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Last Chance to Attend the Idealism in Action Gala Honoring TIME Managing Editor Richard Stengel

City Year Washington, DC invites you to attend the Idealism in Action Gala Tuesday, May 25 beginning at 6:30pm at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Building Atrium (1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW). We are excited to celebrate our site's 10th anniversary and the success of this year's 100 corps members who serve tirelessly as tutors, mentors, and role models to over 6,000 DC students.

Such success would not be possible without the support of national service advocates like TIME Managing Editor Richard Stengel, who will be honored with the 2010 Lifetime of Idealism Award for his commitment to making service opportunities accessible to all Americans. City Year will also recognize Washington, DC's most committed employee volunteers with the 2010 Idealist of the Year awards. Every table sponsor has the opportunity to nominate an employee volunteer as a 2010 Idealist of the Year - a great way to recognize someone from your corporate family for their community commitment. All 2010 Idealists of the Year will be recognized at the Gala and featured in a June issue of National Journal.

There is still time to participate and attend this great event! Table sponsorships and limited individual tickets are still available. CLICK HERE to learn how your company can honor an extraordinary community-minded employee as a 2010 Idealist of the Year or CLICK HERE for more information about the Gala. We hope you will join us, as we have much to celebrate at the 2010 Idealism in Action Gala!

HIGHLIGHTS

Camp City Year was a Success with Parents & Students

A City Year corps member leads children in a game.

Geared up for a week of fun and learning, Camp City Year 2010's Road Trip USA drew a record number of campers! A whopping 434 campers attended one of the three Camp City Year sites across the District of Columbia: Emery Education Campus, Francis-Stevens Education Campus, and Turner at Green Elementary School. City Year provided exciting activities all day long during DC Public School's spring vacation, Monday, March 29 through Friday, April 2.

With activities in fine arts, recreation, education, and arts & crafts, students learned about the cultures and traditions of the West, Midwest, South, North, and Washington, DC. The Francis-Stevens site had the privilege of working with Amtchat Edwards of the Student Conservation Association who taught students the importance of our environment and ways in which we can protect our local communities from pollution. Students engaged in service learning like planting flowers and herbs to beautify their school and community and writing thank you letters to the men and women serving our country in the military.

Camp City Year would not have been possible without the help of our committed corps members, staff, and the 125 external volunteers who helped lead and teach the campers. Jazmin Wilburn, a corps member who serves daily at Simon Elementary School, enjoyed working as a team leader with the 5th graders at the Turner at Green site. She thought the week went smoothly because of the hard work and dedication put in by the corps prior to the start of camp. She said, "Not only were we prepared, but the programming team was on point! The curriculum was well thought out...everything about the camp was fun, yet educationally beneficial for the kids."

Camp City Year provided all meals, educational activities, and service projects for the campers with a minimal cost to parents. The Camp City Year operations department, comprised of corps members, worked tirelessly months prior to camp to in-kind nearly 100% of supplies for lesson plans, recreational activities, and service projects. City Year Washington, DC corps members and staff left feeling exhausted, yet proud of the work they had accomplished. Not to mention, the campers had a fantastic time throughout the week and especially at the carnival held on the last day of camp.

City Year Alumni Continue to Give Back Long After Their Year of Service

City Year alumni & staff catch up at the Alumni & Friends Fundraiser.

The City Year Alumni Association of Washington, DC would like to thank everyone who came out to support the fourth annual Alumni and Friends Fundraiser! On Thursday, April 8 over 50 alumni and friends came out to celebrate service and civic leadership, and to support the 2009-2010 corps members who have devoted a year of their lives to serve the Washington, DC community.

Guests enjoyed a night of networking, reuniting with old City Year friends, live music, food, drinks, and great raffle prizes. Raffle prizes included a $100 gift card to Smith & Wollensky, a digital camera, and many other sought after gift baskets valued at over $100 each! The event raised nearly $2,000 for City Year Washington, DC. By the end of the night, the City Year Alumni Association of Washington, DC raised critical funds to assist City Year's continued growth. We'd like to thank all of our attendees and especially the alumni who helped make the event a success. We hope you'll come out to the Alumni & Friends Fundraiser next year!

Students and City Year Enjoyed a Community Night as the Wizards Took On the Golden State Warriors

The Wizards defeated the Warriors 112 t 94 on Tuesday, April 6.

On Tuesday, April 6, City Year corps members, staff, and students showed their community spirit by attending the Washington Wizards game as they took on the Golden State Warriors at the Verizon Center. Corps members received a warm welcome from the crowd when they were shown on the jumbotron!

The Wizards generously donated tickets for lower level seats behind the hoop. This donation made it possible to raffle off 30 tickets to students who attended Camp City Year the week prior to the game. City Year's presence was felt with over 100 corps members, staff, Young Heroes, and students and their families in attendance. It was an exciting night for everyone at the Verizon Center as City Year enjoyed watching the Wizards defeat the Golden State Warriors 112 to 94. City Year hopes to continue this partnership with the Wizards for years to come!

Have Breakfast with City Year Washington, DC Corps Members

Corps members get excited about service by doing a spirit break.

Wednesday, May 5 from 8:30am to 9:30am is the last opportunity to attend a Breakfast of Champions Open House at City Year Washington, DC Headquarters (1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1130). Community members, potential champions, service partners, and other individuals interested in City Year are invited to come enjoy breakfast while learning about City Year, our mission, and our work.

In just one powerful hour guests can take a tour of the City Year Washington, DC Headquarters, experience City Year's high-energy physical training, participate in a roundtable discussion with current corps members, and talk with corps members about their experiences. Please contact corps member Katie Whitehouse for more information or to RSVP.