New Corps "Meet & Greet" in Central Park

Guest Blogger Emily Heerema had this to share about yesterday’s New Corps Meet & Greet . . .

The morning was a balmy 65 degrees, with a grey sky. But by 3 pm, the sky above the Great Hill was clear blue, accompanied by a blindingly bright sun and puffy white clouds. “I called the weather man this morning, and asked him to make sure it didn’t rain,” joked Harlem Program Manager Chris Pellegrino at the New Corps Meet and Greet, held at Central Park West.

Senior Corps Members Katherine Bartlett, Paula Vera, Kyle Shedrick and Katie Denton, with the support of Recruitment Staff, organized an event for new corps members to meet each other in a comfortable, casual, and friendly environment.

Chris Daly, who is alum of City Year Boston returning for a second year with the New York Civic Engagement team, said “When I was a first year corps member, it was awkward because the first day meeting everyone was really formal and rigid. Today was the exact opposite. It was outside, beautiful weather, and inviting. I felt I was able to help people that were in my situation last year, and it shows what City Year has done for me – from feeling awkward and shy to being outgoing and able to help other people.”

Senior Corps Member Luke Rosnick said, “I know the event was intended for us to mingle with new corps members, but it was even better to see groups of new people talking to each other.”

While getting to know each other, corps members shared why they decided to join. Some people joined because they’ve seen City Year in their neighborhoods, like Tiffany Hamm of Harlem, who said she joined the corps because she saw City Year coming out of the subway every day. Onassis Porto, of the Bronx, joined City Year after being in the City Heroes program last year. Some were itching to do something different with their time. Vanessa Emerich of Kearny, New Jersey, learned about the corps after seeing a commercial while attending college in New England and was inspired by the tagline, “Give a Year. Change the World.” She’s currently taking time off for her year of service.

New York alum and current senior corps member Sara McCaffrey said, “I saw great promise for the year to come. I am so excited to the year to come and to get started with service.” Her sentiments are echoed. New corps member Adam Kane of Williamsburg, Virginia, said that if he had the opportunity to design his own program, it would center on expanding curriculum beyond the “need-to-know” basis. He said, “I want to encourage new ways of approaching education, and not focus on watered-down material.”

Taylor Van Putten of San Diego, California, moved to New York to spend his first year out of high school on an adventure. “I wanted to be somewhere that had positive feelings and atmosphere. I can absorb that energy and give it back to the community,” he said.

The 2-hour event, which had 71 new corps members in attendance, had its fair share of City Year culture and activities, including spirit breaks, strong circles, power tools and energizers. Feeling the energy and positivity of how everyone naturally came together, New York alum and current Senior Corps Member C.C. Hampton said, “I think we have a solid corps, and we’ll probably be changing more than the world this year.”

. . .Thanks for sharing Emily, and thanks for taking these great pictures of the event!

A letter from Michael Brown: Senator Edward M. Kennedy

To our City Year community,

On behalf of the City Year community of corps members, alumni, staff, board members and supporters, I am writing to share our deepest sympathy with the family of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and his legions of friends and colleagues on the sad occasion of his passing.

Senator Kennedy was a hero to us, and to all idealistic people in America and across the globe who believe that the world can be more just, more fair, more peaceful and more hopeful.

At City Year, we seek to inculcate the idea in young people that they can be ‘big citizens,’ idealists who act to improve the world around them. For a generation, there has been no bigger citizen, no greater idealist than Senator Ted Kennedy. His idealism transformed our nation and lifted our sights – he challenged America to live up to its founding mission to form a more perfect union and to its founding creed that all people were created equal.

His lifetime commitment to the common good is unmatched in American life, and his energy level and work ethic legendary. He moved us forward as a nation on civil rights, economic justice, public education, national service, and the cause he now leaves for all of us as citizens to complete with open hearts and open minds, healthcare for all.

As a Massachusetts native, I have had the privilege of having had Ted Kennedy as my senator for nearly my entire life. Senator Kennedy’s commitment to service and active citizenship – indeed the public service commitment of his entire family – was a deep source of inspiration for us in our founding of City Year, and Senator Kennedy was City Year’s greatest champion from day one.

