair Julie Uihlein joking around with corps members during a few minutes of downtime, or engaged in deep conversation with a young staffer on the team. Have you heard what they call me? she asks. Mama City Year. I just get the biggest kick out of that.

Its hard to believe that Uihlein (pronounced e-line) hadnt even heard of City Year six years ago. She

first learned about City Year when her youngest son, who now teaches honors world history in a Milwaukee high school, served with the Chicago corps during the 2006-2007 school year. Uihlein believes her city is going through a renaissance, but says its no secret that too many children are living in poverty, that many schools are struggling and that people are without access to basic services, such as health care. After a trip to Chicago to visit her son, she thought to herself, If ever there was a city that could use City Year it would be Milwaukee. And then she spearheaded the effort to make it happen: City Year Milwaukee opened in 2010.

But, she says, the startup process wasnt easy. Uihlein, like all people interested in bringing City Year to their communities, was required to meet a series of benchmarks that ensure new sites are set up for success. Uihlein cultivated partnerships with Milwaukee Public Schools, the City of Milwaukee and other local foundations, and started meeting regularly with Jason Holton, a Milwaukee-native who would become City Year Milwaukees Executive Director. Their favorite meeting spot was a coffee house in the citys historic third ward, where they discussed potential partners and started making plans for making City Year a reality.

City year is a double win

CHamPion ProFile

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In six years, the organization grew from an idea, to a high-impact partner in eight of Milwaukees most challenged public schools, and shes loved seeing the organization grow and mature. I cant even begin to describe the honor and the pride I feel, all wrapped up in one, when I see our 60 corps members, she says. City Year is a double win. Its a win for the kids who are being mentored and being offered opportunities they might not normally have access to, and its a win

for the whole city of Milwaukee, which gets these incredibly idealistic, bright, energetic young people who are engaged in the community and often stay; their commitment doesnt stop after just one year. Her next passion? To help City Year Milwaukee grow, to reach more schools and more students.

Uihlein is quick to explain that her greatest joys in life are her three children, and a growing brood of grandkids. But she is also passionate about her work as adjunct professor of medical humanities, bioethics and pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin where she teaches classes and studies the social determinants of childrens health. Shes also been a regular practitioner of mindfulness meditation and yoga for 38 years, which she says

helps her stay centered. She sees a clear connection between corps members commitment to service and the desires of her young medical students to care for patients. Its all about service, she says. Caring enough about humanity to really, really give of yourself is the same for corps members as it is for my students.

We often ask our donors and supporters what advice they have for corps members who aspire to

lead a lifetime of service and leadership. Without any hesitation she replies: Never give up no matter how many times you hear no; and assume you can learn anything, that you can do anything. Great advice from Mama City Year.

Julie UIhleinBoard Chair, City Year MilwaukeeAdjunct Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin

City year is a double win

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CHamPion ProFile

Steve Woodsum and City Year CEO Michael Brown have attended countless meetings together in the 25 years since they first met in 1988 but their first was perhaps the most auspicious.We were just starting out, looking for a few people in the private sector to take a risk on getting behind a nonprofit start up, and us, says Brown, who was fresh out of Harvard Law School at the time. Brown and fellow City Year co-founder Alan Khazei, as social entrepreneurs, thought venture capitalists were a natural starting point to support their new social enterprise. We started dialing venture firms in Boston every one a cold call, Brown says.

Stephen G. WoodsumChair, CIty Year Board of Trustees

and Anne Lovett

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And then I made the mistake of answering my own phone, Woodsum says, laughing. Within a few days, City Years co-founders were in Woodsums office at Summit Partners, a private equity firm where he is a founding managing partner. By the end of that first meeting, hed committed to being a member of City Years founding Board and to sponsoring a team of corps members in Boston. It struck me as incredible that these young guys were willing to forgo potentially very lucrative careers to pursue this little-bit-crazy entrepreneurial idea to change the world, Woodsum says.

