Support the Banner Starfish Award Fundraising Drive!

Please support our efforts over the next two weeks as we close in on our fundraising goal for the Banner Starfish Award. This award is given to a graduating corps member each year and any donation amount that you can pledge is sincerely appreciated (donations may start as low as $5)!

Please visit our website to donate now before June 14, 2011. Our website can be found here: Banner Starfish Award Fundraising Drive.

To learn what our past recipients, Julia Hall (2010) and Pearl Jonas (2009) are up to now, read our alumni highlight stories on our blog.

The 2011 Banner Starfish Award will be presented at the City Year Graduation on June 14, 2011 at the Gershwin Y, located at Broad and Pine Street.  We invite you to attend and be a part of this great event!

Grills & Games

Alongside some of our more professional venues and events coming up this Spring, 2011 also includes a BBQ at the end of April on Saturday, April 30^th.

We are excited to invite you to a day of grilling and games with fellow alumni and their families and friends.

We will have an assortment of light food and refreshments and welcome additions you would like to add to the grills or snacks.

A donation is welcomed of $3 if you will be eating the food we will be providing.

Please RSVP by Friday, April 15.

Looking forward to seeing you,

The Philadelphia Alumni Board

Recap

Who: You, family and friends (unlimited)

What: Spring BBQ

When: Saturday, April 30^th

Raindate: Sunday, May 1

Where: TBA

Alumnus Joey Plum Excels as KIPP Teacher

Congratulations to City Year Greater Philadelphia Alumnus Joey Plum! 

Joey served in Philadelphia with the '04 and '05 corps; he led many developments within the Youth Corps and Young Heroes program. 

Today he is recognized as a winner of the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award by KIPP.

Joey is a Math teacher in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and recognized for his outstanding standards for himself and his students.

Alumni Spotlight - Down To Specifics With Artist Julia Hall

Julia Hall
Professional Artist
Team Leader of City Year Greater Philadelphia Youth Corps
Joe Banner Starfish Award Winner

By Reneé Di Pietro

Vine swinging monsters. Light house halos. A hungry caterpillar. Where the Wild Things Are? Julia Hall will show you.

She arms herself for life by seeking out as many different perspectives as possible, and surrounding herself with diversity in all its forms. Being a native of South Jersey and New York City, Julia grew up spending her weekends in museums. After she attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and graduated as a painting major, she has had her art work featured in numerous galleries, museums and universities. Julia also has had opportunities to work under premier sculptors, antique restorers, painters, and woodworkers, which is a profession her father shares.

“The hands-on approach helps one master artistic skills,” she says.

So how did this artist end up at City Year for a second year of service? Julia is currently the team leader for the Young Heroes Youth Corps.

“I decided to serve two years because I wanted to give back to the city of Philadelphia, which has been my home off and on for about eight years,” she says.

Julia originally arrived in Philadelphia for schooling but also chose the city because she was inspired by William Penn and his ideals, founding the city on equalities, liberties, green spaces and a political utopia setting that guaranteed free and fair trials.

“I went to Quaker school as a child,” she says. “I grew up hearing a lot of the City Year founding stories.” Her favorite is the story of The Traveler.

“It’s an interesting play on perspective and how you get what you expect [out of life].”

For the past two years Julia has been focusing on her students’ expectations for themselves and using unique methods to challenge and support them—specializing each method for each student. She believes that every person needs specific tools to build the life that he or she envisions. Therefore when Julia walked into Jay Cooke Elementary School in North Philadelphia last year, she immediately focused on finding out about each of her students’ desired career paths. She wanted to make sure that by the end of the year, these students could have the tools that they would need to walk these paths.

“Two of the largest hurdles to overcome last year were the absent of a school art program and changing students’ perceptions of themselves, their self worth and potential,” Julia says.

She went to work at once and asked all her sixth grade students where they wanted to attend high school. Many responded the neighborhood school, Olney High School. Other students did not know where and had never thought of other options. Over Thanksgiving break, Julia spent her free time researching every high school option possible for the students and diagrammed out a summary sheet for each school including its academic requirements, its strengths, its special programs and focuses. She shared this information back with the undecided students and next asked about what career paths interested them. Armed with a new list to research, she again diagrammed each of these careers, what they are, what their life paths look like, and what is it now that these students could be doing to prepare themselves for these careers.

“I took my students out of the classroom for one on one time to work on clarifying their ambitions. I explained that the more one prepares, the more attainable everything becomes,” she says. “I would give them customized step-by-step goal sheets outlining what they needed to do and where they needed to do it to reach the top. If a student said they wanted to be a doctor, I would ask, ‘What kind of doctor?’”

