On Thursday morning I went to City Year’s 7th annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast.
Every year, City Year Detroit holds this breakfast as a way to discuss empowering young Detroiters. This year the topic was how City Year could help foster a strong workforce in Detroit.
I see two separate ways that City Year is helping the next generation get ready for workforce development.
The main way is with the work the City Year Americorps members are doing in the schools. These corps members are young adults from the ages of 18-25 who spend 10 hours a day working in classrooms, spending one on one time with students who need help in mathematics and literacy, and by planning activities for students.
So the students that are being assisted are less likely to fall behind and they are less likely to drop out of high school.
The second way City Year is helping with workforce development with the the corps members themselves.
These young people are learning key skills that will help them later in life. They are problem solving, working as a team work and also teaching others.
Once these corps members finish their time at City Year they have a great opportunity to get a job or to continue their education.
For instance:
- The University of Michigan Law School has a $30,000 scholarship for alumni of City Year.
- City Year alumni who want to get their masters in education can get a scholarship to the University of Michigan for $15,000.
- Alumni that are accepted to University of Detroit Mercy Law School can get a 25% discount on tuition.
In the past two years, 80% of the City Year Detroit alumni have decided to continue to live in the city.
Which means all of that talent is staying within the city. And talent staying in Detroit? That’s a good thing.