Day 5: Education Equity

Today’s entry was written by City Year, one of our Equity Challenge Community Group Partner Organizations.  To learn more about Education Equity and Financial Literacy in Southeastern Michigan, check out last year’s challenge day 14 on increasing book access in our region.

City Year: Allies in the Advancement for Education Equity!  The energy and idealism of young people are two of the most powerful and transformative forces at work in the world today. From advancing social justice in the United States, to youth-led movements around the world, the dedication of young people is driving force major change. At City Year, we’re committed to tapping this power to help create more equitable access to education opportunities for students in systemically under-resourced schools. In the process, we’re striving to help foster a generation of empowered, experienced, effective and idealistic leaders.

At City Year Detroit, we have built the foundation of our service to students and our communities on the Belief in the Power of Young People – one of the 10 values our national education nonprofit organization and local site use to guide and encourage our work and services to those around us.

As we navigate the challenging progression in the advancement of education equity, City Year is an ally to 29 cities across our country, partnering with 51 school districts and around 350 schools nationwide. Here in the great city of Detroit, we have the privilege and opportunity to partner with Detroit Public Schools Community District to support seven DPSCD school communities.

City Year Detroit services includes a team of 18 to 25-year-old service members (volunteers through AmeriCorps) that are deployed to our seven school partners for 10 months to support 3^rd-9^th grade students with academics, social-emotional learning, and near-peer mentorship or coaching. Our volunteers are called Student Success Coaches and work closely with a group of 10-15 students for small group tutoring and academic intervention work to support students one to five grade levels behind.

It is through our value, Belief in the Power of Young People, that we guide our service approaches as our Student Success Coaches and Site’s Impact Service team partner, collaborate and support our school communities as they create safe spaces of learning and continue the work to transition into enriching and nurturing our students in the advancement of education equity.

Learn more about City Year and equity education work in today’s resources.

Reflect And Share

1. What did you learn from today’s challenge?
2. What about City Year’s work or approach to education most connects with you?
3. What do you still want to learn about City Year or education equity?