An 'action tank' for national service, City Year seeks to demonstrate, improve, and promote the concept of national service as a means of building a stronger democracy. City Year unites a diverse group of young people, ages 17 to 24, for a year of full-time, rigorous community service, leadership development, and civic engagement. City Year's vision is that one day, the most commonly asked question of an 18-year-old will be: "Where are you going to do your service year?"

Description:
City Year works toward the full realization of this vision through three core activities:

Running a full-time youth service corps
City Year unites a diverse group of 17 to 24 year-old young people for a year of full-time, rigorous community service, leadership development, and civic engagement. On Opening Day, corps members pledge their dedication before an audience of friends, family, corporate executives, service leaders, and civic officials.
Engaging citizens in service through large-scale, high-impact community events
The City Year Serve-a-thon unites thousands of people each year in completing critical service projects to revitalize their communities.
On MLK Day, City Year sites across the nation lead moving and powerful celebrations of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., fostering a spirit of civic engagement and bringing together community members from all walks of life.
Leading discussion and development of national service policies and initiatives
At cyzygy, City Year's Annual Convention of Idealism, the entire City Year community comes together to celebrate the power of national service and convene City Year's National Service Policy Forum, a discussion of the future of the national service movement that brings together corporate and civic leaders, social entrepreneurs, policy experts, foundation program officers, and other champions.
Founded in Boston in 1988, City Year has established programs in Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Columbia, SC; Columbus; Detroit; New Hampshire; New York; Philadelphia; Rhode Island; San Antonio; San Jose; Seattle/King County and Washington, D.C. Lead investors in City Year include Cisco Systems, Comcast, MFS Investment Management, and The Timberland Company. City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps.

History:
City Year was founded in 1988 by Michael Brown and Alan Khazei, then-roommates at Harvard Law School, who felt strongly that young people in service could be a powerful resource for addressing our nation's most pressing issues. Over the years, City Year has been built on the belief that one person can make a difference, and with the vision that one day service will be a common expectation - and a real opportunity - for citizens all around the world.

Contact people:

Itai Dinour, Executive Director , (212) 675-8881, (email) Drew Curtis, Civic Engagement Manager, (646) 452-3634, (email)

Address:

Municipal Building NY, NY 10007 (See a map)