Our episode today features City Year's own Sean McDevitt, City Year AmeriCorps alum '02, and Senior Director, AmeriCorps Member Experience. Together, we dive into Sean's journey to service and City Year, and his committment to service as a pathway to meaningful impact and success.

Today we are joined by Elliot Washor, co-founder of Big Picture Learning. Join us for a conversation on the importance of listening to students and the power of strong adult-student relationships.

Today on Why We Matter we are joined by Bethany Little of Education Policy for a conversation on the role of policy in education and national service.

Today we meet with Mario Fedelin, a City Year alum who is now the founder and CEO of Changeist, an organization that brings together 11-26 year olds on Saturdays to build community and create a dialogue focused on civic duty and addressing local and national challenges.

Join us for another SPOTLIGHT episode featuring Rayna Hayward, a student success coach serving with Healthy Choices AmeriCorps in San Francisco.

On today's episode of Why We Matter, we welcome Dr. Sandra Cano, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of City Year Los Angeles. Dr. Cano shares with us her powerful story and sheds some light on the impact of City Year LA on Los Angeles.

Today we excited to share with you another spotlight episode of Why We Matter featuring Dallas Hill, a Team leader serving with City Year New York.

We are thrilled to welcome Ericka Dawson from Peer Health Exchange to our show today. In this episode, Ericka touches on her expertise and lessons learned in her partnerships with young people, school districts, communities, and beyond.

Please join us for a special spotlight episode featuring a current student success coach: Bianca Acuna serving with PASS AmeriCorps in San Diego, CA.

This week we are joined by Dr. Carlos Galan, Sr. Director of TTA Research, Outcomes, and Evaluation at City Year to discuss the quantitative and qualitative data of the Student Success Coach Learning Network.

We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Kris De Pedro to our show today to dive into the importance of research and evalution in this work. Together, we explore the value that critical research adds to the work we do at City Year and beyond.

Today we welcome Symia Stigler, Vice President of Learner & Leader Program Design at City Year Headquarters to the podcast. Together, we continue the dive into the importance of strong relationships with our Student Success Coaches and students.

Join us in welcoming Dr. Tarra Mitchell, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of City Year Seattle/King County for a conversation on the tremendous impact of both military and service on her own life and the value national service has on our young people and students.

Join us as we speak with Chris Tuck of New Rochelle City School District to explore the power of relationships in schools and communities.

Dr. Pedro Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Pedro Noguera joins us to discuss the critical need of SSCs in schools. Through his extensive experience in schools across the country, Dr. Noguera lends his thoughts on the impact of programs like City Year on students, teachers, schools, and communities.

Today we are joined by Michael Lynch, CEO and co-founder of Improve Your Tomorrow, to discuss the impact mentors and Student Success Coaches have on young people, particularly young men of color.

We're honored to welcome Josh Fryday, Chief Service Officer of California Volunteers to today's edition of "Why We Matter." Listen to learn more about national service in California.

Today we met with Maggie Franco, Vice President of Education Ecosystem and Systems Change at City Year. Together, we dive into the pilot California Student Success Coach Learning Network.

In this episode, we hear from Jennifer Boyce, Vice President of SSC Technical Assistance, Technical Assistance Director, NPSS Support Hub at City Year to learn more about the student success coach model.

In our first episode from "Why We Matter," we hear from Voices for National Service President and City Year Chief External Engagement, Policy, and International Officer, AnnMaura Connolly as she discusses the power of national service.

The challenges public schools and students are facing are real – chronic absenteeism, declining academic performance, increasing emotional and mental health concerns.  At the same time, we know our youth have limitless talent and potential and they've shown resilience and creativity during and after the pandemic.  In this new podcast series from City Year, education, policy experts, and thought leaders, will come together to share insights, and offer solutions for helping our youth learn, grow, and thrive, in school and beyond.   You will hear from the young adults who partner with classroom teachers to support student success.  We start by spotlighting a promising effort in the Golden State – California - that is offering students an additional caring adult in their lives, just when they need one.  This is Jonathan Raymond, your host of Why We Matter, recording from City Year Headquarters in Boston, MA -- Follow us now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.  

Today we are joined by Shavon Marion, Managing Director of Impact at City Year Memphis for a conversation about her journey to City Year and her experience working with students and student success coaches to cultivate positive learning communities.

Join us for a conversation with Gustavo Ortiz, Principal at Ascot Elementary in South Los Angeles. Gustavo speaks to the impact City Year student success coaches have had on his students and school.

Today we welcome Sam Rodriguez, City Year alum and founder and executive director of Walls for Justice, a Philadelphia based nonprofit that strives to create positive change through art, for a conversation focused on the importance of following your heart.

Join us for a moving episode with Charlie Rose, Dean of City Year. Charlie touches on the impact of community on his own life and on the lives of our corps members across the country.

Today we meet Annie Qin, a City Year Boston alum and current Chief of Staff of Boston Centers for Youth and Families who discusses her time serving with City Year and the impact her service has had on her life and career.

