WHAT'S NEW

The Washington Post Highlights City Year Washington, DC

On Thursday, June 18, the front page of The Washington Post's District section displayed a large color photograph of City Year corps member Anthony Buenafe shaking hands with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Accompanying the photo was an article describing City Year's work in DC schools and the difference corps members are making in the lives of students. The article specifically highlights Anthony's impact on one of his students, Keith. CLICK HERE to read the full article.

HIGHLIGHTS

Councilmember Jim Graham Congratulates the City Year Washington, DC Class of 2009!

On June 19, City Year Washington, DC's corps members marked the end of their "City Year" by officially graduating from the program. After 10 months of service, corps members served more than 1,700 hours each - a total of more than 130,000 hours of service to the DC community. This year, corps members served as tutors, mentors, and role models to more than 1,500 children, led more than 100 Young Heroes and 45 City Heroes in our middle school and high school service-learning programs, taught nearly 3,400 high school students how to make safer and smarter choices to avoid HIV and AIDS, and engaged 1,470 volunteers in 14 community improvement projects to renovate schools, playgrounds, parks, and community centers.

The 2008-2009 City Year Washington, DC Corps

More than 200 family members, friends, service partners, board members, and community champions attended the celebration at the Academy for Educational Development's Conference Center just north of Dupont Circle. Special congratulations are in order for Turner at Green Elementary School for being named Best Service Partner and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for earning the honor of Best Team Sponsor. In addition, WilmerHale awarded the WilmerHale Civic Innovation Award to a deserving senior corps member, Kate Ortenzi, for her innovative work designing and implementing the "Gardens Growing Learners" curriculum at four DC schools. The curriculum was designed to teach students about the environment and sustainability through hands-on lessons that included building a garden, planting vegetables, and taking care of the growing garden. In addition to the WilmerHale Award, Comcast awarded corps member Erin Connell the Comcast Leadership Award for her outstanding work and leadership. Corps member Lorenzo Francis delivered a reflective corps member address and AED's Vice President and Director of the Center for Youth Development Dr. Andrew Schneider-Munoz gave the corps members thoughtful advice and inspirational guidance. And finally, DC Councilmember Jim Graham thanked the corps members for their service on behalf of all DC residents. Councilmember Graham was then presented with City Year's highest honor: his very own City Year red jacket!

Special thanks to AED for generously donating the conference space for the ceremony and congratulations to all of the 2008-2009 City Year Washington, DC graduates!

City Year’s Celebration of Service Makes a Big Impact

Volunteers paint an ocean mural on the pool house at Barry Farms Recreation Center.

As a capstone to the year, City Year, in partnership with Corporate Executive Board, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, and DC Housing Authority, hosted a large-scale service event at Barry Farms Recreation Center in Southeast Washington, DC. More than 250 volunteers from Corporate Executive Board and the greater Washington, DC community came together on Saturday, June 13 for a morning of transformative service. Volunteers painted murals, built benches, and constructed and planted gardens at Barry Farms Recreation Center and the surrounding area. The project was just one of more than 50 beautification projects hosted at DC recreation centers during DC Department of Parks and Recreation's first annual Beautification Day. The service day also marked the end of City Year Washington, DC's 2008-2009 service year. Special thanks to Corporate Executive Board, ServiceCorps, DC Department of Parks and Recreation, and DC Housing Authority for their help and support of the service project.

City Year Leaders Gather to Address the Dropout Crisis

On June 9, City Year held a National Leadership Summit right here in our Nation's Capital. Each of the 18 City Year sites across the country sent delegations to DC to attend a day full of panels, presentations, and discussions about the droupout crisis in America and how City Year's In School & On Track efforts can make positive changes across the country. Many high-profile City Year Champions attended the Summit, including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Presidential Advisor and Professor David Gergen, NewsHour Senior Correspondent Judy Woodruff, Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and Chair of America's Promise Alliance Alma Powell.

DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee addresses City Year's National Leadership Summit attendees.

The day began with a luncheon at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center. During the luncheon, City Year CEO and Co-Founder Michael Brown framed the day's discussions by presenting "In School & On Track," City Year's strategy to help curb the dropout crisis in America. The highlight of the summit for City Year Washington, DC was when, after Michael Brown's presentation, a delegation from Washington, DC took the stage: Mayor Adrian Fenty, DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, President and Founding Partner of Global Environment Fund Dr. Jeffrey Leonard, and City Year Washington, DC Executive Director Jeff Franco. Mayor Fenty expressed his faith and support in Michelle Rhee and City Year in improving DC schools, and Chancellor Michelle Rhee articulated how happy she is with City Year's performance in DC schools this year, noting "I thought [City Year] was a great idea, but quite frankly I did not know how well it would work. And I will tell you that this year, in our first year of implementation, we could not be happier with the results that we have seen." In addition, she said "And most importantly, whenever I go into one of those schools, the principal, the teachers and the parents cannot say enough about the impact that the corps members and the program are having every day." Following their testimonies, Dr. Jeffrey Leonard took the microphone and announced that he and his wife, Carolyn, will be supporting City Year Washington, DC's five-year growth efforts with a personal donation of $1 million dollars. City Year Washington, DC couldn't be more proud of the work we are doing in schools and the amazing supporters we have in both the public and private sectors!

CLICK HERE to read more about City Year's National Leadership Summit.

Your Help Needed: Corporate Executive Board and ServiceCorps partner with City Year on Brand Project

City Year Washington, DC is partnering with Corporate Executive Board (CEB) and ServiceCorps for a pro-bono project focused on increasing City Year's brand awareness in Washington, DC. The ServiceCorps program at CEB provides opportunities for employees to give back to the community through service events and special projects. In the past, ServiceCorps has partnered with City Year Washington, DC for various physical service projects and we are excited to be working with them on this pro-bono brand awareness project.

Focused on increasing City Year brand awareness, the ServiceCorps and CEB pro-bono team will provide City Year Washington, DC with a plan for marketing City Year to untapped audiences in the DC area. As part of the research, we ask you to participate in a short seven-question survey that will help us develop a strategic brand campaign. CLICK HERE to participate.

IN THE NEWS

City Year Idealists of the Year Featured in National Journal

CTIA's Brian Josef poses with City Year corps members after recieveing his  Idealist of the Year award.

The June 6 issue of National Journal included a full-page ad featuring City Year Washington, DC's 2009 Idealists of the Year. The Idealists of the Year were honored at City Year Washington, DC's May 14th Idealism in Action Gala for their service to others and to the Washington, DC community. If you missed it, CLICK HERE to view the ad now. Thank you, National Journal, for making this recognition of the 2009 Idealists of the Year possible.