Unethical, but all to "make better happen" - Corps Member City Year Employee Review

1.0
May 17, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people you are on a team with who dedicated their time to a year of service are inspiring and the students you serve are truly amazing.

Cons

Nearly everything. -Considered a volunteer, so the stipend is just enough to live on. -Over 50 hours per week. -Mentally and emotionally draining work- tutoring/entertaining students all day and "babysitting" a whole classroom with another person for 3 hours AFTER school, trying to get students to do homework and getting through a STEAM lesson. You really feel the exhaustion hit when you notice all of the school's staff has left and you still have 3 hours left of service that day (even though you got there before half of them). -Unappreciated by staff -Unorganized

Explore other reviews about City Year

5.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Well-organized/structured Transportation, healthcare, and AmeriCorps benefits Lots of teambuilding

Cons

Long days Uniforms A lot of professional development

1.0
Feb 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

if you put up with a year of lies, burnout, empathy fatigue from working with kids you can’t save, below minimum wage, then you can get a lot of money at the end.

Cons

they use the fact that you care about these kids to get you to put up with any and everything. that 900 something dollar check is basically 10 dollars an hour while you have to be an english and math tutor to multiple students, emotionally support them. mind you majority of these kids are experiencing poverty, several grades behind their reading and math level, extremely syndications home lives. these kids go through more than the average adult and you didn’t sign up to be a therapist. they are vague during the interview about the task and what you’re actually doing for a reason. so many other task and responsibilities. mangement does not care about you at all. they won’t care if you get injured, they won’t try to defend you to outside sources. i won’t ever get over how my school had teachers telling them kids they would never amount to anything, wouldn’t graduate, got called slurs, yet we stayed there, basically had to “turn the other cheek” and “be the lights” in the school….. majority of the people you work with WILL QUIT because who would want to stay in an environment like this. but majority of the people that leave will be black. that’s very telling.

2
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