City Year Jacksonville celebrates 10 years of championing young people
Where would we be without our young people? Our youth are the foundation of our future, and every young person deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. This idea is what drives everything we do at City Year Jacksonville.
For over a decade, we have served every school day in classrooms across Duval County championing students in our most systemically under-resourced communities. Our Student Success Coaches are the hands and feet of our work, coming alongside students to encourage and motivate them. They provide mentorship and academic support to the children in our city who need it the most.
These idealistic young mentors, at the precipice of their career paths, choose service in our community by uplifting our students. They are a gift to us all. City Year recognizes their dedication and rewards this next generation of leaders with professional development opportunities and valuable skills as they begin their journey into their careers.
From Monday through March 1, we are celebrating the transformational impact our Student Success Coaches have made in the lives of our Duval County students over the past 10 years. Mayor Donna Deegan has proclaimed next week here in our city as City Year Jacksonville Red Jacket Week. Throughout the week, you will see the Acosta Bridge, EverBank Stadium and the Florida Blue building lit bright red in celebration of the thousands of children’s lives we have impacted.
We will host events in the schools we serve to celebrate within our school communities. And on Thursday we’re throwing Leap into the Street: City Year Jacksonville’s 10-Year Celebration at the Phoenix Arts and Innovation District in gratitude to you, our friends and neighbors across Jacksonville for your support in helping us reach our 10-year milestone.
Letters: Bad memory or bad judgment? Biden vs. Trump, no match
There are many ways for you to join the Red Jacket Week festivities next week, and we hope you do!
Visit us at James Weldon Johnson Park during your lunch break on Monday to snag your “Ask Me About Red Jacket Week” pin and other swag. Snap a photo with one of the city landmarks beaming red for City Year and tag us on social media @cityearjax with #RedJacketWeekCYJ, or wear red on Wednesday and tell a friend or co-worker about us. Boogie with us on the dance floor at the Leap into the Street block party.
And, if you know a young person looking to make a difference in the world, send them our way. We are always looking to add to our ranks of the best and brightest.
Our young people are our future, and education is a catalyst to their success and ability to overcome barriers at every age. At City Year Jacksonville, we see this every day in the eyes of the students we work with and the lives of our Student Success Coaches. As we gear up for our next chapter of growth, it is from a place of thankfulness for this community and our shared belief that all youth deserve the chance to reach their full potential.
Allishia Bauman, senior vice president and executive director, City Year Jacksonville
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: City Year Jacksonville celebrates 10-year anniversary mentoring youth
