FALL 2026
A Message from City Year’s Mithra Irani Ramaley, EVP & Chief Development Officer
Thank you for standing with City Year. Because of you, AmeriCorps student success coaches show up in schools every day, building relationships that help a student believe someone is in their corner.
City Year’s focus for the coming year is ambitious: to put more caring adults in front of more students and grow our reach, focusing on the 4% of districts that produce the largest share of the nation’s non-graduates.
We’re also building stronger education and career pathways for our coaches to help them succeed in today’s workforce. Corps members can now earn college credit for learning gained through service, move toward becoming classroom teachers, and gain skills through hands-on learning opportunities with corporate partners.
Thank you for making this year of service possible. We can’t wait to share what we build together in 2027.
Every contribution makes a difference.
The Power of Trust
One thing we’ve learned is that trust and academic success go hand-in-hand. Because our City Year AmeriCorps members serving as student success coaches are near-peers, it’s easier for them to create trusted bonds.
Students grow to realize school is a place where their voices can be heard and where they feel they belong. That supportive connection to school helps keep students’ attendance up, impacts their course performance and keeps them on track toward graduation.
“When a student success coach tells a student, ‘I missed you yesterday,‘ or makes a call home to check in on an absent student … we’re letting students and families know, ‘We notice you, we’re here for you.”
— Jenny Calixto, City Year Sacramento Impact Director
We’re Filled With Gratitude
As the holiday season unfolds, we want to say thank you to everyone who helps bring City Year’s important mission to life. Whether you are a donor, a student success coach, an alum, a school partner, a community advocate or a corporate sponsor — please know that we are incredibly grateful for your support.
Giving Tuesday will take place on December 1. On this global day of giving, let’s all come together to help ensure students have the support they need for the coming year. Thank you again for all you do!
A Love of Reading Changes Everything
At the beginning of last school year, many students in the fifth grade English Language Arts class in a Columbus, Ohio elementary school doubted themselves. Some said they weren’t smart or couldn’t read.
But a remarkable transformation took place, thanks in large part to City Year AmeriCorps member Julia Reidy. Stepping into a literacy instruction role for her second year of service was daunting, but Julia had powerful tools and support, including City Year’s Whole School, Whole Child® approach, the new evidence-based Magnetic Reading Curriculum, and strong mentorship from her City Year Impact Manager.
Julia’s dedication paid off. By spring, students who once resisted reading began to eagerly embrace it. Soon they were not only reading novels, they were meeting after school to discuss them! “They started to say, ‘Oh, I am smart now. I actually am good at reading,'” Julia said.
One student struggled with reading fluency, and that had often overshadowed her true talents.
“She was incredibly proficient in so many other areas,” Julia said. “Her ability to think deeply … and write about what she was thinking was very, very high.”
Julia helped the student build on her strengths, and she earned one of the highest writing scores in the class on the state assessment.
Julia Reidy’s story is a powerful reminder of the transformations that are possible when students are seen, supported and inspired.
“I’ve never seen students take such an interest in their learning. They’re reading in the hallways … meeting after school … I’ve never seen students that excited.”
— Imani Miller, Julia’s City Year Impact Manager
Life After City Year: Endless Possibilities
Serving as a City Year AmeriCorps member leaves you with skills like project management, teamwork, communication and collaboration, plus a hands-on understanding of the education system. After the year is over, the big question is, what’s next?
Today 48% of City Year alums work in education. But the skills apply to many other fields, too, from law to medicine to tech. Seeta Spence Banfield, City Year Orlando ’13, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, says, “I have learned skills and applied them in every aspect of my life. I am proud to say, that as an alum, I live and breathe ‘active citizen’ in my daily life.”
That’s what’s great about serving with City Year. No matter what path you take, the skills and confidence you’ve gained make it even more rewarding.
A Partnership Built on a Shared Mission
As City Year’s national strategy and innovation sponsor, Deloitte is more than a corporate sponsor; they are bringing City Year’s mission to life.
Through board leadership, skills-based employee volunteerism and financial resources, the company supports City Year’s innovative programming and helps increase our impact in schools in 19 locations.
On Deloitte’s annual Impact Day this past June, volunteers rolled up their sleeves alongside our AmeriCorps members, investing their time, energy and heart into the schools and students we serve every day. We could not be more grateful for this 16-year partnership.
This is what community looks like. This is why partnerships matter.
Taking City Year’s Values to Heart
After completing her service year in Baton Rouge, Zainab Bah delivered a powerful speech to her fellow AmeriCorps members. These inspiring excerpts epitomize our mission.
“City Year allowed us to put our minds, hearts and willingness to serve into gear.”
“It’s empowering to be a part of something bigger than yourself; to help and give back to a community that benefits from our unity.”
“We demonstrate active listening, not just hearing, empathy, not just condolences, and words of motivation, not just instruction.”
“We wear these red jackets not only to fill the shoes of the past generations but to give new examples of what service means.”
Smart Ways to Give
As you consider year-end giving, tax-smart options may help maximize your generosity. Gifts from your DAF, IRA, stock portfolio, or other non-cash assets may offer tax benefits while supporting City Year’s mission. City Year has partnered with FreeWill to offer a free planning tool at cityyear.mygiftlegacy.org.
Stock/securities: Andrew Kent at [email protected] or (617) 927-2364.
DAF gifts: Bank of America Lockbox Services, City Year Inc. 412755, MA527-08-072, Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester, MA 02125.
City Year, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (Tax ID Number: 22-2882549), and your donation is tax deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To help you claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, we will follow up with a tax receipt shortly, which will show your tax-deductible portion according to IRS guidelines.
