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City Year Detroit

Detroit’s diversity, thriving arts and food scenes, and legendary music all make the city unique and vibrant, but Detroit’s greatest assets are its people and sense of community.

Accelerating academic growth in Detroit

We believe that supporting children and young adults contributes to just, equitable and vibrant communities, and that when students rise, we all rise. We are working to address the lack of equitable access to educational opportunities. Our City Year Detroit AmeriCorps members partner with teachers and schools to add more support and to help create learning environments where all students can build on their strengths and fully engage in their learning.

City Year helps students and schools succeed, while preparing the next generation of leaders who can work across lines of difference to make a positive impact. In partnership with teachers and schools, diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members cultivate learning environments where students can build on their strengths, fully engage in their learning and experience success.

Our reach in Detroit

195,000+
hours

of service annually

94%
of principals

believe their City Year AmeriCorps members provide valuable support to their classroom and students

100%
of principals

were satisfied with the quality of service City Year provided their schools.

84%
of students

feel that their City Year AmeriCorps member teaches them how to self-advocate and ask for help when they need it

Ensuring more students are on track to high school graduation

We know more than we ever have about how young people learn and develop. Yet too many students do not have access to the learning environments they need to thrive, due to systemic failings that have contributed to inequitable access to educational opportunities. These inequities disproportionately impact students of color and students growing up in lowincome households. Disparities in opportunity and resources have created inequitable educational, health and economic outcomes: for example, children living in poverty graduate high school at significantly lower rates than their middle- and upper-income peers.

Our AmeriCorps members serve in schools full-time as student success coaches who help students build on their strengths and cultivate foundational social, emotional and academic skills, whether that’s learning to work in teams, cope with frustration or master fractions—skills that are important in school and in life. Through their service in schools and communities, City Year AmeriCorps members not only make a difference in the lives of students they serve, but also acquire valuable skills and experience that prepare them to lead and make meaningful contributions to where they live and work.

Advancing interpersonal and workforce readiness skills

City Year’s 35,000 alumni continue to lead and serve across a broad range of professions, including education. According to the latest alumni survey, nearly half of AmeriCorps members—44%—remain in the community where they served, contributing to the local economy, workforce and social fabric.

City Year AmeriCorps members support the development of the whole child while strategically lessening the load of principals and teachers to move students to college and [career].

Dr. Nikolai Vitti Superintendent, Detroit Public Schools Community District

Our Impact

City Year’s equity-based research journey continues City Year has always been a learning organization, seeking out feedback, developing deep collaborations,...

Read more about Our equitable research learning journey continues
Our Impact

Maybe you’ve heard of Howard University, Spellman College, Tennessee State or Morehouse? You’ve definitely heard of some of their most...

Read more about HBCU alum shares why she serves with City Year
Our Impact

City Year AmeriCorps members receive a modest living stipend during their service experience with us. And although we’ve been able...

Read more about AmeriCorps provides childcare benefits for parents
Our Impact

This year would have marked Dr. King’s 95th birthday. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service commemorates his legacy,...

Read more about City Year commemorates MLK Day across the country

Contributing to a clearer, bolder vision

of what public schools can and should be for all children: places of learning, exploration and risk-taking, where every student feels safe and connected to the school community.

Learn how impact happens Apply now
City Year AmeriCorps members
Meet our corps

AmeriCorps members positively impact students in Detroit.

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Our partners

Everything we do—every student and AmeriCorps member we support—would not be possible without our partners.

Learn more about partnering

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City Year enables the leaders of tomorrow to impact our communities today. Join us in helping all students thrive.

Support City Year Detroit

National Strategic Partners
National Partners