City Year
Building Toward a Diverse , Inclusive and Equitable Culture by Supporting Students
Macey Amissah-McKinney , Senior Vice President & Executive Director , City Year
The lack of access to learning opportunities and resources in our communities has become more apparent as our economy continues to experience uncertainty . Unfortunately , these issues have been long-standing , but organizations like SchoolsFirst FCU are taking an active role in improving access to educational programs . An example of this is SchoolsFirst FCU ’ s grant recipient , City Year .
City Year is a nonprofit on a mission to provide community service opportunities to children and young adults . Helping to prepare participants to be leaders in their communities and their careers , City Year AmeriCorps members serve in schools for a year , providing them with valuable social , emotional and academic skills .
“ We ’ ve given ( our participants ) the skills that they need to be successful in their next steps ,” says Macey Amissah-McKinney , City Year Sacramento ’ s senior vice president and executive director . “ It is always a joy when folks choose to stay here and continue working with us because I think it says a lot about the culture and community that we ’ ve built .”
Now in her 11th year with the organization , Amissah-McKinney is a phenomenal example of the personal successes City Year provides its participants . Serving as a corps member for two years before joining staff , Amissah-McKinney says she received so much from the program that has now come to mean so much to her .
“( Participants ) gain a lot even just from a year or two of service and I think I am a testament of that ,” she says . “ I received opportunities to further my skills , to discover what I ’ m passionate about , and to take on additional leadership opportunities to stretch myself .”
Working with the Sacramento City Unified School District , 62 City Year AmeriCorps
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Supporting City Year is a great way for us to live the credit union philosophy of people helping people ,” said Bill Cheney , chief executive officer of SchoolsFirst FCU . “ We ’ re inspired by how City Year creates opportunities for students , helping them achieve their full potential , building a stronger future for our communities .
members will be supporting over 4,000 students in six schools . These students face some of the greatest systemic challenges in the region , with 87 percent coming from low-income areas and 97 percent being students of color . The AmeriCorps members help create learning environments where students can build on their strengths and fully engage in their learning .
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— BILL CHENEY Chief Executive Officer
SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
This profile was made possible by our generous sponsor : 2331 Alhambra Blvd Suite 300 Sacramento , CA 95817 916-403-3700 www . cityyear . org / sacramento
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