City of Lakes AmeriCorps

The mission of City of Lakes AmeriCorps is to help students build the academic language skills needed to advocate for themselves and be able to use education as a means to reach their goals. Our mission for members is to build a learning community through service, reflection and inquiry.

• About Us
  If you are interested in a unique, hands-on experience within the area of Education, Middle School, English as a Second Language, and/or Youth Work, City of Lakes may be a good fit for you!
  
  City of Lakes AmeriCorps offers an inside experience in the Minneapolis Public Schools district. Members are integrated into their school’s staff and collaborate closely with teachers and program coordinators in serving students. Throughout this process, members receive a full picture of the challenges of an inner city education system, as well as many solutions and approaches schools are taking to close the achievement gap. Members also build strong relationships with some incredible young people, and through this, get a better understanding of what it’s like to grow up in the city with the status of being an immigrant and/or living in poverty.
  
  Member Development is a key component of our program, and City of Lakes does this through a cohort learning experience. Members serve with one to five other members at a site, and frequently work together to achieve program goals. Additionally, members come together as a full corps at least monthly for skills training and to further process and reflect on their service experience. Members who enjoy group discussion and approach their year with a growth mindset flourish in this setting.
• Our Impact
  Increased Academic Achievement:
  - CoL students showed an average growth in academic language skills of 158% between pre- to post-test scores, meaning the average CoL student more than doubled their level of academic language skills over one school year.
  - CoL caseload students showed a drop from 74% to 53% being at HIGH RISK for not meeting grade level benchmarks in Reading, according to our district's FAST assessment.
  - 87% of students said working with a CoL Member helped them become better at writing, and 92% said it helped them feel more confident in class.
  
  Increased Student Engagement:
  - Teachers reported increases in all four areas of measured engagement behaviors for CoL caseload students. These behaviors are Increased Attendance, Increased Assignment Completion, Increased In-Class Participation, and Increased Use of Academic Language.
  
  Increased Family Connection:
  - 95% of parents surveyed reported that because of family nights and regular contacts from CoL members, they feel more connected to their child's school, are more likely to attend other school events, and are more likely to connect with their child's teacher or other school staff with questions about their child's education.
  
  Member Development:
  The top three things alumni identify that they gained from serving with City of Lakes are -
  #1 - Personal Growth
  #2 - Professional Skills
  #3 - Community / Friendships
  
  Quotes from alumni -
  "Whether or not you are considering the education field, this year will teach you so much. You will learn about yourselves and grow in recognizing biases and ways to become more anti-racist. You’ll meet the best kids ever and have a supportive crew of members and bosses!"
  
  "I had an amazing experience. I am proud of the contribution I made, and felt more confident and qualified as a professional."
  
  "AmeriCorps offered me a network of support and educational training. That alongside my day-to-day work with immigrant families propelled me to advance my learning, my work experience, and my impact, in collaboration with so many."