Specificity. Julia continues today to support students to specifically see what their futures can hold for them, particularly with one of her students from last year. She knows she has reached him, especially in focusing on his future.

“He is one of my students that I have formed one of my strongest bonds with. We have a pact that I will continue pestering him until he graduates from Yale, or MIT or Harvard.” she says. “This pact is the thing I will carry with me after I am done serving this year, and something I take very seriously. I plan to help him get scholarships and to do my best to nurture his dreams.”

“The students I work with deserve people to stay in their lives, even when things get tough,” she notes. “My main goal in life now is to continue helping kids to realize that they are special, and that they hold all the tools they need to achieve great things in the future.” Julia understands that she is working on a micro level but believes her actions are combining with other little pushes towards something bigger – “my students’ futures.”

For another part of her service last year, Julia worked with students and community members to create murals for outside of their school. For the initiate phase of the project, she sought out community involvement and ideas. She asked neighbors about their perspectives on art and how they viewed the neighborhood. The community loved being asked and welcomed Julia’s lively, colorful murals. They have thanked her for brightening up the neighborhood and for caring as she does.

“The Logan community has touched my heart, and the talent of its citizens has been driving force in everything I did last year,” Julia says.

Julia’s vision is that the Logan community becomes a “Mecca for artistic and scientific thought.” She hopes this area of the city will stand as an example of successful public education one day.

“This goal can only be achieved if the young people of this community believe in themselves and are exposed to the tools they need to put their goals into action,” she says. Making it evident as to why Julia starts with her students’ career paths first.

“She has an uncommon drive to help people,” says Chrissy Leggio, a close friend to Julia and current artist and graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania. “She is kind and helpful, always with deep sincerity.”

“I love helping students forge their own paths the same way that others helped me to build my own,” Julia says.  “My life plan has changed because of my time with City Year. I am now more interested in artistic mediums that reach a larger public audience as opposed to a select group of viewers. I am interested in creating more murals, public art projects, and also a children’s book series.”

Her mural art project ideas are not only for local eyes. Julia envisions a mural project yet to be done that spans from ocean to ocean of the country. “It would be a common thread to follow on a road trip that revealed or focused on some part of our history,” she says as she is still playing with the idea.

Today, Julia is looking forward to the current projects she is doing with her students through the Young Heroes program.

“The best part about my week is the student alumni program we run after school called Stop Motion. The kids are making art projects and working on scripts for their projects,” she says.

Julia explains how the program is teaching kids a new filming process of taking a photo and moving one thing in the photo slightly different before taking the next photograph. Similar to the techniques used to create the drawings and animations for the television show South Park.

Julia was the recipient of the Joe Banner Starfish Award last year, given each year to an exceptional, graduating corps member from the City Year Greater Philadelphia Alumni Board. She is using part of her award funds towards the Stop Motion projects that her students are creating and it is her hope to enter these projects into contests that could result in her students receiving money for college.

“It is a long shot,” she says, “but I think it will be worth trying because they’re doing such a great job with the animation.”

With dreams of her own, Julia’s looks forward to changing up her original future goals. Instead of pursuing a fine arts path, she hopes to attend graduate school next year for leadership in nonprofit management. She would like to take her career into an artistic direction and focus on public works of art. Julia thinks she will be in Philadelphia for a while but also can see herself one day in California doing work there. Wherever she will be, it is certain that she will continue to view the world through more than one or two lenses. She will see something some of us miss, the multitude of paths possible to anyone when given the correct tools to build.


To nominate an amazing alumni that you know, please email Reneé Di Pietro at cygpalumni@gmail.com


Alumni Highlight Quick Box: Julia Hall
Q: What is your favorite book or movie? Why?
A: My favorite book is Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, because of its humanist philosophy.

Q: What was your favorite City Year founding story? Why?
A: I have a lot of favorites; many of the stories are ones I grew up hearing, so this is a tough question. My ultimate favorite story is the Traveler. I like the point it makes that your perspective is everything.

Q: How many City Year sites do you predict will be open by 2020?
A: I hope that by the year 2020 City Year has at least 35 domestic sites.  

Q: Where would you like to see one?
A: I would like to see a site open up in Camden, New Jersey.

Q: What skills or qualities do you believe are your strengths?
A: My strengths are my work ethic, my tenacity, creativity, and my openness.

