City Year's shared items in Google Reader

Obama, Bush Salute Public Service - Wall Street Journal (blog)

2009-10-17T12:11:15-07:00

Obama, Bush Salute Public Service
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Last year, applications to City Year tripled, and the Peace Corps had three applicants for every position. americcorps applications were up 400% in just the ...

and more »

Waterville School Gets Extreme Makeover - WCSH-TV

2009-08-13T16:03:46-07:00

Waterville School Gets Extreme Makeover
WCSH-TV
150 Employees from T-Mobile's call center and members of the non-profit organization, City Year descened on the Albert S. Hall school Thursday morning. ...

Report: More DC High School Students Drop Out Than Graduate - News Channel 8

2009-06-09T14:28:15-07:00

Report: More DC High School Students Drop Out Than Graduate
News Channel 8, DC
Speaking to a room of educators at a conference for the non-profit City Year, Rhee said DC schools face tremendous challenged with a graduation rate of 48%. "At the same time we have to have the same standards with Montgomery and Fairfax Counties. ...

City Year volunteers help Exeter High students spruce up the ...

2009-05-22T04:00:00-07:00

EXETER — The courtyard at Exeter High School will soon have new planter benches thanks to a project involving an EHS human studies class and City Year New Hampshire's Civic Engagement Team. The project kicked off on Thursday, May 14, ...

City Year's Serve-a-thon: Full Circle (a testimonial) - Neighbors ...

2009-05-18T07:23:48-07:00

Serve-a-thon is City Year Boston's premiere fundraising and physical service event. Happening on May 30th this year, we will engage 1500 volunteers in one day of powerful and transformative physical service. Below is a Serve-a-thon ...

AmeriCorps Week: Diverse Approaches Strengthen Team Work « The New ...

2009-05-12T13:51:23-07:00

City Year was intense in three significant ways – incredibly long hours, a somewhat consuming organizational culture (uniforms, chants, lots of internal lingo), and the fact that we worked in a truly diverse environment – more diverse ...

On a beautiful day, Wesleyan sends forth another class of graduates - Macon Telegraph

2009-05-09T22:02:41-07:00

On a beautiful day, Wesleyan sends forth another class of graduates
Macon Telegraph, GA
“I have applied for City Year in Washington, DC, which is an internship in public service such as the Peace Corps.” With her degree in international relations, she plans a career either in civil service or human services. Violet and Ray Guy, ...

After term with AmeriCorps, Middletown resident considering ... - Frederick News Post (subscription)

2009-05-08T23:06:07-07:00

After term with AmeriCorps, Middletown resident considering ...
Frederick News Post (subscription), MD
Holda has also applied to join the City Year program to serve as a tutor and mentor to students and help with after-school programs. He said he would encourage anyone interested in serving their country to look into joining AmeriCorps. ...

IN TIME OF RISING NEED, CITY SAYS: VOLUNTEER - CityLimits.org

2009-05-04T19:59:16-07:00

IN TIME OF RISING NEED, CITY SAYS: VOLUNTEER
CityLimits.org
"AmeriCorps national service participants, who serve full- or part-time for a year or work full-time for a summer, can ... help charities fill in the food gaps for hungry Americans," Berg said in a statement. "Such efforts achieve concrete, ...

I Heart New York: Mayor Michael Bloomberg launches city-wide initiative to make service a part of K-12 public school education

2009-04-24T10:58:16-07:00

April 24, 2009 - A sustained culture of service can be created by developing programs that encourage young New Yorkers to think about volunteering as a core part of their lives. As part of the recently launched NYC Service, starting this fall, New York City will be the first large urban district to require all schools to have a service plan. In the fall, schools will submit individualized service plans as part of their schools' Consolidated Plans. Other school districts promote or require service among middle or high school students. In New York City, all 1.1 million students in 1,500 schools will have access to service and civic engagement programs.

Through a partnership with Children for Children, up to 100 AmeriCorps fellows will be deployed to provide training, technical assistance, data collection, and support to New York City educators to introduce or increase service in their schools. Other partners will include City Year, Common Cents, The League, and Global Kids, Inc.

New York will implement a Summer of Service through which 1,000 young New Yorkers participating in the Summer Youth Employment Program administered by the Department of Youth and Community Development will be engaged in large-scale service projects that will have a measurable impact on the City's most pressing needs.

Learn more about this exciting effort to engage more young people in service-learning. Visit NYC Service online.

Serve-a-thon 2009 - Full Circle

2009-04-28T13:32:56-07:00

Serve-a-thon is City Year Boston’s premiere fundraising and physical service event. Happening on May 30th this year, we will engage 1500 volunteers in one day of powerful and transformative physical service.

Below is a Serve-a-thon testimonial from service leader Cory Lowe, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah. Cory is currently completing his second year in City Year leading a team of corps members on the MFS Investment Management® team serving at the Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester, MA.

