U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will deliver remarks and participate in City Year Washington, D.C.'s Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Service Day. The event, which will take place from 8:45 a.m. to noon on Monday, Jan. 20, at Coolidge High School in the District, will commemorate the civil rights movement and honor the life and work of Dr. King.
Founded in 1998, City Year is wholly focused on fighting the national dropout crisis. At its various locations across the United States, teams of diverse young people called corps members serve full-time in schools for 10 months working to improve student attendance, behavior and course performance in English and math. As tutors, mentors and role models, corps members help students and schools succeed through:
- Academic Support: Provide one-on-one or small group tutoring before, during and after school
- Attendance and Positive Behavior Encouragement: Lead energetic morning greetings, make attendance and positive phone calls home and lead mentor groups
- Community and School Improvements: Organize and lead activities, celebrations and projects to improve the community and school environment which includes performing physical service such as: painting murals, planting community gardens, renovating schools and refurbishing community centers
City Year is the primary partner in the School Turnaround AmeriCorps grant program, jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service. City Year School Turnaround AmeriCorps members come from 650 corps members placed by 13 grantees throughout the country to help keep students on track to graduate by working to increase student academic achievement, attendance and high school graduation rates; improve college and career readiness; and provide college enrollment assistance and advice.