From the founding of City Year, Senator Kennedy took Alan Khazei and me under his wing, encouraging and leading us at every turn. In 1988, in just our founding year, he held one of the first Congressional hearings on national service at the John F. Kennedy Library and invited City Year to testify. He spoke at City Year’s first graduation ceremony in June of 1989, giving a moving speech about the power of service to transform not only those who are helped, but those who serve.

Senator Kennedy believed so powerfully in the idea of investing in the idealistic spirit of America’s young people. He wrote the legislation that established AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service – and reached across the aisle to build bipartisan support for service in America. Today, because of his leadership, there are more than 10,000 City Year alumni and more than 600,000 Americans who have served in AmeriCorps. He fought to establish AmeriCorps and then fought to save it, fund it and grow it. Most recently, Senator Kennedy worked with his friend and colleague from across the aisle, Senator Orrin Hatch, to dramatically expand service in America. In April, President Obama signed the largest federal expansion of national service since the New Deal, The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, named to honor the hero of the service movement for more than 40 years.

Senator Kennedy often honored City Year by donning his red City Year jacket, especially as he sailed joyously with family and friends off of Cape Cod. The 2009 – 2010 national City Year corps is preparing to put on their City Year jackets. They will be officially sworn in on October 2, 2009 in ceremonies across the country. On that day we will dedicate their work in high poverty schools across the country – two and a half million hours of public service – to remember and celebrate the life and legacy of our hero, our irreplaceable idealist, our beloved friend, Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

We are so grateful to have had Senator Kennedy in our lives and in the life of the nation we love. It is now up to all of us to carry forth his legacy, to seek the common good through common ground and to express the love of country that he shared in full measure every day through service, idealism and active citizenship.

With deepest sympathy to the Kennedy family and gratitude for a life of inspired public service,

Michael Brown
CEO & Co-Founder
City Year, Inc.

Thank You New York State Senate

City Year New York commends and thanks the New York State Senate for continuing Mayoral Control of New York City’s schools and ending a period of uncertainty before the school year begins. Over the last seven years, we have witnessed great improvements in accountability and innovation in the best interest of the students our Corps Members are proud to serve. We look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Klein, and our local elected officials to provide New York City’s students with the resources they need to stay on a path towards high school graduation and to develop into active, engaged citizens.

A snap-shot of summer training

Check out this post from guest blogger, Service Leader, Emily Heerema . . .

City Year New York’s Senior Corps has been training, teambuilding, and settling into their leadership roles while eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new corps in September. This year’s Senior Corps is unique, 70% are returning alumni, and two hail from other City Year sites. Also new this year, the Civic Engagement team is made up entirely of City Year alumni. Field Academy (last week in Boston) was, so far, the highlight of training. The conference was held at Northeastern University over 5 days. At Academy staff and Senior Corps from all over the network learned about our goals for the year, networked with other sites, and participated in workshops designed for each program. With so many alumni, it was interesting to see what kinds of information would be delivered that previous Corps Members haven’t heard before.

Here is what some of my fellow senior corps members have said about our training so far:

Talia Bender, who is returning for a second year at PS 154 in the Bronx as a Team Leader, said, “It’s different from Corps Member training because it goes deeper into the ‘why’ of things at City Year. The other parts have been leadership trainings and scenarios, which are extremely important when a difficult situation comes up on your team.”

Dan Foley, who is returning for a second year as the Team Leader at MS 302 in the Bronx, said, “The Program and Service staff has done a really good job good job honing in on trouble spots that people get in while in Senior Corps Member position, and really try to bring them out during training. They’ve addressed the big, hot button issues that we will all be facing, like time management, leadership, support, and communication.”

Carlos Mendoza, who is serving his second year as a Team Leader in Long Island City, said, “Training has been both informative and entertaining. I now understand better what my role requires. I’ve gotten to know the staff and rest of the Senior Corps better, and I’m excited to begin preparing to serve in I.S. 126.”

“I’ve fallen in love with City Year all over again,” Talia said.

We couldn’t leave you without a photo. Here is a group shot of the NY Program staff and senior corps at Northeastern . . .