If anyone is seeing this in 2021, I am a current City Year member and I am willing to talk about my experience and answer any questions as it's good to have different experiences

@ggrayson3435

3 жыл бұрын

I am in the process of applying, I would love to talk with you

@kiahesharagsdale5206

3 жыл бұрын

@@ggrayson3435 ok you can add me on Facebook @ Kiahesha Ragsdale or Instagram @perfect_imperfections0459

@ayeehollaaaa

3 жыл бұрын

@@kiahesharagsdale5206 can I add you too! I also am in the process of applying?

@kiahesharagsdale5206

3 жыл бұрын

Yes please add

@lavender9347

3 жыл бұрын

Can I talk to you??? I’m thinking of applying

Thank you for telling your story honestly thinking about quitting because my experience is making me mentally so unwell and I feel like CY mangers and impact leaders don’t care, even though I was clear about how badly I was suffering and needed to see a doctor and they wouldn’t let up. Thanks for sharing!

@jennymarie2603

Жыл бұрын

Do what's right for you! You can't save everyone. That is something I had to come to realize and they take advantage of young adults in that age range.

@jbru9576

Жыл бұрын

Transfer to CY Philly it’s great here

I'm about to do city year for the first time and I came across your video. This was very insightful appreciate the honesty!

@jennymarie2603

5 жыл бұрын

Abjecthda no problem! That’s why I wanted to do this video to help others and share my honest experience! 🙃

@kingbaby64

4 жыл бұрын

You will have a wonderful experience !

Thank you for sharing! I just applied and this was very helpful for me to think about!

@abey2455

4 жыл бұрын

literally me too lol

Thanks For this video! It's really informational

I was in City Year Philadelphia & my relatives stayed up there so my rent wasn't as bad as others. But lemme tell you...it was ROUGH! I had to take 2 buses and 2 trains (subways) to get to work by 7:45am leaving the school by 6:00pm getting home at 7:30pm (West Philly to Germantown/North Philly) . Literally 12-14 hour work day. We got 1 month training before entering the schools & I was NOT prepared for this. The amount of trauma that I had to witness my students go through was heartbreaking. I truly think that the students deserve professional help from people who work in education, psychology, social work, instead of employing underpaid high school/college grads. I remember one day we met with our City Year team sponsor, Comcast. Comcast happens to sponsor the Comcast Cares event which organizies a beautification project at a local school. What made me angry is their unwillingness to visit or even donate to the school we were serving at. Had me question where is all of that money going?? While I'm being paid a measly $800. I notice that the perks only started getting better the higher position your were. But I had to leave due to stress reasons, wasn't sleeping or eating after 5 months there smh. Wish I would've known then what I was getting myself into...

@evannssugarbaby229

3 жыл бұрын

I also served that was at City Year Philly too. It was in 2018-2019 school year. I left after 4 months.

@tatidanidean

3 жыл бұрын

I was also in CY Philly. During 2017-2018 year. I left in May and it was worth losing the education grant to leave early.

@crmnlpz5376

3 жыл бұрын

@@tatidanidean is it that bad

@tatidanidean

3 жыл бұрын

@@crmnlpz5376 I’m not going to say the entire org is bad. And I won’t even say that CY philly is bad. But I felt like while their hearts were in the right places they didn’t follow through with actually caring for the students or preparing people to work in such trauma filled environments. I had good memories but I can’t work for someone I don’t respect and I lost respect for my two direct managers and their treatment and handling of situations with students. The pay is also very low which can create additional stress but it is a service year. But I met great people who I still keep in touch with today.

@sgsportgirl

2 жыл бұрын

Currently serve with CY Philly, in my second year and this year has been the complete opposite of my first year, which is not a good thing. Also, Comcast is our team’s sponsor too!

as a current member in this trainwreck of a year, this job basically only teaches you how to spot scams and exploitation in work, which is why they target 18-25 year olds and ONLY hire them as on-the-ground corps members, which change every year and thus are terrible for the kids. You can't make relationships in one year. As soon as the corp members start to form relationships and realize what the schools need, they're tired of the higher-ups not knowing what's going on so they leave and don't come back, and they can't serve more than a year anyway. So nothing changes. If cityyear cared about its workers and the work that it wants to be done, they'd hire people to do this in the long term, like intervention specialists.

@prettygirlpris536

2 жыл бұрын

You can serve more than a year. The only thing ill say is that the stipend isn't enough

@frank-kj8gn

2 жыл бұрын

@@prettygirlpris536 yeah you can serve another year, but it's not doing the same work. What if I don't want to move up the management chain? I want to work with kids, but I can't afford to do that work for CityYear because it's so low paying and I have rent to pay

So I'm 6 months into city year and wow I was not prepared for this, a quarter of our core members quit. I felt like I've been exploited for cheap labor.