Since then, Woodsum has been with City Year every step of the way mentor and advisor, team sponsor, major gift donor, committee chair, and for the past six years, Chair of the Board of Trustees. In September 2013, when his tenure as Chair ends, the organization will have doubled in size under his board leadership, both in the number of corps members and overall revenue; all while pivoting the organizations efforts to address the nations high school dropout crisis. Steves wisdom, all-in commitment, and gracious leadership style have been game-changing for City Year, says Brown.

Meanwhile, Anne Lovett, Steves wife of thirty years, is a dedicated City Year supporter as well. Shes always been at the ready for City Year: whether organizing a visit to a school for friends to see City Year in action, hosting the Summit Partners Team for dinner in their home, or helping City Year think through an organizational issue. Anne is a leader of City Years kitchen cabinet, Brown says. Every time we chat, I say, Anne, I want you to give me one idea a day for improving the City Year program and sometimes I get two.

Anne and Steve are also City Year parents: their daughter, Alexandra, served as a corps member in San Antonio. Im so excited one of my children became a corps member, Steve says. I think its changed her life. Anne adds, Hearing about Alexandras experiences and the impact she was having was incredibly moving; but so was hearing about the challenges she faced. I think thats part of the magic of City Year: how the experience impacts corps members.

Lovett and Woodsums philanthropy has always been driven by their commitment to helping young people succeed, and they were early champions of City Years decision to focus its efforts in high-need schools. The gap between lower income students and higher income students is significant and has gotten worse, Woodsum says. I think its created a divide that we need to eliminate. City Year offers a great solution to address this crisis; its one piece of the puzzle, but I think a really critical piece.

Steve and Anne contribute a tremendous amount of time and energy to organizations and causes they care about. In addition to City Year, Steve is on the boards of Massachusetts General Hospital, Bostons Museum of Fine Arts and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston. Anne is a director of Peer Health Exchange and president of its Board of Overseers, and oversees the couples family foundation, which supports organizations working on behalf of education and building stronger communities.

To me, our philanthropy is about hope, for a better education, a better salary, a more secure living situation, a more secure food situation, a path to a better future Anne says. Thats what City Year does: corps members help students succeed, pushing them towards greater opportunity.

In the late 1980s, when Woodsum, Brown and Khazei first met, City Years offices had just moved out of a Harvard dormitory. Almost twenty years later, Lovett and Woodsum played a critical role in ensuring City Year could establish a permanent national headquarters where it is today, at the tip of Bostons South End. The lobby of the building is named in their honor. Its fitting that Steve and Anne have such a presence in our lobby, Michael says. Theyve been so essential to our development literally opening the doors at every stage of City Years journey for 25 years. I smile every time I walk into the Lovett-Woodsum Lobby.

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naTional leaDerSHiP SPonSorS

ARAMARK The City Year and ARAMARK partnership leverages their shared dedication to enrich communities through engaging employees in high impact volunteer service as part of ARAMARK Building Community, the companys signature global philanthropic and volunteer program. ARAMARK and City Year also work together to build strong school partnerships and recruitment campaigns leveraging relationships on college campuses to recruit young adults join City Year for a year of service. As City Years Official Apparel Partner, ARAMARK provides uniform apparel to our corps members serving in schools, as well as uniform components dedicated exclusively for physical service

Bank of America As City Years National Student Leadership Development Sponsor, Bank of America supports programs focused on helping underserved middle and high schools students graduate with the education and life skills needed to access post-secondary educational opportunities. Bank of America has supported City Year and young people who make positive change in their schools and communities for more than 20 years. In 1988, predecessor institution Bank of Boston became a founding sponsor of City Year, Inc. and was the first company in the nation to sponsor a City Year team. Bank of America has served as Presenting Sponsor of City Years annual convention and its 15th anniversary, and played a pivotal role in the purchase and development of City Years national headquarters by supporting tax-exempt bond financing and bridge financing for the project.

Cisco Cisco first partnered with City Year in 1993, and has been an instrumental