For Karishma Sears, service is more than a year-long commitment. It is a way of thinking about how she wants to move through the world.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Karishma also spent many years in Seattle, where she built strong connections and a sense of community. After graduating high school, she bounced between a few colleges and briefly explored a career in theatrical and film costume design. At 19, she found herself back in the Bay Area on her own—and ready for something new.

JJ first joined City Year Bay Area as a January Mid-Year AmeriCorps Member during the 2023–2024 service year, serving as a Student Success Coach. The following year, they continued their City Year journey as a Team Leader and second-year AmeriCorps Member with City Year Washington, D.C. Today, their work sits at the intersection of education, technology and policy. We caught up with JJ to reflect on his City Year experience - read on for more!

The yellow jackets are officially back on campus!

Last week, our 2026–2027 AmeriCorps Members stepped into their partner schools for the very first time—and we have the pictures to prove it.

For returning Corps Member Dennis Outhavong, the first day back brought some especially big smiles (and even bigger hugs) from students who were thrilled to see him again.

There is something special about the moment a new group of young people puts on a yellow jacket for the first time.

This August, City Year Bay Area welcomed more than 30 new AmeriCorps Members (ACMs) to Bloomhouse in East Palo Alto to officially begin their 2026–2027 year of service. Opening Day marked the beginning of a journey that will challenge them, inspire them, and introduce them to students, communities and fellow Corps Members who will shape their year—and, in many ways, their lives.

For Lily Rodriguez, City Year has been a part of her journey for the past two years. Originally from San Jose, Lily spent the last two years serving with City Year New York, first as an AmeriCorps Member at P.S. 149Q in Queens and then as a Team Leader at the same school.

Now, she’s bringing that experience home to the Bay Area as City Year Bay Area’s newest Impact Manager, supporting the Aptitud and Lyndale teams.

Earlier this month, 30 City Year Bay Area AmeriCorps Members headed to Happy Valley Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains for two days of adventure, reflection, and connection. Surrounded by redwoods, our Corps had the opportunity to get to know one another beyond their school sites, build trust through shared challenges, and strengthen the sense of belonging that will carry them through the year ahead.

When students walk through the school doors this fall, they'll be greeted by energetic City Year AmeriCorps Members ready to tutor, mentor, and help create positive learning environments. 
 
What many people don't see is the weeks of preparation that happen before that first day with students.

At City Year Bay Area, leadership development is at the heart of everything we do. Every year, our Student Success Coaches dedicate themselves to helping students build confidence, improve attendance, and succeed in school—but their own journey as emerging leaders is just as important. Learn about our growing partnership with Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits in this blog post!

From leading Power Greetings at San Antonio Elementary to preparing for graduate school in school psychology, Rachel Turner's City Year journey is a testament to where a year of service can lead.

A City Year San Jose (now City Year Bay Area) alum, former Team Leader, and current Development Operations and Events Manager at City Year Rhode Island, Rachel reflects on the lessons, relationships, and experiences that continue to shape her career. Read her Q&A to learn why she believes service gives young people the skills—and confidence—to thrive wherever life takes them.

A Bay Area native, Kelly brings firsthand experience serving students, leading after-school programs, and supporting young people through both academic and personal growth. Learn more about Kelly in her Q&A blog post!

For Kylie, City Year Bay Area started as a way to explore a potential career in education. What she found was much more than a gap year. Through a year of service, she discovered a passion for youth advocacy, a deeper understanding of community, and values that continue to shape her work around the world. Today, she's pursuing a master's degree at University College Dublin with plans to continue serving young people wherever her career takes her.

At 8:00 a.m., the Mayfair Community Gardens looked like any other Thursday morning. By lunchtime, volunteers were assembling picnic benches, paint rollers were flying across hundreds of feet of fencing, wheelbarrows full of mulch crisscrossed the pathways, and strangers had become teammates.

On June 25, City Year Bay Area partnered with Cadence Design Systems to host Collective Impact Day, bringing together more than 100 volunteers from ten Bay Area companies to support the Mayfair Community Gardens in East San José.

This June, the City Year Bay Area staff and partners gathered at California's Great America to celebrate our graduating class of AmeriCorps Members (ACMs)—a day filled with laughter, hugs, and a rumored rendition of "Always Be My Baby" by our fearless SVP, Luke Hostetter. Read more about their journey here …

A year of service deserves a proper send-off. This past weekend, City Year Bay Area AmeriCorps members gathered for an end-of-year celebration hosted by board member Dave Justice and his wife Emma — and the word that comes to mind is: grateful.

The Justice family opened their beautiful home for an afternoon that was equal parts relaxation, friendly competition, and genuine community. Thanks to the incredible spread from Frank's BBQ, corps members refueled like champions. Between bites, the afternoon came alive. Corps members faced off on the pickleball court, went head-to-head in spike ball, and cooled off in the pool.

There's no single way to describe a year with City Year — but for AmeriCorps member Brielle Lam, one word captures it best: balance.

After graduating college and standing at a crossroads, Brielle wasn't sure what she wanted to do next. Education interested her, but she wasn't ready to commit fully. City Year offered something rare: a meaningful way to explore a calling without burning every bridge behind her.

There's no single way to describe a year with City Year — but for AmeriCorps member Michelle Brown, one word captures it best: rewarding.

Michelle didn't arrive at City Year by accident. Growing up with dyslexia, she moved through school wishing someone would show up for her the way she struggled to show up for herself. That experience didn't just inform her decision to serve — it became her mission.

This May, City Year Bay Area and The King’s Trust came together to host another inspiring “Get Hired” event — a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are connected to opportunity.

At the heart of the event were our AmeriCorps members, who shared their stories of service, growth, and leadership in incredibly powerful ways before flipping the script and interviewing partner organizations about career pathways and opportunities. It was inspiring to see ACMs speak so confidently about their experiences and the futures they deserve.

There’s no single way to describe a year with City Year — but for AmeriCorps member Garrett Wu, one word captures it best: adventure.

After graduating and searching for direction, Garrett joined the Bay Area corps looking for meaningful work, personal growth and a clearer sense of purpose. What he found was a year filled with early mornings, unexpected lessons, school spirit rallies, deep relationships and the kind of growth that only happens when you step outside your comfort zone.

When Nirva joined City Year straight out of high school, she wasn’t entirely sure what direction she wanted to take. What she did know was that she wanted a year to grow, explore, and experience something meaningful before heading to college.

We're watching the first rung of the career ladder disappear in real time — and the young people paying the closest attention are starting to lose hope.

That's not a metaphor. It's data. Youth unemployment reached 10.8% in 2025 even as the broader economy held steady. Entry-level job postings have dropped 35% as AI automates the rote cognitive tasks that once gave young people their first foothold in the workforce.