@OohWeeShaShaCooCoo

4 жыл бұрын

I feel you. I'm doing a branch of Americorps and a lot of our members quit too. We all feel the same.

@kellykween

4 жыл бұрын

Me tooooooooo :/ i can't quit because the kids!!! but i wish i could!! stick it out tho! it will be over soon 😅

@Abjecthda

4 жыл бұрын

I resigned recently and not seeing the students anymore was painful. I do regret resigning, but at the same time there are better nonprofits out there that don't treat their employees like trash.

@faitha8306

4 жыл бұрын

I just applied and I understand that it’s a lot of work but it’s literally service work. It’s not about the money it’s about putting in the necessary hard work to better your community.

@Sunnydayfreeway

4 жыл бұрын

You were exploited for cheap labor. They don't want to do the dirty work themselves so they'd rather exploit the youth to do the dirty work while the ones running the program get to live their life making a profit off the work you did for them. It's all a big business that doesn't give a damn about those kids or your well-being. It's for the money.

I served at City Year Greater Boston from August 2023 to February 2024. My experience started off really great. I hated my 7-Eleven job so much that any job afterwards was going to be far better. I liked the team I was placed with, my Impact Manager, my school and the 6th grade class. However, it ended up being the most miserable experience after 3 - 4 months. A student in my class complained about me saying that I made them uncomfortable. Without getting my side of things, the school kicked me out. My IM did not come to my defense at all. CY did investigate and clear me but the process took 2 weeks where I was stuck in a room at HQ doing pointless virtual work. Even though I specified I'd prefer working with middle schoolers and the commute being the same, they put me in a 3rd grade class in a far away school. What made it even worse is that my former team and IM started ignoring me. Felt completely abandoned me. CY tried to get me to have a talk with my former IM but it kept getting delayed. The best way to describe CYGB is they are "well meaning but incompetent."

Girl! I can't find anything about AmeriCorps on youtube! At least anything relevant. I am looking into the AdviseMI program but there is nothing on here about it?? So thanks for even part of the info.

A lot of the stuff you addressed in the video is also addressed on their website and their videos. They emphasize how under-resourced these schools are and why the work CityYear members do is so important, especially because many of these kids have seen trauma. I feel like they’re also up front about what the biweekly stipend is, but that pay was a lot more impactful bc you moved to a different city and they only offer like a $500 relocation pay. Maybe it’s because I’m with CityYear Chicago but I feel like they were very clear on their expectations and such.

@jennymarie2603

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment. When I did City Year they did not address it on their website or videos. They have evolved over the years. Yes they were upfront of their stipend but other logistics they were not therefore misleading in how the living situations and daily lives are. Most recruiters are focused on quantity and not quality of members and therefore enticing members to join. I did not receive any relocation pay when I did it so there are different experiences and operations on how they do their program in different cities. I am sharing my truth and perspective that isn't shared openly and directly to members at first. Therefore, I want to make sure there are multiple perspectives leaving members to make a balanced and though out decision.

@reynaestrada7743

4 жыл бұрын

SweetSimplyJenny that’s fair, I didn’t think about how it probably changed over recent years

@gabrielatrevino1977

4 жыл бұрын

Hi! Sorry this is so random...but I'm in the process of applying to City Year as well, in the area you're serving. Is there any way we could maybe chat about it? Thanks so much!

@Cherishtriplett

4 жыл бұрын

@@gabrielatrevino1977 Hey me too!

@jennymarie2603

4 жыл бұрын

@@gabrielatrevino1977 Hi Gabriela, yes feel free to reach out to me via instagram dm

I did the corps for 2015-2016 and it sucked but it wa a valuable experience... no job I have now is as bad as City Year. We used to call it "shitty year" for a joke. I let out one "f" bomb and got fired one month before graduation. lol

....and the TRUTH shall set you free.

I did city year twice for two years back when it was still small and manageable and they gave more to corps members because they had more capacity to take care of their members. Let me say this.... Everything this young lady is true. Theres a culture of we will use you and we wont really care about it. To an extent its okay because its for the kids, however this program is not for everyone. That said, I hated some of the city year experiences however I will never trade it for anything. I would do it again at that age. I remember preparing for some service days and the prep ended at 3 am only to be back at work by 8 am.

