Back To School Message From City Year LA Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Cano

Dear Champions of City Year Los Angeles, 

Across Los Angeles schools, a sense of excitement, anticipation, and yes, perhaps some nervousness, is in the air. As a new school year begins, there’s another cohort of young people feeling a little nervous excitement about what is to come: City Year LA’s 18th cohort of AmeriCorps members! 

This week, 150 young adults began their journey of service in 22 schools across Los Angeles, ready to make a difference in the lives of students as their mentors and coaches. Your commitment to City Year Los Angeles, our corps members, and our students has made this moment possible, creating a foundation for young minds to flourish.

Our years working in schools have shown us time and again the difference a mentor can make, both at a student and whole-school level. Just this past school year, our AmeriCorps members dedicated over 40,000 hours of service to more than 14,000 students across 19 partner schools. They provided one-on-one tutoring in math and English, crucial mental health support, and enriching after-school programs. Their efforts not only enhanced school culture but were pivotal in addressing the pressing issue of chronic absenteeism in LAUSD—a challenge faced by schools nationwide. 

In a testament to our government’s belief in the efficacy and value of our work, the state of California granted funding to expand our student success coach network throughout the state—for the third year running—despite increasingly stretched budgets. With the strong support of Assemblyman Mike Gipson and State Senator Steven Bradford, we have linked arms to form a network of community-based organizations that has enabled us to extend our reach beyond our direct services to positively impact more than 70,000 students across California.  

This month, as we wrapped up our Basic Training Academy, I am inspired by the energy and idealism our new corps members bring. We are especially excited to welcome back 35 AmeriCorps members who have chosen to dedicate a second year to serving our students. As we work hard to meet the demand of schools that are eager for a City Year team, we are proud to offer the highest annual stipend to date—58% more than three years ago. Following the successful pilot of our innovative Alternative Service Opportunity (ASO) program last year, which provides flexibility for corps members to balance service with education, work, or family commitments, we are thrilled to continue this offer with 24 ASO corps members serving this year. 

An exciting trend has emerged: young people who experienced City Year in their schools are returning to serve their communities as corps members. Our corps increasingly reflects the communities they serve, and nearly half express an interest in pursuing teaching careers. Amidst a national educator shortage, which disproportionately affects students furthest from opportunity, we are developing an educator pipeline program to create pathways for our corps members to continue in careers in education locally, addressing critical needs in our community.  

Like students and schools who are still recovering from the most challenging learning crisis of our time, City Year is resilient and committed to progress. We are building back our corps, with 56% more young people serving in schools than three years ago. In the wake of setbacks from the largest educational crisis of a generation, I am so humbled by the incredible dedication of our corps members and staff. Together, we are sticking with the communities we serve and doubling down on our support by responding to the ever-rising demand for our services. And we are able to do this because you are sticking with us. 

It is my privilege and joy to lead this organization and witness the transformative impact of this year’s corps on their students, schools, and communities. I warmly invite you to join me at one of our partner schools to see firsthand the incredible work of our AmeriCorps members. 

Thank you once again for your continued partnership—together, let’s make this a remarkable year! 

With gratitude, 

Dr. Sandra Cano 

Executive Director, City Year Los Angeles 

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