JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – May 23, 2025 – City Year Jacksonville announces the City Year Jacksonville 2025 Graduation Ceremony, presented by VyStar. The 2024-2025 class of 51 members will be honored on June 3 at 11:15 a.m. at the organization’s new headquarters located at the Jessie Ball duPont Center.
The graduating class consists of young adults both from Duval County and hometowns as far as Kentucky who served through AmeriCorps as Student Success Coaches. They provided essential mentorship to elementary school students throughout Duval County in 9 elementary schools. Between tutoring and supporting students during the school day, as well as leading after-school programming and school culture initiatives, these Student Success Coaches were able to directly help more than 5,000 local students progress both academically and socially. 30 of this year’s Student Success Coaches will return for an additional year of service.
Before City Year’s Student Success Coaches receive their certificates and say the alumni pledge, ceremony attendees will hear from Kemal Gasper and Allishia Bauman, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of City Year Jacksonville.
“It’s always an honor to celebrate our Student Success Coaches, young people who have said “yes” to giving of themselves to meet the needs of others. To see them graduate after a year of dedicated service throughout Duval County Public Schools is a special thing,” said Bauman. “We would not be able to accomplish our mission without these young leaders. But it’s not just them; it takes a community rallying behind our young people to make real and lasting change. That includes the support of our amazing donors and community partners, whom we could not do this without.”
Due to recent funding uncertainty, City Year Jacksonville needs to raise $140,000 before July to have a strong foundation for next school year. Through June 30, The Diane T. and Charles E. Rice Family Foundation will match dollar to dollar up to $50,000 to support City Year Jacksonville’s mission to create positive and supportive learning environments where all students can reach their full potential. Every gift to this campaign will have a meaningful impact on our work. Donate now at https://support.cityyear.org/give/692036/#!/donation/checkout or contact Elizabeth Reeger to learn more at elizabeth.reeger@cityyear.org or (904)423-2108.
Beyond the day-to-day work of mentoring students throughout elementary schools in the county, City Year Jacksonville is dedicated to developing their Student Success Coaches into our community’s future service-minded leaders. The organization also finds additional ways to meet the community’s needs such as their annual MLK Jr. Day of Service. The 2024-2025 event kicked off Black History Month with a beautification project at San Jose Elementary School that engaged over 100 externals volunteers from organizations such as NexGen Roofing and Thigpen Heating & Cooling, Legacy Leader Sponsors of the event; RF-SMART, Community Champion Sponsors of the event; other City Year supporters including CSX, Truist, EverBank, JPMorgan Chase, Beaver Street Fisheries, and CISV. These partners allow City Year Jacksonville to invest deeper in the schools they serve.
To find out more about City Year Jacksonville, or how to give, visit cityyear.org/jacksonville or email elizabeth.reeger@cityyear.org.
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About City Year Jacksonville:
City Year helps students and schools succeed, while preparing the next generation of civically engaged leaders who can work across lines of difference. Inspiring teams of City Year Student Success Coaches provide holistic support to students, classrooms and the whole school. A 2020 study shows that the more time students spend with Student Success Coaches, the more they improve on social, behavioral and academic skills – skills that help students thrive in school and contribute to their community.
A proud member of the AmeriCorps national service network, City Year is supported by AmeriCorps, local school districts and private philanthropy. City Year partners with public schools in 29 communities across the U.S. and through international affiliates in the U.K. and South Africa. Learn more about City Year Jacksonville at https://www.cityyear.org/jacksonville.