Q: What five things make you unique?
A:  I have actively sought out a life of variety, which has led me to a collection of experiences that are unique to me.  My artistic point of view, sense of humor, dreams, memories, and ideas are what are most unique to me.

Q: What has been your proudest moment in life?
A: I don’t have a singular proudest moment, but the thing I am most proud of has been maintaining the friendships and relationships I have made over the course of my life.

The Runner Program

A fellow ‘05 CYGP Alum, Michael Flynn, is organizing a Runner Fundraising Program and welcomes your involvement in donations, participation and networking.

The vision to build a program where marathon race participants raise money for City Year is close to reality – the piloting of the program will begin with the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2011.

As part of the pilot, the Runner Program is building a fundraising website that will serve as hub for all of the runners committed to raising money for City Year. The website will also offer other information, resources, and social media tools to help runners spread the word about their fundraising efforts.

A $50 donation will help pay for the start-up cost of building the website and your name will appear on the website as a Founding Alumni Member for this effort. If you can afford to give more than $50, the program encourages you to do so as it needs to raise a total of $3,000 in the next week.

If you are not able to give, strongly consider joining the program to raise money for City Year as a marathoner, half-marathoner or 8k runner in November.

For donation information, please reach out to Michael Flynn via facebook, email, or phone and talk details.

michael.sean.flynn@ http://www.facebook.com/l/edf57UspscYZZpAyp2lKYlQM1oQ/gmail.com

(908) 285-0196

Congratulations!

Congratulations to current corps members

Frances Brandt, Julian Clark, Rob McNamara & Richard Snow

for winning the City Year Alumni, Corps and Friends

 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament!

The winners enjoyed their own playing time on the court of the Wachovia Center before the Philadlephia 76ers game on March 8th.

We are very thankful for everyone who came out, played and cheered on the players and hope to see you next year for this fun event. Bring your game back!  



January Alumni Spotlight on Pearl Jonas – Alumna powerhouse in Ecuador

Pearl Jonas

High School World History teacher in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Former City Year Greater Philadelphia Senior Corp Member, 2007-2008; 2008-2009

Written by: Alessandra Mercedes Hankinson

My first impression of City Year was Pearl Jonas. When I joined the program, I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into. I and a few teammates assumed this is business and little fun. Those opinions of the program were transformed by the smile and humble attitude Pearl brought to work with her every day. She embodied the principle characteristics of being a corps member, and she later became our prototype for what an ethical leader should look like in the world today.

Pearl Jonas embodies the change people wish to see in the world.

Her work transcends humanitarianism, kindness and empathy, extending to everyone whom she interacts with around her. Her influence on me and my team showed us a way for people to contribute to something extraordinary.

In her role as a service leader, she helped others to identify positive qualities in themselves and reach their full potential, which inevitably resulted in better team members. Instead of using the word “good” all the time, I constantly would think of more descriptive adjectives that resonated with her role as a service leader. Ambitious and talented are words that come to mind when people described her.

Pearl joined City Year following her college education at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a Masters Degree in secondary social studies education. Through her friendship with Chase Trimmer, a current Program Manager for City Year Greater Philadelphia, Pearl was introduced to AmeriCorps service with City Year.

During that time, Pearl had just returned to Philadelphia after living and working in Nicaragua. She had uncertainty about whether she could financially afford to do a year of service, but had the desire to work with students in Philadelphia, as she is a Philadelphia native. Pearl also wanted to be involved with something that would encourage young people to volunteer.

“After reading about the different service opportunities, I instantly felt a connection with the Heroes programs. Luckily, I was placed on the Young Heroes dream team and got to do what I hoped I could,” says Pearl.

She led her corps year as the senior corps member on her team organizing and creating the Young Heroes program for that year. As part of an eight member team, together they coordinated and facilitated academic and service-based curriculum to over 150 middle school students.

Clayton Lloyd, a fellow corps member with Pearl at City Year, remembers Pearl’s daily joy and watching her young hero students grow into community leaders.

“She always helped heroes to understand the world around them,” says Clayton. “She helped them to develop questions about how their world is shaped, and how they can be agents for change. She always brought out the best in the heroes.”

The Young Heroes Program is an experience where children not only learn from their leaders but also where the leaders learn from the students. Being open to this mutual exchange catapults the City Year corps members into leaders and role models for the youth who are looking up to them. Indeed the heroes brought out the best in Pearl. They helped cultivate the ethical leader she has become today and there is no doubt, Pearl is a leader for life.

