City Year Jax CEO: Marking 10 years of mentorship, and the power of investing in youth
As I reflect on the 10th anniversary of City Year Jacksonville, my heart fills with gratitude for the unwavering support and dedication of this community. With each passing school year, our mission to uplift and guide young people has grown stronger, thanks to your belief in the power of mentorship and opportunity.
We could not have accomplished this without our beautiful partnership with Duval County Public Schools and the individuals, foundations, alumni, organizations and countless partners united by a common goal — to provide a roadmap to success for local young people by accelerating their academic and personal growth beyond what anyone thought possible.
This year, as we mark this important milestone, we celebrate the impact we've made together.
A decade ago, we set out with a vision to be mentors, advocates and champions for students in our most systemically under-resourced communities. The vital presence of City Year Jacksonville student success coaches is felt in classrooms throughout Duval County. These idealistic young adults are steady pillars of support in classrooms, ensuring that every student has the tools they need to access knowledge and resources.
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Our journey is not measured by time alone, but in countless hours of mentorship and service — over 680,000 hours to be exact — that we've poured into 19 schools.
The stories we've collected year after year are our testament to the transformative power of investing in our youth. In the last academic year alone, we witnessed astonishing growth: 91% of students who struggled in math ended with shining grades of C or better, while 85% achieved the same triumph in English. Education is the cornerstone of progress and all students are not given equal access to opportunities.
Yet, together, we are dismantling those barriers, brick by brick. With every student, every classroom and every school day, we’re building a legacy of promise for Jacksonville's future leaders. This commitment to a cycle of opportunity that empowers every young soul to thrive — regardless of their starting point — is the heartbeat of our city's growth.
The beauty of our organization lies in its cyclical nature. After 10 years, the same students that we once served in elementary schools serve as City Year student success coaches. Once mentored in their youth by City Year coaches themselves, they now stand as beacons of hope for the next generation.
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Since our inception in 2013, we've seen 30% of our coaches become educators, while 48% have chosen careers in the nonprofit sector. This illustrates how our Career Pathways program equips young adults with the experience necessary to follow their dreams beyond their year of service.
The heart of City Year Jacksonville beats in sync with this incredible community. We extend our sincere gratitude to Duval County for standing by us, believing in us and supporting our vital work. As we look ahead, we commit to relentlessly driving opportunities for our city's young minds.
As we commemorate a decade of service, we're embarking on a new chapter infused with even greater purpose. The pandemic left its mark, underscoring the urgency of our mission. In response, we're forging innovative pathways forward.
In the months ahead, we will be announcing many ways to get involved. Among them is our inaugural Red Jacket Week, a celebration of everyone who's played a role in shaping our youth's futures, to be held in February 2024. We invite all of you to join in the festivities and share in our joy while helping us serve even more young people in Jacksonville.
Until then, keep an eye out — you might just spot us in the classrooms, walking alongside the leaders of tomorrow.
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 builds a legacy of success for future Jacksonville leaders
