Empowering Futures: City Year Baton Rouge’s Partnership with Bottom Line

City Year is committed to providing our AmeriCorps members with resources, opportunities and support that help them to achieve their educational and professional goals—both during their service experience and as a member of our alumni community, now 42,000 strong.

One of the ways we create opportunities for AmeriCorps members is by establishing powerful collaborations with other nonprofits, higher education institutions, and employers that help our corps explore potential career pathways. They have access to exclusive scholarships and fellowships and networking events. Many corps and alums can get a postsecondary degree or secure a job internship that will help them to accelerate their professional development and success.

City Year Baton Rouge established a successful partnership with Bottom Line, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students get into college, graduate, and go far in life.

Nearly half of Baton Rouge’s AmeriCorps members are taking advantage this program, which even helps college applicants navigate the complexities of the new FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

We recently spoke with City Year Baton Rouge Impact Director DaKota Williams, who launched this program with her colleague Mi’Kira Anderson, City Year Baton Rouge’s Learning and Development Manager, to learn more about how this partnership is making a difference for Baton Rouge’s AmeriCorps members.

A partnership with purpose

Originally launched as a national pilot with support from the NBA Foundation in 2021, City Year Baton Rouge joined a cohort of City Year sites to establish a successful collaboration with Bottom Line in the second year of the pilot. The goal was to provide local AmeriCorps members with the resources and support they need to navigate the complex process of applying to college and securing financial aid—whether that’s earning an associate or bachelor’s degree or applying to a graduate program.

“We wanted to make sure our members felt empowered to be independent and confident in their ability to make choices for their future,” Williams said.

City Year Baton Rouge AmeriCorps member Carmen Davis is a returning AmeriCorps member who is working this year as a senior corps service leader.

Carmen was one of the first participants in the Bottom Line program and says it helped her get back on track to achieve her long-term goals.

“I had taken a two-year break from school, and I needed some tools to help me figure out what I wanted to do and apply to college,” Carmen said.

“Bottom Line gave us resources to explore what we wanted to do with our careers and financial aid resources. That all made a big difference.”

Comprehensive college access training and support

Williams and a co-worker were initially trained by Botton Line so they could provide the resources to Baton Rouge corps members, enabling them to continue providing these supports longer-term.

“We met monthly with a representative from Bottom Line who trained us on all the college access information,” Williams said of the first year of the collaboration. This ensured that the support was tailored to the specific needs of the Baton Rouge community.

The program includes a combination of national virtual training sessions and site-based training. Sessions include how to tackle financial aid applications, college essays, and more.

Overcoming Challenges

One of the trickiest and most frustrating parts for anyone applying to college is navigating the financial aid process.

Unfortunately, daunting experience has become even more challenging, with recent changes to the FAFSA form.

To address this, City Year Baton Rouge reached out to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Aid for additional training, which they are providing to AmeriCorps members again this year. This proactive approach ensured that AmeriCorps members had current information and support.

“None of our members had any issues with their financial aid applications, thanks to the training we received,” Williams said.

Expanding opportunities through college campus tours

In addition to Bottom Line’s curriculum support, City Year Baton Rouge has placed a big emphasis on touring college campuses. Williams and her colleagues organize campus tours for Baton Rouge AmeriCorps members a couple of times a year.

“Seeing the programs available and experiencing the campus environment firsthand has been incredibly beneficial for our corps members,” Williams noted.

These tours allow members to explore local colleges and universities, such as Louisiana State University, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana Tech University, and Franciscan University.

Impact and Success

The impact of this partnership has been significant.

More than half of City Year Baton Rouge’s AmeriCorps members have participated in some aspect of the Bottom Line programming over the past two years. This includes both first-time college applicants and those applying to graduate school.

“We found that even our college graduates benefited from the program, especially when it came to understanding financial aid and writing essays for graduate school applications,” Williams said.

For Carmen, City Year’s partnership with Bottom Line has been life changing. This year, she’s balancing her City Year service with her academic classes.

“Now I’m attending Baton Rouge Community College, to get my associate’s degree in the care and development of young children,” Carmen said. “I’m graduating this fall.”

She already knows her next step on her journey.

“Next year, I plan to enroll in Louisiana State University to get a bachelor’s in child and family science,” she said.

Carmen plans to become a Certified Child Life Specialist, which the Mayo Clinic describes as a health care provider who works with children undergoing medical challenges or hospitalization, teaching children coping skills through play, preparation, self-expression and education.

Looking Ahead

As the partnership continues to evolve, City Year Baton Rouge remains committed to providing AmeriCorps members with the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Williams emphasized the importance of this support in helping corps members feel confident and prepared for their future educational endeavors.

“Our goal is to empower our AmeriCorps members to make informed decisions and pursue their dreams.”

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