City Year Launches Pilot Program to Support Students in Two High-Need Dallas Public Schools

DALLAS, Feb. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- City Year, a national education organization that unites young adults for a year of service in high-need urban schools, is pleased to announce its partnership with the Dallas Independent School District (ISD) through the launch of a pilot program in two schools this winter. City Year will partner with the district to support students' academic and socio-emotional success, from elementary school through high school, ultimately increasing the number of students who are on-track to graduate, prepared for college and career.

The formation of City Year Dallas has been led by a group of cross-sector Dallas community and business leaders, including Dallas City Councilmember Adam Medrano, Mark Rohr (CEO, Celanese Corporation) and Pam Gerber (Executive Director, Entrepreneurs for North Texas) in partnership with the Dallas Independent School District and Mayor Mike Rawlings. City Year Dallas has received lead investments from the Celanese Foundation, the WW Caruth Jr. Foundation, the Mark and Rachel Rohr Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, AT&T, and the Meadows Foundation.

"A primary goal of Dallas ISD is to ensure our students graduate college and career ready. Any time we can be part of an opportunity that supports that goal we're excited," said Mike Miles, Dallas ISD superintendent. "We are confident this new partnership with City Year will provide the opportunities and support needed for a greater number of our students to achieve this standard. We look forward to the positive outcomes that lie ahead."

"City Year has an impressive track record of proven results across the country and I believe it's the right time to bring this established, scalable national service model to Dallas," said Mayor Mike Rawlings. "Through City Year, we have the ability to close the achievement gap and help our students and schools succeed."

When the program officially launches next fall in five high-need Dallas ISD schools, it will be City Year's 26^th and newest site. During the first year, 50 highly trained City Year AmeriCorps members will serve full-time in schools, where they will tutor students one-on-one, provide in-class support, and organize school-wide programs to increase student academic achievement and engagement. Currently, 2,800 City Year AmeriCorps members serve in more than 260 high-need urban public schools nationwide.

"At Celanese we are committed to improving educational outcomes for students," said Mark Rohr, Chairman & CEO, Celanese Corporation. "I have witnessed the success of City Year's data-driven model in other cities across the country and we wanted to ensure that students in this community have every opportunity to meet their potential."

The City Year Dallas pilot program has 20 City Year AmeriCorps members serving in Roosevelt High School and H. Grady Spruce High School for the remainder of the school year in advance of the official launch in five schools next fall. Currently, 104 City Year AmeriCorps members serve in nine public schools in San Antonio, TX, where City Year has been operating since 1995.

"We are enormously grateful to our remarkable champions in Dallas who are working so hard to make City Year Dallas a reality," said Michael Brown, City Year, Inc. CEO and Co-Founder. "We are proud to be partnering with the Dallas Independent School District to deploy talented, trained, and deeply committed City Year AmeriCorps members to high-need Dallas schools to help students stay in school and on track to graduation and life success."

City Year deploys City Year AmeriCorps members to work with students in grades 3 through 9, with research-based interventions targeting the early warning indicators of poor attendance, behavior incidents, and course failure in Math and English. City Year's national Long Term Impact strategy is to increase the urban graduation pipeline. Tapping the energy and talents of diverse young adults in national service, this strategy aims to dramatically increase the number of students who reach the tenth grade on track to graduate in the schools where City Year serves.

"As one of City Year's National Leadership Sponsors, we have been inspired by the integrity and impact of City Year on schools and students across the country," said Holly Reed, Regional Vice President of External Affairs for AT&T. "We are overjoyed to have City Year AmeriCorps members bring their dedication to AT&T's headquarter city of Dallas, and thank Mayor Mike Rawlings and Superintendent Mike Miles for welcoming this partnership. City Year AmeriCorps members' year of service will help shape their own paths, but as importantly, it will touch the lives of the students they work with in a lasting way."

Currently, a Celanese Foundation sponsored team of ten City Year AmeriCorps members is serving at Roosevelt High School and an AT&T Aspire sponsored team of ten City Year AmeriCorps members is serving at the H. Grady Spruce High School.

About City Year: City Year is an education-focused organization founded in 1988 dedicated to helping students and schools succeed. City Year partners with public schools in 26 urban, high-poverty communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and Johannesburg, South Africa. Diverse teams of City Year AmeriCorps members provide high-impact student, classroom and school-wide support, to help students stay in school and on track to graduate from high school, ready for college and career success. A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is made possible by support from the Corporation for National and Community Service, school district partnerships, and private philanthropy from corporations, foundations and individuals. Learn more at www.cityyear.org. 

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SOURCE City Year

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