A few months ago friends and family would ask me what I was going to do this year. I would answer, “Just City Year, an Americorps program.”
If I were to be asked the same question today my response would be, “I proudly serve as a City Year AmeriCorps member to make sure every child knows they have the potential to succeed through the power of education.” I would then go on with a long lecture of what City Year is, what I do, and why my service is important.
City Year is a non-profit organization focused on education. We work to keep all our children in school and to stay on track for graduation. Evidence-based research has shown three major indicators that cause over 800,000 students to drop out every year. They are poor attendance, poor behavior, and poor course performance in math and English. We call these indicators our ABC’s. To tackle these indicators we use a holistic approach called Whole School Whole Child, where highly trained and highly diverse young adults, such as myself, work in teams to support students in struggling schools.
Usually after someone learns that I chose to serve with City Year Milwaukee, they then ask, “Why Milwaukee?” As a Wisconsinite, I knew I wanted to be close to home, but the true answer is: if I want to make a difference in this world or even in this nation, why wouldn’t I serve in Milwaukee? If I want to be the change I wish to see in this world, I need to start in my own community.
My fellow corps members and I serve ten hours every weekday trying to be the first ones at school and the last ones to leave. We provide whole school and whole class support working closely with our partner teachers and afterschool providers. We also have a focus list of students with whom we work, providing researched strategies to support their learning goals. We are an organization that strongly values partnership and collaboration.
City Year not only values their partnerships but most importantly they value their AmeriCorps members. I did not realize how integral my role was to this organization until I became a part of it. To feel appreciated every day, to know that I work to #makebetterhappen, and to recognize that my colleagues share common goals with me, is honestly the most comforting work environment I could ask for. I take so much pride in being a part of City Year. I now understand that this was not a gap year for me, but a calling. I could not imagine myself doing anything else. Every day when I wake up to go to my school, I know I am fighting against social injustices that our students unfairly face each day.
Although some of us may think that this does not pertain directly to us, I beg to differ. Here at City Year one of our core values is Ubuntu, a term borrowed from the Zulu tribe of South Africa, that means, “I am a person through other people; my humanity is tied to yours.” This means that each and every one of us is tied to one another through invisible webs of interdependence. Sure, these students’ lives may not directly relate to you, but when they do not have the foundations necessary to succeed in school they will cost taxpayers about $300,000 in lower tax revenues. This means that these students’ lives are still connected to ours. We are the ones who have had the privilege to earn an education and plan to be productive citizens as taxpayers of this nation. Because we live in a world of Ubuntu, we must not only live to better ourselves but to better those around us too, especially our children. Therefore, I want to challenge every young adult to give a year of service and change the world.
Houa Vang is a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate who is currently serving with City Year in Milwaukee. If you have any questions or comments about City Year, please send an email to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
