Apply Now, Space Limited -- cyMentors

Did you miss it last year? You're not even sure, right? Did you hear about the new pioneers who are building something that Philadelphia will soon be passing throughout the country: cyMentor. Similar to the iMentor program that stated in NYC, cyMentor is going to be that big thanks to great alumni. 

The cyMentor pilot was a huge success at Mastery-Shoemaker this year. There were 64 alumni mentors who were matched with 10th graders at Mastery in 2011-2012.  The student mentees and alumni mentors have both given positive reviews and enjoyed their experience with the first year of the program. We are gearing up for the 2012-2013 school year with and looking to recruit more alumni to serve as mentors to the next cohort of sophomores.  The commitment is perfect for City Year alums – just one weekly email about a topic provided by City Year and one monthly face-to-face event in the evening at Mastery.  Click here for more information and visit the cyMentor platform start an online application today. Feel free to email cymentor@cityyear.org with any questions!

 

cyMentor aims to help more urban youth graduate from high school, college and career ready. The program pairs adult mentors with 10th grade mentees based on shared career and personal interests. In most cases, those pairs stay together all the way through high school graduation. A City Year staff member is dedicated to helping mentors and their mentees build successful relationships and provides each pair with ongoing support and guidance.

CYGP Grows

City Year recently received an increase in AmeriCorps slots and our Philadelphia site will be growing to have 25 additional corps members! 

We are actively recruiting to fill these positions ASAP. If you have a like-minded friend who would make a great corps member, have them call our Recruitment Director, Joe Staszak, at 267-386-7032 to start the application process today!

21st Century Classroom (Open Colleges)

CEO Michael Brown and David Einhorn Celebrate David's Donation to City Year with CNBC

July Highlight  --  Einhorn: High Stakes for Education (CNBC)  Check out Squawk Box on CNBC to see an exclusive interview with City Year CEO Michael Brown and David Einhorn about the World Series of Poker tournament where David won $4.4M for City Year!

In Philly, high school students learn by doing (CNN)

In case you missed this coverage last month, one high school teacher in Philadelphia is really testing, changing and revolutionizing student's lives and the education system. Simon Hauger is worth checking out.

Some call Philadelphia educator Simon Hauger a “revolutionary teacher,” but his students say he’s just “a really, cool guy.” He’s an engineer turned public high school teacher who is inspiring kids to stay in school by offering an innovative approach to learning. “Students need to be engaged in solving real life problems. What we discovered was that when kids are trusted to make real decisions, a ton of learning occurs,” says Hauger, who is 42. 

Hauger’s passion was fueled by the highly successful "Hybrid X Team" he formed at West Philadelphia High School thirteen years ago. In this after-school program, inner-city students built hybrid, bio-diesel and electric cars that have won multiple national competitions, beating out cars from prestigious universities like MIT.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is a huge fan of the hybrid team and Hauger. “It gives these young people not only the academic support that they need, but also the hands on experience, which keeps them interested in school,” says Nutter, who took one of the hybrids for a test drive. The team’s most recent accomplishment, an EVX GT sports car for the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, earned the group an invitation to the White House.

Fueled by the success of the Hybrid X team, Hauger co-founded The Sustainability Workshop, a full-day program comprised of 27 seniors from three Philadelphia inner-city high schools. The school follows the “project based learning” model, where days are organized around projects instead of class lectures. Students build electric go-karts, solar charging stations, and design energy-efficiency business plans. Hauger says the kids are more engaged, so they learn deeply and retain knowledge longer. One 18-year old student, Stefon Gonzalez, says having options when he graduates is the best part of the Workshop program.

“I now have a wallet full of business cards," he said. "This summer, I’ll be interning for SEPTA, which is the local public transportation company in Philadelphia. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for Mr. Hauger."

Read the complete story here.

Don't Forget, Keep Education A Major Focus In The Upcoming Campaigns

Empty school desks installation at National Mall symbolize dropout rates

June 20, 2012
AP reports: An installation of 857 empty school desks, representing the number of students nationwide who are dropping out every hour of every school day, was on display at the National Mall on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 in Washington, DC. The installation was presented by not-for-profit organization College Board to call upon presidential candidates who are running for the White House to make education a more prominent issue in the 2012 campaigns and put the nation's schools back on track.

Drexel - New give a year Partner

Announcing our Newest give a year Partners: Drexel University (graduate); Eastern Michigan University (undergrad & graduate); The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School; Wesleyan University Graduate Liberal Studies

City Year highlighted in People Magazine

Aaron Clark Beat the Odds, Now Helps Other Kids Succeed 

City Year Los Angeles corps member, Aaron Clark, was featured in People's Heroes Among Us. Click here to read the article on People Online.