CY 101: Putting Idealism to Work

The Putting Idealism to Work list, or PITW’s, is a set of inspirational and practical advice for making the most of your City Year, written by City Year CEO and co-founder Michael Brown, but contributed to by many, many people. The list includes tips and techniques for getting things done effectively and efficiently. PITW’s also encourage you to be a better leader. PITWs give suggestions on how to reflect and dig deeper into the meaning of service and how to better understand ourselves, our teammates and our organization. They push you to challenge yourself and leave your comfort zone. They promote teamwork.

This list is generated from corps and staff suggestions, and is incorporated into the Daily Briefing at Unity Rally. Meetings as teams or departments are often kicked off with a subject-appropriate PITW.

Examples:

PITW #66: Do three “squishy” things a day. You know you are truly leading when you do at least three things a day that make you a little bit uncomfortable.

PITW #100: City Year is an act of will. City Year does not have a solitary institutional base. City Year is essentially a collective act of will of many people and institutions. As a full-time member of the City Year community, your actions of will make a huge difference.

PITW #140: Take personal responsibility for your own well-being. Often the first thing we lose at City Year is sleep, followed closely by our perspective. It’s very important for all of us to get healthy doses of both, and ensure there is balance in our life and work. Prepare yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally for the times of the year that are harder than others.

PITW #159: This is hard. Be strong.

100 HOP or 100 Hours of Power

100 Hours of Power, or 100HOP, is a service event during which 100 consecutive hours of community service are performed by City Year and community volunteers. This event has three central goals. First, City Year seeks to show people that the opportunity to serve can be found at any time and in any place. Second, it is our goal to engage volunteers in service to their community. Finally, 100 Hours of Power seeks to assist local schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations. Past years’ 100HOP have included cleaning out daycare centers, creating urban farms, and mural painting.

Dave, 23, service leader, DVHS Volunteer Management Team

What I wish I'd known before joining City Year

City Year not only causes physical stress, but there is a lot of emotional stress. You think, “okay, I'm creating after school programs, giving in class support and tutoring—sounds easy enough,” but sometimes it can be difficult. It all depends on the dynamic of your students and how receptive they are. There are definitely days when I feel like I've tried too hard or I've done enough. Whatever happens, succeed or fail, you've still got to give 110%.

If you’re not into your service, it will eventually ripple into students’ performance and that’s something you absolutely do not want. I guess what I'm trying to say is never have a weak heart. There will definitely be times when it feels that way, but you have your team, starfish students, service leaders, staff, project manager, and fellow corps members behind you to make sure you’re serving to your best potential. Just hold and keep the faith cause there are many rewards coming your way. Some are definitely worth more than monetary. These are the rewards you reap in making you the person you will ultimately become and inspire others to be.

Tom, 22, corps member, SEI Team at Mastbaum A.V.T.S. High School

My Deloitte Mentor

Thus far in this relationship with my mentor has been great. We have had a wide variety of informative conversations (mostly through the phone) about my goals and ambitions. He is working hard at providing me with some of his own knowledge about his experiences through his early professional career. Jared is a great fit to be my mentor because he helps me set goals and lets me take the reins from there. He kind of plants the seed of success into my daily activities and lets me decide on how to go about my business. We have weekly check-ins detailing things such as my progress on a certain short term goal, or just seeing how my week has gone. He guides me through other obstacles I have faced and encourages me to do more. The support that he provides has been a blessing and I really appreciate his effort to see me through my year of service.

The aspect of his guidance that I enjoy the most is how he helps me get more focused on tasks at hand. He sometimes walks me through scenarios that could happen and it prepares me for the unexpected. I’m glad that I was chosen to partake in this program because I am seeing the benefits right now. I am becoming even more assertive and confident in the decisions I am making. I hope that this will continue on for future corps members because I have not seen any faults. You make this relationship what you want it to be and take it how far you want it to go. The freedom is great, and it’s all about your future, why not take it to the fullest?

Omar, 22, corps member, FirsTrust team at West Philadelphia High School

Where I Live: North Philadelphia

I live in the North Philadelphia section of the city. I have lived there my entire life, except for the few years I was away at college. My area is not a great area to live in but because I have lived there for so long I am used to everything. When I was a kid the area was much worse. My street alone had many raids into homes because of drugs and such. Since I was in high school, the street became better because most of the criminals were either behind bars or they decided to move away.

I know that everything sounds so bad but there are some good aspects to my neighborhood. There are many things that people can do on a daily basis. There are two recreation centers nearby where children can go play sports or just spend some time with their friends. Another benefit is that there is a mini market on almost every corner, not to mention how many Chinese stores there are around. There are also places that people can go to at night but only if they are 21 years old.

Another benefit is that there are a lot of ways to get around the area. There are many buses around (just about every block has at least one bus). There is also the EL, which is called the elevated Market-Frankford line. That line will get you to downtown and out of the city at the last stop.

The best thing about living in my area is that I am near the school that I serve every day. I serve at Taylor Elementary which is only 20 minutes away on bus. It's very close to my home, which makes it convenient. Also, some of students live nearby so I get to see them even when I am not at the school and I am in my street. I do like living in my neighborhood even if there are some troubles there, but that is everywhere.

Christina, 22, corps member, SAP team at Taylor Elementary