Things to See in DC (on a corps members budget)

There are always a ton of fun and free things going on all over DC. However, you can never fully experience all that DC has to offer until you are living, learning and serving in the area. Below are some of CYDC's corps members favorite spots throughout the year:

• The Drum Circle: A great Sunday night tradition in DC, this is a great place to relax and prepare for a long week of service.

• U Street Cooridor:  An area steep in tradition and culture, take in the sights on a brisk walk and grab some food at Ben's while you're there. Just have cash on hand because they do not take debit!

• Eastern Market: Looking for a birthday gift for a loved one? Head to Eastern Market for a budget friendly gifts. Also,this a great place to buy fresh fruits and veggies to stay healthy throughout the year.

• Smithsonian: There are 19 museumsand galleries and they are all FREE!

• The White House: Contact your local Congressman to get tickets for a tour of our country's most famous residence.

Top 5 Reasons to Enroll Your Student in Camp City Year

By Lianne Sheilds, City Year corps member, serving as Camp City Year Recruitment Director 

 

Camp City Year is less than one week away! See below for the top 5 reasons to enroll in Camp:

 

5. There will be campers from all over DC, creating a unique bonding experience.
City Year corps members provide service in all eight wards and all four quadrants of Washington DC. Not only do we recruit students from the schools we serve in, we recruit students from all over the District.

 

4. Campers will learn about things from all over the world, from soccer to capoeira, to music to holidays, to general culture pieces.

This year, the theme of camp is “Around the World in 5 Days.” Students will be divided into teams based on grade and will rotate in recreation, academics and fine art blocks, where each day they will cover a new topic in a new country. The end of the week will culminate in a surprise themed celebration. There is an emphasis on team building and middle school students will even have the opportunity to have pen pals in the two camps that span the city.

 

3. It is affordable and convenient!
Camp City Year only cost $20 for the first child and $5 for each additional child enrolled within the same household. Furthermore, scholarship applications are available upon request. Camps will run from April 18- April 22nd. The day begins at 8am and ends at 4:30pm, which includes breakfast, lunch, and a snack for each student. The student will spend the day going from structured activity to structured activity, enjoying all the creativity corps members put into the week. The three camp locations provide an easy and accessible spring break camp option:

• Emery Education Campus (1720 First St. NE, Washington DC 20002) serves K – 8th grade 
• Turner Elementary (1500 Mississippi Ave SE, Washington DC 20020) serves K – 5th grade
• Johnson Middle School (1400 Bruce Place SE, Washington DC 20020) serves grades 6th – 8 grade 

2. Students will be introduced to community service.
City Year is a non-profit organization that unites a diverse group of 17 – 24 year olds in a year of full time service and Camp City Year is completely run by City Year corps members.

 

  

1. Camp City Year will open campers’ eyes to the idea of being a global citizen and promote the idea of service in your community.
Our goal this year in camp with our “Around the World in 5 Days” theme, is to connect our campers to a sense of greater community.

It isn’t too late to apply! E-mail CampCityYearDC@cityyear.org to receive an application today!

 



Heroes 101: A Recap

By Alex Gebhart, corps member serving at Spingarn High School

What a wild three weeks of service! The Young Heroes have been busy for the past few weeks making a difference in their communities and providing service to the DC Area. Here is a quick recap for you:

After a two week break, the Heroes came back with a whirlwind service day of “Our Decisions around Drugs and Alcohol.” The teams discussed the dangers of drug use and abuse, their insights into it, and did a variety of service projects, including making videos encouraging others to make smart choices around drugs and alcohol. The day was very positive and I am proud of the Young Heroes for their service.

The next week was focused on “Experiencing Homelessness,” where activities and service were focused around having the Young Heroes understand what it could be like to experience homelessness, to educate the Heroes about homelessness, and to really understand how to serve the homeless community.

The most recent week was focused on “Valuing our Different Abilities.” We discussed how people can be differently abled, learned about the challenges of receiving assistance while disabled, and participated in activities that gave us a brief look into what people with disabilities have to think about while interacting in society. Our service during the day was great! My team and I went to the National Children’s Center to participate in games and activities with people with special needs. It was great watching the Heroes interact and spend time with the people there.

Like I said, it’s been a powerful few weeks of service, but there’s more to come!

Corps Members Testify at DC Youth Council Hearing

On Saturday City Year Washington, DC corps members testified before DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown at the DC Council's Public Oversight Hearing on Youth Issues. To see their testimony and how they are making an impact in schools CLICK HERE

Celebrating 50 Years of National Service

By Isabel Huston, corps member on the CSX team serving at Turner Elementary School

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the 50th Anniversary of the Inauguration of President John F. Kennedy.
 