For more information about Serve-a-thon, please visit our website at www.cityyear.org/bostonserveathon, email us at serveathonboston@cityyear.org or call us at 617-927-2466.

If you are a current CONFIRMED corps member for the 2009-2010 City Year Boston corps, please email jboykins08@cityyear.org (that's oh-eight) for more information on how you can get involved in the day, serving on a team with other confirmed corps members.

“Full Circle”
By Cory Lowe

I grew up in a very religious community just outside of Salt Lake City. From a very early age I learned the importance and the joy of community service. My family expected me to serve a full-time two year religious mission when I turned 19, but shortly after my nineteenth birthday, I decided this wasn't the path I wanted to follow. However, I knew that I wanted to pursue national service and immediately began looking for other service opportunities. I found City Year and thought it was the perfect chance for me to take part in something bigger than myself.

When I arrived at City Year, I was placed on the Young Heroes Team, which provides a Saturday service program for middle school students. The Young Heroes program had a large part to do with my decision to do another City Year. It wasn't until the last month of my service during Serve-a-thon that I truly understood my decision.

For Serve-a-thon 2008, I led a group of volunteers in refurbishing a community garden that was very heavily used by the local community but was in disrepair. My fellow City Year Corps Members and I served alongside community members from the area. It was quickly evident that the community members were heavily invested in improving this garden because it was an important asset to their community. It was hot, but we all sweated and toiled as if we were working in our own backyards. And for many of the community members, this was their backyard.

As we finished up, a young lady announced to all the volunteers that City Year had not only transformed this garden but had an impact on the community and her son, who served as a Young Hero this past year. This was a middle school student who had participated in the workshops and discussions I had helped plan and facilitate. This was a student, I then realized, that my work had had a direct impact on.

I looked around at the garden we had worked on so hard that day. It all came full circle for me and I realized that City Year doesn't just impact me or the Heroes that I mentor, but it does what Robert Kennedy refers to as a ripple. Through serving together you begin to break down stereotypes and barriers. You treat each person as if they were your brother or sister, you care for their gardens as if it was your own, you give a little of yourself for the good of everyone. That day, I felt how City Year has a positive effect on every person it touches.

Each time a person stands up for an ideal,
or acts to improve the lot of others…
he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,
and crossing each other from a million different centers
of energy and daring,
those ripples build a current
that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
Robert F. Kennedy (1925 - 1968)

“The Moment” For Service

2009-04-24T09:14:04-07:00

Richard Stengel, Managing Editor of Time Magazine and long time supporter of service and ServiceNation has written another great take on service, titled “The Moment,” in this week’s TIME magazine. “The Moment” nicely captures the moving and inspiring scene at the SEED school in Washington, DC as President Obama signed the historic Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (video, transcripts, etc., related to the sigining here). One of Stengel’s key points is well worth keeping in mind as we move forward from the signing:

The bill authorizes $5.7 billion for national service over the next five years, which can jump-start a range of programs to help schools, health care and the environment. But as everyone claps one another on the back, that clichéd newspaper headline looms: NOW FOR THE HARD PART. Ideas are easy, especially high-minded ones; execution is tough.

Stengel is spot on again. We all need to step up and make sure that the service called for in the Serve America Act is meaningful and makes a real difference. And if is, then we can keep building a culture of service and impact as we work together to build better communities and a better future.

Stengel always has a good take. Here are some other articles he has written about service:

What We Can Do

A Time To Serve

New Video Series: Volunteer Nation

2009-04-23T10:08:47-07:00

Ben Hess and Dan Janos are the co-creators of Volunteer Nation, Stories of Service, a new video series that celebrates the passion of people making the decision to look outward, seeing things that need to be done, and taking action through service, volunteerism and civic engagement. Throughout the production they have met extraordinary people with powerful stories of community and service. Find out more about the project here and about how to get involved.

Watch the trailer below and listen to the stories of volunteers firefighter Vaka, docent Cate, and New Orleans reconstruction builder Adam. Their work to make America a better and safer place is truly inspiring, and a great example of how everyone can make a difference. We are in a new era of service in America, and Volunteer Nation is doing a great job documenting it. So stay tuned…

Volunteer Nation - Season One Trailer from Volunteer Nation on Vimeo.

In MTV Style, Mayor Urges New Yorkers to Get Out and Volunteer - New York Times

2009-04-20T23:00:06-07:00

New York Times

In MTV Style, Mayor Urges New Yorkers to Get Out and Volunteer
New York Times, United States
The announcement came on the eve of Mr. Obama's signing of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act,which over five years will more than triple the size of AmeriCorps, the nation's civilian service force. The legislation would mobilize volunteers to ...
City Moves to Encourage Volunteerism New York Times Blogs
all 2 news articles

Miley Cyrus, Service Supporter!