Pearl served two years at City Year working with the Young Heroes Program. Because of her commitment and success with the Young Heroes Program, she helped lay the ground work for the expansion of the program throughout other areas of Philadelphia. Specifically during Pearl’s second year, she piloted the expansion of the program into Northeast Philadelphia, where she is from.

From then on, Pearl realized her dedication to service; she continued to work with students by enrolling in a teacher education program. Her choice to teach is evermore an example of someone who pursues leadership and self-discovery as a part of her life after City Year.

“City Year confirmed for me that I wanted to work with students and to improve our educational systems,” says Pearl. “I witnessed middle and high school students dedicate themselves to making a difference. I can’t turn my back on that untapped potential. So after City Year, I enrolled in a teacher education program and continue to work with students. I constantly reflect on how I can teach with a social justice perspective. It is not easy but definitely worth it.”

Today Pearl works as a high school world history teacher in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

“The school I work for in Ecuador serves two student populations. It runs a private school for students that can pay the tuition which helps to support a scholarship school for students from low-income families. The belief is that through a great education young people have opportunities to improve their quality of life and change the world,” says Pearl.

The most challenging part of Pearl’s job has to do with the challenges of being a first-year teacher.  “I’m trying to figure out who I am as a teacher and what my students need in order to learn while balancing my day-to-day responsibilities.”

Her greatest joy is building community with her colleagues, who have given her a warm welcome to the school and country there.

When asked about what life advice Pearl would like to share with others, she says:

 “Now that I’m a few years older, I realize how important the small things in life are. Small acts matter with family, friends and strangers. The best way to serve others, and the world, is to improve yourself. Improving yourself involves the small acts. But don’t get overwhelmed, create small achievable goals to help you reach big picture dreams and goals. Don’t forget to celebrate.”

We like to celebrate this month with our hats off to Pearl! As she continues to reach her big dreams and inspire others to follow their own, we send her congratulations, gratitude and appreciate from a city thousands of miles away from her now, yet from a place still very close to her heart.

To nominate an amazing alumni that you know, please email Renee Di Pietro at cygpalumni@gmail.com

Alumni Highlight Quick Box: Pearl Jonas
Q: Did you fill your boots?

A: Yes, my sister Barbara served in City Year. We served together in the ’08-’09 corps.

Q: What skills or qualities do you believe are your strengths?

Being reflective, patient, and organized.

Q: What five things make you unique?

A: 1) I’ve lived in four countries in the past 6 years (Spain, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and, of course, USA)

2) I have never had the flu (knock on wood).

3) I share a last name with a band that has become a teen sensation. I currently have a small fan club made up of 8^th grade students who are convinced that I’m related to this band.

4) I have an Ecuadorian friend who pronounces my name as “Perm”.

5) I can easily take hundreds of pictures in one day.

Q: What has been your proudest moment in life?

A: I am proud of all the times I put myself in challenging situations outside of comfort zone, including moving to Nicaragua and Ecuador and becoming a teacher.

Q: What personal factors do you consider most important in evaluating yourself or your success?

A: I almost want to say that the less sleep I get in order to accomplish the task, the better. But that is not the true. The idea is that I know when I give everything I have to something and I know when I don’t. I feel the best about something when I give it 110%, as they say. I also consider whether or not I have stayed true to what I believe is right.

Q: What is the best gift you have received?

A: This is a difficult question! In a figurative sense it would be my education. My mom worked hard to pay for tuition. In a literal sense it would be a pair of running shoes.

Q: What is your favorite book or movie? Why?

A: The Alchemist is one of my favorite books. I read it during my first City Year with a group of other corps members. Some of its themes are of destiny and following your heart. It was just what I needed when I read it.

Q: What was your favorite City Year Founding Story? Why?

A: “Be the change” is my favorite Founding Story. It has helped give me perspective on my actions before, during and after City Year.

Q: What goals do you have for later in life?

A: I want to continue teaching and work hard to be the best I can be for our students. I want to be involved in educational reform. I also have a dream of helping to start a school and/or a community focused coffee shop in Philadelphia. (I also want to continue to be involved with City Year! After being away for a year I have gained an even deeper appreciation for my experience.)

Q: How many City Year sites do you predict will be open by 2020?

A:  I wish there could be one in every major city in the United States. If there is at least one new site every year we could have between 30 and 35 by 2020. That sounds amazing!

Q: Where would you like to see one?

I would like to see one in New Jersey. Newark has been headlining for their educational initiatives recently. Also, having City Year in Philadelphia and Camden could be a powerhouse for change!