By Sara Freed Sussman
A year of service and City Year are sometimes difficult to explain to our students. We’re not teachers, but students see us in their classrooms, hallways and school all day long. Corps members from the MFS Investment management team serving at Dever-McCormack Lower School sat down with 3rd grade students Angel*, Nathaniel*, and Malachi* to answer their questions about City Year.
Angel: Here’s what I know about City Year. They might help me in math. They might help me in reading. They might help me get to a level Q in reading this year. Will you help me get to a level Q in reading this year?
City Year Boston (CYB): Yes, we will!
Nathaniel: What does a City Year do when they’re not in class? Give lunch to the little kids? Play kickball?
CYB: When corps members are not in class, we do many things to help the school. We deliver the student breakfasts and lunches, help teachers to improve their classroom and hallway spaces, welcome students at arrival time each morning and assist the school at dismissal time too. Some corps members serve in specialty classrooms for fun, like strings [orchestra] class. Our team also makes movies for assemblies, makes awesome bulletin boards, [organizes] attendance challenges, plans events for the school in math, reading, and lunch buddies, and attends meetings with the school so we can serve the school better. We also play kickball with the classes that won the attendance challenge.
Angel: Why does City Year wear that coat all the time?
CYB: City Year wears the red jacket to show how much our service means to us. Whenever you see a City Year jacket, it has been dedicated by that City Year to somebody special in their lives. Every City Year [corps member] earns his or her jacket by going through lots of training. We are very proud to represent City Year by wearing our jacket. It’s like a team jersey.
Nathaniel: Are there City Years all around the world?
CYB: Yes! Right now, there are City Year in 25 cities across the nation, and there are also City Year teams serving in England and South Africa.
Malachi: Where can I buy the City Year clothes? How does City Year get the uniform to match, because I want one?
CYB: You can buy City Year clothes on the City Year website, but you can only earn a uniform if you are in City Year. That means, in ten years, you could serve with City Year and earn your own uniform to wear with all of us!
Angel: Why does City Year love kickball so much?
CYB: Our team loves kickball because it motivates you guys to come to school each day. So many classrooms had perfect attendance this past month because they all wanted to win our prize: a kickball game with the City Year team. We love it when you have perfect attendance and are in school every day to learn; that is why we love kickball so much.
Before ending the interview, we swapped roles and asked our star scholars one very important question:
CYB: Do you have any messages to share with City Year?
Nathaniel: To all those City Years out there, I hope that you guys will always be there for me.
Angel: I would give you a hug, but this is an interview.
Malachi: Don’t leave the school! And can you eat lunch with me tomorrow?
*Names changed to protect students’ privacy.
About the author:
Sara Freed Sussman is a 2013-2014 corps member serving on the MFS Investment Management team at Dever-McCormack Lower School in Dorchester.