2009-04-09T11:27:19-07:00

Global Youth Service Day is just around the corner - the weekend of April 24-26. And Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana, but only when she’s blond) wants you to get involved! Youth Service America is asking young people to organize projects in their communities that highlight their contribution and their service. But GYSD isn’t just limited to the 50 states - over 100 countries are participating! In Tajikistan, secondary students are teaching water sanitation practices; in Arizona, young people will be painting murals to raise awareness about health issues. The depth and breadth of the projects are fantastic!

Find an event near you, or create your own event, here.
Don’t forget to join the GYSD Facebook event, either!

And here’s Miley herself, asking you to serve:

Find more videos like this on Global Youth Service Day

Weighing the Options: How the Increase in American Volunteer ... - UNH The New Hampshire (subscription)

2009-04-09T21:48:46-07:00

Weighing the Options: How the Increase in American Volunteer ...
UNH The New Hampshire (subscription), NH
According to New Hampshire's City Year recruiter Ted Wing, 18 City Year sites across the country have seen a 300 percent increase in applications compared to last year. "Obama has definitely inspired young people to volunteer either on the local or ...

Finding a Public-Service Job - Wall Street Journal

2009-04-07T21:02:01-07:00

Finding a Public-Service Job
Wall Street Journal
Amy Potthast, director of service and graduate education programs for idealist.org, a Web site that posts public-service and nonprofit opportunities, suggests your son look into AmeriCorps (americorps.gov), which pays workers in public-service jobs a ...

Resume Tips: Listing Service Experience

2009-04-09T07:26:25-07:00

Crafting a resume can be a tricky process, and a lot of people are unsure about how to professionally incorporate their national and international service experiences in a way that employers take seriously. Here are a few tips from Amy Potthast, in her article on The New Service. (Read the full article here.)

Tip #1: Include both your title and/or role within the organization along with the name of your service corps program.

Ex: Volunteer Coordinator-AmeriCorps Member

In the first bullet point include a brief explanation of your program.

Ex: Committed to 1700 hours of full time service with a national corps of conservation volunteers who focused on resource conservation and education.

Tip #2:

In your cover letter or grad school essay include a brief description of your service. Only focus on the skills that the position is asking for or what can be used once you were hired.

Always make sure you tailor the skills - and your resumé in general - you’re discussing with the position you’re applying for. You don’t have to list everything for every opportunity. If you’re applying for a communications-based job, be sure to put skills applicable for that. But if you’re applying for a different, technical job, you’ll want to switch out some of the information. It’s also always good to be concrete - show how your work has created measurable impact! Numbers and statistics (for example, “Ran a mentoring program that reached over 400 young girls” is far stronger than “Ran a girls’ mentoring program”) are often useful.

Along with the New Service Blog, Amy is the main contact for the Service Program and Career Podcast Show at Idealist.org. Check out some of her podcasts here.

Kadeesha signed her letter of acceptance...Have you?

2009-04-07T12:22:11-07:00

Kadeesha Williams, a current corps member on the NY Civic engagement team, signed her letter of acceptance today in the office. She will serve on the Civic Engagement team as a Service Leader next year. Congrats Kadeesha!

Were you invited to serve in New York next year? Are you still waiting to return your signed letter? Better hurry! Our slots for next year's corps are filling up quickly. Fax/mail/scan/hand deliver your letter to Brie O'Malley and her admissions team ASAP before your slot is filled by someone else.

Sign it here in the office and you get to hit the "easy" button.

Webchats to Help Prepare for AmeriCorps Week 2009

2009-04-06T11:18:52-07:00

AmeriCorps Week organizers invite the AmeriCorps community to participate in a series of webinars to answer your questions and give you the tools to make AmeriCorps Week 2009 successful.

Participation is free, but you must register separately for each conversation and download the WebEx application (for free) in order to participate.

Each with its own theme, five “web chats” — conference calls that also involve following an online presentation — will take place at the following dates and times.

“AmeriCorps Week 2009 (overview).” April 8th, 2009. 3 to 4 pm EST. Register.

Learn what’s in store for AmeriCorps Week and the important role you can play.

“Planning and Promoting Your AmeriCorps Week Projects.” April 15th, 2009. 3 to 4 pm EST. Register.

Discover tools available to help plan and promote your event and gain knowledge from experienced project planners.

“Winning Videos and Photos…Now is the Time.” April 22nd, 2009. 3 to 4 pm EST. Register.

Find out more about the Video Contest and the new addition of a Photo Contest, other new features, celebrity judges and fantastic prizes.

“AmeriCorps Week Media…for the Masses.” April 29th, 2009. 3 to 4 pm EST. Register.

Launch your event into the public eye! Learn how to get the most media attention you can.

“Final Preparations — The Best AmeriCorps Week Yet!” May 6th, 2009. 3 to 4 pm EST. Register.

Last minute helpful tips to make your event even more successful.

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Posted in corps members, For Service Corps Staff, Opportunities, Resources Tagged: AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Week, AmeriCorps*NCCC, AmeriCorps*VISTA, national service