Relationships are at the center of everything we do. It is a belief my parents instilled in me throughout my childhood, and it has continued as a core tenant of my leadership since becoming the executive director of City Year Providence a decade ago.
City Year is fueled by the power of bringing people and partners together. Since our founding, the public and private sectors have come together with a shared belief in the power of young people.
By far, the most important relationships cultivated at City Year Providence are those between our 60 AmeriCorps members and each child they serve in six Providence schools. The importance of those relationships is evident in our measurable, student-growth data, but it’s also clear whenever I visit a partner school. I see the trust students and faculty have in their City Year team.
I am often asked how City Year sustains that trust when many of our AmeriCorps members turn over each year. Without a doubt, it’s the power of the City Year red jacket and the values that jacket represents. We are intentional about building a culture that withstands turnover.
Before new AmeriCorps members put on their City Year jacket for the first time, we prepare them, through training and reflection, to embody specific core values, such as Teamwork, Empathy and Students First, Collaboration Always. It ensures that every person wearing a City Year jacket will build authentic relationships in order to contribute to our schools and communities with care and excellence.