Today we meet with internationally acclaimed author and podcaster, Paul Samuel Dolman, where we touch on the topics of public education, mentorship, purpose, and bringing love into all areas of life.

Join us for another SPOTLIGHT episode featuring James Burton, a recent City Year Boston alum who served at Mather Elementary School in Dorchester, MA.

Join us for a conversation with Major General John Barry, President & CEO of Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. John joins us with extensive experience in public service. From serving in the United States Air Force for over 30 years as a combat veteran, fighter pilot, to becoming the Superintendent of Aurora Public Schools, and more.

Meet Stefanie Vestal, a City Year Providence and DC AmeriCorps Alum and City Year Staff Alum! Stef shares with us her impressive career in service, from her time serving in Providence and Washington, DC, to her time working as staff for City Year DC, to her experience at the Clinton School of Public Service and her current tenure as Director of Strategy and External Affairs at the Little Rock School District. Tune in to hear her impressive story and to learn how she carries her City Year experience with her.

Tom Brady, former Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), recalls his extensive public service experience, from serving as the Director of DoDEA during the COVID-19 pandemic, to his experience working with City Year AmeriCorps members in DC, Providence, and Philadelphia and his personal and professional commitment to national service.

Today on Why We Matter we meet with City Year's Vice President of Communications, Joe Zappala, for a conversation on the art and power of storytelling, especially in the service and education fields.

Join us for a conversation with Tim Quinn, Founding CEO, Michigan Leadership Institute and Founding Managing Director, The Broad Academy for an important conversation about leadership, service, and meaningful relationships with students.

For this edition of our Spotlight series we welcome City Year Boston Alum, Kevin Dua. Kevin served with the Boston corps in 2009 and is now a highschool humanities teacher. Join us for a conversation about Kevin's service and the pathway it led to his career in teaching.

September is National Attendance Awareness Month. To commemorate, we invited Dr. Bob Balfanz for a conversation about chronic absenteeism and the critical value student success coaches add to classrooms across the country.

Today we meet with Tasha Booker, Senior Vice President of External Engagement at City Year. Tasha discusses her journey to City Year through education and service, and shares a few of her memorable stories from her time as Executive Director of City Year Columbus.

Today on Why We Matter we have the chance to meet René Sebastian Cisneros- the Team Leader for City Year at Mattapan’s Young Achievers Pilot Schoo. René trains first-year Corps members and serves as a tutor in a 7th-grade math classroom. René is deeply passionate about supporting students from Mattapan’s predominantly Latine and Caribbean community, many of whom are Spanish speaking. A native of Clifton, New Jersey, René has been engaged in community care and activism from a young age. His work with City Year connects his academic interests with his commitment to empowering communities he feels a deep connection to. René aims to continue working with volunteer organizations to provide holistic, culturally responsive education to underserved communities.

In this week's episode, we feature New England Revolution coach, Coach Knighton. Coach Knighton shares his incredible journey from professional player to coach and how he remains committed to giving back to his community. Tune in to hear his inspiring story of dedication, leadership, and supporting the next generation. This episode is brought to you by Santander Bank.

This week on Why We Matter, Kelly Corrigan, New York Times Bestselling Author and host of the Kelly Corrigan Wonders podcast, joins us for a conversation on the need for bravery in our dearest relationships.

Today we are joined by Gage Barringer, a second year AmeriCorps member serving with City Year Greater Boston. Gage shares with us their journey to City Year, and some of his lessons learned, memorable moments, and inspiring reflections from his service experience. Tune in for a moving episode.

Join us for a conversation with Kate Cochran, Managing Director of the National Partnership of Student Success Hub. Tune in to learn more about the important work of the NPSS, and the critical impact student success coaches add to schools and communities across the country. Together, we dive into the impact of this work on both local communities and young people in service positions.

To learn more about the NPSS, you can visit their website: https://www.partnershipstudentsuccess.org/

Join us for a conversation with City Year Columbus alum, Dr. Jena Pugh. Dr. Jena shares with our listeners her journey to City Year, the skills she developed through service, and how her unexpected "gap year" led to graduate school and a successful career in higher education. To learn about Dr. Jena's work as a graduate school strategist, please visit her website: https://www.drjenapugh.com/.

To learn how she helps AmeriCorps alums and current Corps Members go back to graduate school, follow this link: https://www.drjenapugh.com/americorps.

To register for her December 17 workshop on writing personal statements for graduate school, follow this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrf-mhrTgvGNTtinbw4qEbITOmq2VZkZ-2#/registration

Today we meet with Eric Chapman, Principal of O.W Erlewine Elementary School to discuss his decades of leadership in Sacramento public schools. Eric dives into the benefit of whole child education and development.

Join us for a conversation with Jenn Hoos Rothberg, Executive Director of Einhorn Collaborative. Together, we discuss Jenn's nearly two decades of leading the foundation and her personal and professional experiences that have deepened her understanding of the power of human connection, service, and their transformative legacy.