City Year Washington, DC corps members with
Former Senator Harris Wofford

The event held at the Russell Senate Building on Capitol Hill commemorated the inception of JFK’s lasting legacy of national service. As I stood with fellow corps members CaTiffany Banks, Hank Sell, John Elwell and Sadaya Johnson (just feet from Nacy Pelosi!) and listened to President Kennedy’s often quoted speech, I was amazed at how much his words still resonate today.



As we canvassed the room, the inimitable City Year Co-Founder and CEO Michael Brown acting as our tour guide, we had the chance to see the faces that started and have since kept the national service movement alive. Caroline Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy, Chief Justice Joseph Brier, Senator John Kerry, Former Senator and City Year Champion Harris Wofford—the sight of each face reminded me of the impressive network to which our service is connected. It has taken a long line of very dedicated and very inspirational individuals to raise the consciousness of our nation. As a City Year corps member it was humbling to realize that I, too, am a part of this movement. My fellow corps members and I are the next generation to carry the torch.

But even as the National Service Movement has grown exponentially since January 20, 1961, there is still work to do. In our nation’s capitol alone there are still people who go hungry every day, there are still children who are left behind by an education system that cannot support them, there is still an unbelievable HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Thus, in the light of this important anniversary, I repeat the words that our President spoke 50 years ago:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America can do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

I will serve. What will you do?

City Year Washington, DC MLK Day of Service

By Jenna Lykes, corps member serving on the CSX Civic Heroes Team

“An individual has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow horizons of his particular individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. Every person must decide, at some point, whether they will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 11, 1957

This past Monday in historic Anacostia, nearly 1,000 people gathered in an attempt to answer Dr. King's compelling question. City Year corps members led volunteers who served at 5 local sites, which included three schools- Ketcham Elementary School, Kramer Middle School and The Academies at Anacostia, and two community centers- House DC and The Children's Center, which provide kids with positive places to spend their after school hours. The day started off with an inspiring opening program, where featured speakers included Mayor Gray, John Gomperts, Director of AmeriCorps, Julie Cummings, Board Member of The Corporation for Community and National Service, Kwame Simmons, Principal of Kramer Middle School, and Cindy Hallberlin, President and CEO of Gifts in Kind International. Later we had the distinct honor of hosting U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his family.

Together, We:

• Painted over 200 inspirational and beautiful murals
• Organized 450 emergency kits to distribute to homeless people
• Built garden beds which, come spring, will house plants, herbs and vegetables, and provide hands on experience for high school students
•  Made 900 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for people in need  
•  Pieced together a colorful mosaic that proudly depicts our city's skyline
• Constructed 16 cubbies and bookshelves, providing sorely needed storage and organization
•  Collected enough coats to keep more than 200 people at least a little warmer this winter

In short, we spent our day answering Dr. King's call to arms.

In the afternoon, we watched as 115 Young Heroes and 20 Junior Team Leaders  swore to commit the next 6 months of their lives  to serving their communities. It was a fitting end to a day dedicated to Dr. King's life, work and legacy.

Together, we accomplished a lot on Monday. However, I believe the real power of the day was its ability to inspire us all to keep serving and keep doing for others, well beyond an annual holiday.

City Year Corps Members at DC Youth Council

Check out this post from Susie's Budget and Policy Corner about City Year Washington DC Corps Member's Testimony at the December Youth Council Hearing in Washington, DC. Corps Members really enjoyed sharing their stories and the successes of City Year Washington, DC with DC Council Chairman  Vince Gray.

To watch the full hearing Click HERE

Corps Members Give Thanks For Each Other

Jon Ragsdale, Corps Member serving at Winston Education Campus

I got off the escalator at a Metro station and a blast of cold air greeted. Winter was here and it was early in the morning. Not the best start to the day, but almost instantly my outlook change. An Express Newspaper Courier told me (and I am paraphrasing), "We’re all real proud of you guys for giving up a year to help our kids."


I truly am thankful for the opportunity to serve with National Service Organization like City Year, and it is a true joy to hear someone tell you the impact you are having on your community.

 We also received an email a last week from a City Year Corps Member serving with City Year San Antonio which speaks to the great impact that Corps Members are making in the community. It reads:

I was born in DC and have since moved around the metro area. I joined City Year because I really wanted to make a positive impact and help change the negative things I experienced or witnessed growing up. I graduated from high school in Montgomery County this past June, so I still have a lot of friends who are in school in/around the areas you work in. I'm sure there is less than 6 degrees of separation between the majority of us.


