City Year, Latino Fraternal Organization Sign Agreement to Advance Opportunity for Minorities

BOSTON, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As City Year deploys 2,000 corps members nationwide for a year of service in high-need schools, the organization announced today a national recruitment partnership with the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO).  The agreement will support leadership and professional development opportunities for Latino youth and young adults.  Through this partnership, City Year seeks to actively recruit talented, young Latino leaders to dedicate a year of service in high-need schools as City Year AmeriCorps members.

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"On behalf of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations, we are very excited to partner with City Year to provide our members the opportunity to become involved in schools across the nation in academic support and community and school improvements," said Juan Guardia, Executive Director of NALFO.  "Our hope is that this collaboration will yield results contributing to a pluralistic society that benefits all members of the community."

"Our impact in schools is reflected in the diversity of our corps and our ability to recruit corps members who reflect the populations we serve," said Michael Brown, CEO and Co-founder of City Year, Inc.  "There is a tremendous amount of potential as we enter into this exciting partnership with NALFO, as we seek to recruit the most talented and diverse teams of young people to help keep students in school and on track."

The Memorandum of Understanding – signed today by NALFO Executive Director Juan Guardia; City Year Senior Director of Recruitment, Admissions, and Alumni Affairs, Melanie Brennand Mueller; and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer Evelyn Barnes – addresses opportunities for greater Latino youth involvement in national service and is intended to create opportunities to better prepare and equip Latino youth and young adults to become tutors, mentors, and role models to students attending some of the lowest-performing schools in the U.S.  The agreement encourages Latino youth to commit to a year of service, keeping students in high-need schools in school and on track, by applying to serve with City Year, participating in City Year-led leadership development workshops for collegiate chapter members of NALFO, and collaborating with City Year staff and corps members across the network to create leadership opportunities for local high school students.

Today's partnership comes as the U.S. Departments of State and Education launch International Education Week, a celebration of the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.  The week encourages participation of all individuals and institutions interested in international education and exchange activities, including schools, colleges and universities, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations.  City Year and NALFO are committed to transcending boundaries in an effort to keep students in school and on track to graduate.

At City Year's 21 locations across the country, City Year corps members ages 17 to 24, supported by AmeriCorps, serve in high-poverty schools throughout the entire school year, applying the power of national service to help increase student success and close the education achievement gap. Corps members work directly with at-risk children to improve student attendance, behavior, and course performance in English and math—which research confirms is a way to significantly increase the urban high school graduation pipeline in America.  As near peers working in schools from before the first bell rings and until the last child leaves the after school program, corps members are uniquely able to help students and schools succeed.

About NALFO: NALFO is an umbrella council for Latino Greek Letter Organizations that works to promote and foster positive interfraternal relations, communication, and development of all Latino Fraternal organizations through mutual respect, leadership, honesty, professionalism, and education. Established in 1998, NALFO has 19 member organizations from across the U.S.

About City Year: City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization founded in 1988 that partners with public schools to provide full-time targeted intervention for students most at risk of dropping out. In more than 20 communities across the United States and through two international affiliates, teams of young AmeriCorps leaders support students by focusing on attendance, behavior, and course performance through in-class tutoring, mentoring, and after school programs that keep kids in school and on track to graduate. www.cityyear.org

SOURCE City Year