Miami, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott and First Lady Ann Scott visited City Year Miami, an innovative mentoring and tutoring AmeriCorps program administered by Volunteer Florida that is dedicated to keeping students in school and on track to graduation. Governor Scott met with 185 City Year corps members, teachers and administrators, and learned about City Year’s work to target high-risk schools and students by harnessing the power of young leaders.
Gov Scott said, “It was great meeting with City Year AmeriCorps members and teachers today. We are continuing to work to make sure that every student in Florida has the opportunity to get a great education. I applaud everyone involved in this program, which is making a tremendous difference in the lives of Florida families.”
Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman said, “City Year is an excellent example of our AmeriCorps programs having an impact in Florida, and we are pleased to partner with them to help Florida’s students. Last year, Volunteer Florida’s AmeriCorps members provided teaching, tutoring or mentoring to 48,147 students in nearly 400 Florida schools, and City Year is a significant contributor toward this achievement.”
City Year Miami Executive Director Saif Ishoof said, “We are honored to host Governor Scott today at Booker T. Washington Senior High School, and we’re inspired by his dedication to this important work. These 185 dedicated and idealistic City Year Miami AmeriCorps members are proud members of a national network that is more than 2,500 strong, each helping students stay in school and on track to succeed.”
City Year is a national nonprofit dedicated to keeping students in school by working to improve their attendance, behavior and course performance. By recognizing that 50 percent of our nation’s dropouts come from just 12 percent of the schools, City Year targets students as early as the third grade for intervention. City Year members provide individual support to students who need extra care and attention through in-class tutoring, mentoring, and after-school programs.
City Year integrates a “near-peer” approach and utilizes the talent and energy of young leaders ages 17-24 to serve as corps members. At the completion of their year of service, City Year members are eligible to receive a college scholarship.
Last year at Booker T. Washington Senior High School, City Year AmeriCorps members supported nearly 200 students with direct interventions to improve behavior, increase attendance, and improve performance in math and English.
In the fall of 2012, City Year celebrated the start of its fifth year in Miami and launched new sites in Orlando and Jacksonville.
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