Today’s youth face an opportunity divide – a gap between those who have access to the skills and training they need to be successful, and those who do not. With more than 75 million unemployed youth around the world, we must work together to close this divide in order to secure the future of our youth, and of our global economy.
Microsoft YouthSpark, a global initiative to create opportunities for millions of youth, partners with City Year Chicago to help empower our neighbors and our children. We are honored to welcome City Year to the Microsoft Chicago blog for a monthly series which will focus on our partnership with the city of Chicago. ~Shelley Stern Grach
It was the early 2000’s and I was in my pre-teens when I was first introduced to khakis, red jackets, and paint! I served my first year as a City Year Young Hero in 2001 in Washington, DC. Following my first year, I returned and served every Saturday of my school year for two more years as a Young Hero. Young Hero was a City Year program that provided service learning projects for students at partnering City Year schools every Saturday. I immediately fell in love—not only with service, but with the people and the culture of City Year. From then on, I knew that whatever career path I chose there would always be an aspect of service involved. After graduating from college in 2011 with a BA in Psychology, I returned to DC to work as a case manager for an international non-profit organization. I loved it! It was fulfilling… it was life-changing; I was meeting new people and learning something new daily. But something was missing—it was young people. I decided it was time to make a drastic change! I began doing research on organizations with a focus on young people and service. Then, like the sun on a rainy day, there it was: City Year! A full circle experience, I was now going to serve young people like I once was, and in doing that I came to know, love and understand City Year in a way I never expected!
Let me tell you a little about the program…
What is City Year?
This is usually the most-asked question of a City Year AmeriCorps member. Most of the time, it’s asked by family and friends, or people who see us commuting in our City Year red jackets.
On paper, City Year is a non-profit organization whose goal is to reduce the number of high school dropouts coming from inner city schools by utilizing AmeriCorps members, aged 17-24, to tutor and mentor students across the country. Our goal is to empower, encourage and engage the students we serve.
But at its core, City Year is so much more. We are a team, a family.
Last year I moved from Washington, D.C. for City Year, and what I found when I got to Chicago was much more than I expected – I came in alone and completed my first year with a host of new family and friends.
Now I am proud to serve a second year as a Team Leader on the Microsoft Team at John Hope, providing direct support to those whose shoes I was recently in, while furthering my own leadership and management skills.
How Do We Operate?
Everything in City Year is done as a team. We are firm believers in service to a cause greater than oneself, and we rely on each other to reach the goals we have for our students and ourselves. Our school-based teams service classrooms by providing support in mentoring, programming and overall academic improvement.
Corps members have the opportunity to partner with teachers in their classroom, and strengthen that partnership throughout the year by providing additional support to students who need it. We work with students 1-on-1 or in small groups through targeted interventions in course performance, attendance, and behavior.
What Support Do We Get?
We are lucky to have partners outside of City Year that enable us to do the work we do. This is our third year having Microsoft as the team sponsor of John Hope. Aside from a major financial contribution they are always thinking creatively about how to plug into our mission and have a lasting impact on our work. Whether it’s an invitation to the team to visit their office, linking us up with their other partners like Hour of Code, or providing each member of the team a brand new Microsoft Surface, the story is always the same — Microsoft is invested in positive change just like City Year.
Dr. Martin Luther King said “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve,” pointing out that all you need to serve others is “a soul generated by love.”
People that serve others know this well. While the work is difficult, it goes deeper than being ‘just a job.’ Programs like City Year, and partners like Microsoft, celebrate that fact and apply it to everyday.
Today I challenge you to find some way to serve your community, to give back to others. You can visit your local homeless or animal shelter, volunteer at a library or hospital; write letters to soldiers fight for our country. You could even join City Year, here in Chicago or anywhere in the country for a day of service. The possibilities are endless.
To learn more about Microsoft’s commitment to youth and education, visit our YouthSpark Hub or follow us on twitter at @msftcitizenship.