But honestly thank you for your video it's the realest one yet

@jennymarie2603

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the support and comment. You should share your experience! We need more honest ones because it should be transparent for others who are interested in joining and I wish I knew this before I moved and started this journey. Thanks for watching! ♥️♥️

I applied to serve as a mid year applicant. During your term was it normal to see new members joining in when people left?

Americorps does help people, but politicans don't have any major incentives in fixing society. It's mainly about advancing their career. They also serve those who bribe them

Thanks for sharing!

Do you need to room with other City Years? My fiance wants to live with me to help me cut costs but I'm not sure if this is allowed. I'm between this program and NCCC

Have a beautiful Thursday. Good night Congratulations on your beautiful video, and your wonderful channel. I am your friend and subscriber to your channel. I like 5

@jennymarie2603

5 жыл бұрын

thank you beautiful!

...QUESTION: I'm wondering if the low pay you mention really means that if a grant was written up by City Year for a certain amount [is that info even disclosed?] are they just keeping much of the funds for themselves? Thanks

@kellykween

4 жыл бұрын

Lisa Bass honestly, they must be...

Did you have your own room at City Year?

Hmm I did city year too. I was thinking about making a video as well. You may have inspired me

@yarelivasquez2896

4 жыл бұрын

Please do i just applied

@AM-nv5ww

4 жыл бұрын

please do! I think a lot of people will benefit from hearing about this !!

👍

yooo, whats up Jenny, its cesar we served together xD Once a City Year always a City Year hahhaa. Hope youre doing well

@jennymarie2603

3 жыл бұрын

Cesar! Wow how are you??

anyone served in city year Little Rock and can tell me what the "modest bi-weekly stipend" is like? guessing I wont find out til I interview, and then ill have to make a quick decision on the offer lol

@Tarsibu

8 ай бұрын

It was $150 for me and my entire program

i don't blame you, miami sucks i would quit if I lived there too

Runnnnnnnn

Can you serve, and have your own apartment, and still receive stipend?

@jennymarie2603

5 жыл бұрын

Its very rare that I heard people having their own apartment while serving because the stipend was so very little that it was only affordable to live with others to cut the costs of living in an apartment. Where I stayed I was able to live with only one roommate instead of two or more but most of my stipend went towards rent and utilities which was 85%. I was willing to sacrifice that much just to not live with so many people. Others got another job but wasn't sustainable for some but for some it was. I hope that works!

@prettygirlpris536

2 жыл бұрын

yes

You didn't have to stay on campus for Americorps ?

@jennymarie2603

5 жыл бұрын

Hey Jake, no I didn't stay on a campus during my service year. The program I was in did not have a campus for us. Instead we had to look for our own housing with other americorps members and pay it with our living stipend.

Does it cost money to participate ?

@jennymarie2603

4 жыл бұрын

No it doesn't cost money to participate. Its volunteer service.

sis was expecting to stay at the mariott

@jennymarie2603

3 жыл бұрын

lol no i wasn't sis but you obviously made assumptions

I'll never forget my CityYear experience in South Carolina. I'll never get over the fact that I had students who couldn't f*cking read and got pissed off at me for trying to help them to read. The ignorance of this country's youth is terrifying and an ominous sign of the future.

@nubianq333

4 жыл бұрын

Beast Rider Thank you for volunteering to assist disadvantaged youth to grow. It is a significant challenge for sure.! I appreciate your sentiment however there are also other ways to evaluate your experience. Students/people who have difficulty reading already feel inferior and disabled, even before we engage with them. They are often afraid because they cannot read, and that fear frequently appears as anger and disrespect. A major AMERICORPS objective is to get us to live and feel the life of “Disadvantism” not expect it to meet the standards of “Middleclassism”. Many of us blessed with knowledge and basic comforts can use our gifts strategically to assist others less fortunate by researching creative ways others have approached the literacy problem. There is a wealth of KZread and other vids on “Teaching others How to Read”.. When we know better we do better...

@MayAllYourStarsAlign

4 жыл бұрын

Why are you degrading the children who are unable to read? They were probably frustrated with themselves. That’s why you were there to begin with.

@alohaazzie8462

4 жыл бұрын

They could’ve been getting pissed because you don’t seem f*cking empathetic at all. Most people who can’t read, already feel inferior and less intelligent than those who can. You don’t sound like you were empathetic to that fact and pushed your expectations upon them. Maybe put yourself into the shoes of someone else

@mauricehuff3540

4 жыл бұрын

you sound like an arrogant white man. I'd bet money you are

@angelo22433

3 жыл бұрын

Illiteracy is a sign of failure from the system to invest in their students. Not failure from the students themselves. These types of situations are more nuanced than you think