A Conversation with City Year Columbia Executive Director Dr. Gail Wilson-Giarratano
February 19, 2016
As the site of the “First in the South” Presidential Primary, we in SC are smack in the middle of partisan politics and heightened rhetoric. Studies show, however, that no matter what political party you are, Americans overwhelmingly support the concept of national service. According to the president of Target Point Consulting, a firm that does market research for public and private entities, there is strong bipartisan agreement on the value of national service.
“There is deep support for the national and local benefits, and the core values that define our national service programs,” says Michael Meyers.
City Year Columbia Executive Director Dr. Gail Wilson-Giarratano sees every day the difference that a small group of idealistic young people can make as “near peers” for local students in the Midlands.
We were able to catch up with her earlier this week to hear about all of the great things going on with City Year and also to get the details of their annual Ripples of Hope Gala on February 25th which will honor Governor Nikki Haley this year.
MidlandsBiz:
What was the genesis of City Year?
Gail Wilson-Giarratano:
It was the original AmeriCorps program and it was founded in Boston in 1988. Two questions that were asked by the organizers at the time were, “Is idealism contagious?” and “Can enthusiasm be shared?”
MidlandsBiz:
So, what are the core beliefs of City Year?
GWG:
We believe that every child has the potential to succeed and that a high-quality education can help ensure that each child meets that potential. However, students in high-poverty communities need extra support to overcome their challenges and schools were not designed to meet this scale of need.
MidlandsBiz:
So there is a gap between what the students need and what the schools can provide?
GWG:
That’s correct. City Year helps to bridge that gap by providing individualized support to students and schools that need them most.
MidlandsBiz:
Why do you think the City Year concept is so effective?
GWG:
The brilliance here is the City Year “near peer” concept which combines the City Year AmeriCorps members with students. They are older than the students they work with, but they are younger than the teachers.
MidlandsBiz:
We understand that City Year uses the Johns Hopkins Whole School Whole Child Model. Can you tell us a little about that?
GWG:
Yes, the focus is on ABC: attendance, behavior, and course performance. Our target age group is grades third through nine. Research shows that those grades are crucial to academic success and if students are still on track by ninth grade they are more likely to graduate. Our long-term goal is to impact 50% of the off-track students in the communities we serve.
MidlandsBiz:
City Year Columbia is the only site in South Carolina. What schools do you serve?
GWG:
We have 24 corps members at three local elementary schools: JP Thomas and Hyatt Park Elementary in Richland One, and Sandhills Elementary in Lexington Four. Each City Year AmeriCorps member works closely with 10-12 students to monitor both their academics and behavior.
MidlandsBiz:
Can you share a recent sample of success?
GWG:
I’m glad you asked! As we all know, appropriate grade-level reading is crucial to academic success. Here is an example of a letter from a Corps Member to a parent.
To the Parent/Guardian of “Michelle D.”
Michelle has made amazing improvements this year in ELA. As you can see, she went from a 3.5 (3rd Grade 5 Month) reading level in AUGUST to a 4.5 (4th Grade 5 Month) reading level in JANUARY. That’s a whole grade level ahead! She has surpassed our first goal of getting her on grade level. My yearly goal for Michelle is to make it to a 5th grade reading level. She is almost there!
Sincerely, Ms. Kenney
City Corps Member
MidlandsBiz:
Wow, what a great story! Regarding funding, we understand that one third of your funding comes from donations from corporate sponsors and the local community. City Year’s annual fundraising gala is coming on Feb. 25th at the Downtown Marriott and you are honoring the Governor. Why did you decide to honor Governor Haley?
GWG:
Governor Haley will be given this year’s Idealism in Action Award due to her outstanding dedication to the children of our state by being a strong, positive voice for education. We are very excited about the opportunity to honor her.
MidlandsBiz:
How do we get information about tickets to the gala?
GWG:
To purchase tickets to the event, visit www.cityyear.org/columbia and click Events or contact Alton Adams, Director of Development at 803.727.1578.
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