City Year Little Rock is one of 29 national City Year sites established across the country since the organization’s original founding in 1988. Its mission is to advance educational equity by supporting students furthest from opportunity and to develop diverse leaders through national service who can work ​ across lines of difference​. The core belief is that uniting and empowering diverse teams of idealistic young people to address some of our country’s most difficult challenges will change the world for the better.

Since being established in 2004, City Year Little Rock has been partnering with schools in the Jacksonville North Pulaski and Little Rock School districts to provide students with one-on-one interventions and support to entire schools. Thanks to City Year Little Rock’s members’ tutoring and influence, 77% of teachers agree that AmeriCorps Members improve students’ overall academic success and 90% of school principals and administrators agree that members are positive role models for students in Little Rock.

The organization has served in 19 schools across the community and celebrated the graduation of more than 900 AmeriCorps members who have dedicated almost one million hours serving, assisting in the outstanding impact of City Year Little Rock regarding accelerating academic growth and educational equity for all.

The organization’s aim is to ensure that all children have the support and opportunities to succeed in school and life. The organization’s main belief is that “everybody counts, everybody deserves a chance, and everyone has a role in helping others.”

The organization’s main objective is to equip K-8 students with the skills necessary to thrive in school and life while simultaneously providing young adults between the ages of 17-25 with professional development and training as AmeriCorps members. City Year Little Rock’s members work in partnership each day with teachers, administrators, and schools to add more support and help create learning environments where all students can build on their strengths and fully engage in their learning.

In the past 20 years, City Year Little Rock has served in 19 schools in the Little Rock School District and celebrated the graduation of more than 900 AmeriCorps members who have dedicated almost one million hours to service to local schools. These hours have assisted in the outstanding impact of City Year Little Rock in terms of accelerating academic growth.

For example, thanks to City Year members tutoring and influence, 75% of English students and 57% of Math students improved by at least one letter grade. Students receiving attendance coaching saw gains in their attendance and improved by an average of 9% points. 77% of students have improved their social-emotional skills, and the high schools they have partnered with have increased graduation rates by an average of 7.2% points since 2012.

At City Year Little Rock’s annual Red Jacket ball held at the Statehouse Convention Center in June of 2015, President Bill Clinton was the recipient of the Seven Generations Award for his commitment to public service. The Iroquois proverb that the award was named after states “In every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

During his acceptance speech Clinton stated, “This is not rocket science. City Year is the largest program of its kind in the United States for a reason: It works. Developing people’s human capacity works. Bringing people together with different experiences works.”As if that weren’t enough, City Year was also founded with a core belief that uniting and empowering diverse teams of idealistic young people to address some of the country’s most difficult challenges will change the world for the better.

Their organizational values are deeply rooted in this belief and reflected in their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).

One of the core values it follows to live out its mission is “Social Justice for All,” which encompasses the dedication to building a more just, equal, fair and compassionate world. The organization recognizes that unequal access to opportunity along the lines of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age and other aspects of identity have deep roots throughout the country, including in the education system, and has created persistent and deep inequities. To achieve greater educational equity for all, they believe that “we must understand and enable conditions to promote DEIB in our organization and communities.”

For the 2024-2025 academic year, AmeriCorps members are full-time tutors and mentors in the Little Rock School District (Chicot Elementary & Early Childhood Center, JA Fair K-8 Preparatory Academy, Lacey K-8 Academy, Mabelvale Middle and Stephens Elementary).