Boston, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City Year, Inc., with the support of The LEGO Foundation and in collaboration with City Year New York, has introduced The Power of Student Success Coaches in Community Schools, a new resource designed to help school and district leaders leverage community partnerships to strengthen the supports that schools and families need to drive student success.
The playbook offers recommendations on how community schools can integrate City Year’s student success coaching model, which involves young adults 17-25 who serve as AmeriCorps members in under-resourced communities. Student success coaches partner with teachers to build positive relationships with students and provide supports that help students engage more deeply with their learning and graduate from high school prepared for college and career. Research has shown that this holistic approach has positive effects on students, academically, socially, emotionally and in terms of attendance.
The Power of Student Success Coaches in Community Schools was introduced today at the Somos Inc. Conference hosted by the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force in San Juan, Puerto Rico. City Year New York Executive Director Quamid Francis announced the new playbook during a panel discussion titled “Community Schools: Solutions Our Kids and Communities Need,” joined by representatives and leaders from education, government and advocacy groups in both New York and Puerto Rico.
"The Power of Student Success Coaches in Community Schools reinforces City Year's pledge to holistically foster student growth and development social-emotionally and academically," Francis said. “This initiative not only elevates the standard for scholastic achievement; it also paves the way for us to sculpt a new educational paradigm for our communities, setting a benchmark for like-minded organizations and champions of first-rate, equitable education."
Included in the playbook are tips and real-life examples demonstrating the impact of student success coaching and how this can enhance community school practices that include promoting a culture of belonging, safety and care and building powerful student and family engagement. While student success coaching has been effective in various kinds of public non-community schools across 20 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, there is a natural alignment between the drivers of successful student success coaching programs and the practices of community schools, as seen in New York City where City Year student success coaches have been serving across 17 community schools.
The playbook also includes a set of policy recommendations, such as incentivizing the integration of partner organizations into the school community, and establishing and maintaining high-quality teacher pathways for student success coaches and AmeriCorps alumni.
“The LEGO Foundation is committed to building a future in which learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong learners,” said Dr. Bo Stjerne Thomsen, the vice president and chair of learning through Play at The LEGO Foundation. “We are proud of our partnership with City Year and are excited for the launch of the playbook that we know will disseminate key best practices to provide the holistic supports to help ensure all young people thrive.”
More on the playbook: https://www.cityyear.org/national/stories/our-impact/the-power-of-student-success-coaches-in-schools/
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City Year
City Year is a trailblazing, youth-powered organization with a dual mission: expanding educational equity for students furthest from opportunity and developing diverse leaders through national service. Research shows the more time a student spends with a City Year AmeriCorps member serving as student success coach, the better the student outcomes—academically, socially, and emotionally. A public-private partnership, City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps, operating in 29 U.S. cities with international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. Today, 37,000 alums continue to lead and serve where they live and work. Learn more about City Year’s six areas of impact: www.cityyear.org, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
The LEGO Foundation
The LEGO Foundation shares the mission of the LEGO Group: to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. The Foundation is dedicated to building a future in which learning through play empowers children to become creative, engaged, lifelong learners. Its work is about redefining play and reimagining learning. In collaboration with thought leaders, influencers, educators and parents the LEGO Foundation aims to equip, inspire and activate champions for play. https://learningthroughplay.com/
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Joe Zappala, Vice President of Communications City Year, Inc. 607.339.1098 joseph_zappala@cityyear.org