I've been hearing a lot about the great progress you all are making and just want to say THANK YOU for everything you guys are doing. It means so much to me to know there is a team of people dedicated to helping those who are my friends and family. When I hear the statistical projections, it is so much more than a number to me. It's more than attendance records or diplomas because I know the lives you are impacting and what these accomplishments mean for the future.


The other week my friend was murdered and I was so disheartened with the circumstance. A couple of days later, however, the same friend who informed me of the murder, told me she saw someone with our uniform on the metro. She was so impressed with the long hours this CM was putting forth and I hadn't even started to explain what those long hours entail.


Your mere presence makes a difference. You all mean SO MUCH to me and many others. Keep up the great work !

City Year Corps Members Give Big

City Year corps member Meaza Yalew will be featured on the Big Ten Network's Tailgate Show on Friday, October 29th at 9:00pm! Please tune in to the Big Ten network or CLICK HEREto visit their website to see Meaza's short video about a day in the life of a City Year corps member.

Meaza Yalew, a corps member serving at Hart Middle School, graduated in 2010 from Indiana University. While at Indiana in 2009, she helped found Lioness Cycling, a women's cycling team that encouraged minority involvement on and off the track. This past year, Lioness Cycling was one of the first two minority teams to ever place in the top 15 in Qualifications at the Little 500, Bloomington's famous intramural cycling race. Meaza was active on campus and the community throughout her college career, she was the Vice President of the NAACP on campus, social chair of the African  Student Association and an intern at the City of Bloomington volunteer network.

Give Big is a campaign from the Big Ten Network that recognizes that being part of the Big Ten means giving back to the community, in a big way. Many of the qualities that make Big Ten teams successful on the field are the same qualities that help members of the Big Ten community make a difference off the field. The network will chose one alumnus from a Big Ten school who "Gives Big" to highlight every week this fall. Go Big Ten!

Maeza and fellow Corps Members outside Hart Middle School

Pepsi Refresh Project!

We need you to help City Year win $250,000 in the Pepsi Refresh Project to help keep more kids in school and on track across the country.

Starting this past Saturday, May 1st, for the entire month of May, City Year will be competing to win a grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project. Pepsi is giving away $20 million over the course of the year, awarded in monthly installments to groups of grant winners selected by online voting.

We know that you believe in City Year. That means that for the next 31 days, we need you to commit to vote every day, and to ask your friends and family to do the same. With the additional funds, we’ll be able to recruit 170 new corps members, who would ultimately help us reach 10,000 more children who need our help to stay in school and on track to graduate.

We’re also partnering with AmeriCorps Alums, which is competing for $50,000 to help build 25 healthier communities through projects run by their members.

Please vote today and every day in May for City Year and AmeriCorps Alums!

LivingSocial's Twelve Days of Gifting campaign!

We're excited to tell you about a great opportunity for you to save money and give back to City Year at the same time! Just go to LivingSocial Deals, where you can find great deals on local products and services in the DC Metro area. From December 3rd until December 20th, LivingSocial Deals will be running their Twelve Days of Gifting campaign, which will feature 12 different deals on great gift ideas for the holidays. During the campaign, LivingSocial will be donating part of the proceeds to local DC nonprofits, and City Year is one of the featured charities! So, if you want to save money, and help give back a little too, go to http://deals.livingsocial.com! From there, you can sign-up to receive e-mail alerts for all twelve deals so you can be sure you dont miss out!

Creating Jobs for America's Youth

Check out this great article about the power of National Service on today's economy.

Creating jobs for America's youth - John Podesta - POLITICO.com

The Comcast Team and City Year

Check out this great blog post from BCLCBlog.com about the great partnership between Comcast and City Year DC!

http://bclc.chamberpost.com/2009/10/the-comcast-team-and-city-year.html

City Year Paints Mural with Metro Teen AIDS!

City Year corps of 2009-2010 began their year of service with an afternoon of giving back to the metro DC community. They joined Metro Teen AIDS, a City Year DC service partner, in painting a mural in the Southeast side of the city. A local publication interviewed City Year volunteers, as well as those from Metro Teen AIDS who came out to serve. Click below for the full story.





Click here!

City Year at Kennedy Memorial

City Year volunteers at JFK Library in Boston mourn the loss of Ted Kennedy on Thursday, August 27, 2009.