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City Year and the State University of New York (SUNY) are building a to expand opportunities for college �鶹����, enabling them to “learn, earn and serve.”

The collaboration will expand the impact of City Year AmeriCorps members working in schools as student success coaches (SSCs) and ensure thousands more college �鶹���� have the opportunity to serve their communities while earning both a stipend and college credit.

, a philanthropic foundation dedicated to advancing the science and practice of social connection and cohesion in America, is investing $5 million in the initiative. The new partnership holds promise for not only impact in higher education and the workforce, but also in bringing people and communities closer together through civic learning and shared purpose.

“We believe that service is fundamental to the mission of higher education, which is the preparation of citizens and securing the future health of our democracy,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King, who has made the a cornerstone of his leadership of SUNY.

“City Year is the perfect partner given City Year’s long history of not only creating great service experiences but really helping to build a national movement around public service.”

This year, more than which promotes the participation of �鶹���� in paid service to their communities.

Expanding City Year’s student success coach model

As part of the new collaboration, City Year is providing training for SUNY �鶹���� serving as through the Empire State Service Corps as a way to begin scaling the model in New York State. Participating �鶹���� earn a stipend and other benefits for their service, learn the basic strategies leveraged in student success coaching, and experience working at youth-serving organizations.

Student success coaches are tutors, mentors and role models who partner with classroom teachers to give �鶹���� additional support in school. Research shows that the more time a student spends with a student success coach, the better the student outcomes—academic, interpersonal and in terms of attendance.

City Year will expand its service footprint beyond 200 AmeriCorps members serving as student success coaches in New York City and Buffalo to multiple locations throughout New York State that are most in need of additional support and resources. The partnership aims to increase the number of student success coaches in New York State schools to 2,000 over the next several years.

“Service is a great bridge to a college education, because of the hands-on learning that �鶹���� do while serving, as well as the work they do on themselves,” Chancellor King said. “[Students who serve] have an opportunity to learn how to build relationships with peers, how to manage their time, how to set goals and complete them—all things that will help them to succeed in college.”

Receiving college credit for service

City Year and SUNY are collaborating to develop clear pathways to earn academic credit at SUNY for the skills and learning acquired through a year of service. This credit recognizes the value of national service—particularly the and hands-on learning for participants.

Credit for prior learning through service also helps �鶹���� advance more quickly and affordably toward their degree and more directly connects the world of academics to civic service and hands-on learning opportunities.

“There’s a remarkable opportunity right now for higher education and national service to come together to help develop the next generation of engaged, empathetic citizens and effective learners and leaders,” said Jennifer Hoos Rothberg, Einhorn Collaborative’s executive director.

“The SUNY and City Year partnership can demonstrate that service is part and parcel of what secondary education should look like in America.�� This is an unprecedented opportunity to bring higher ed and national service together as one.”

Explore how young people gain durable skills through serving with AmeriCorps programs like City Year.