Citrus Grove K-8 Center, now in its second year with City Year Miami, hosts the Bronfman Hauptman Foundation as the program’s newest Team Sponsor.
More than 70,000 minutes. That’s how much one-on-one and small-group math and reading coaching City Year Miami’s AmeriCorps members gave students at Citrus Grove K-8 Center last school year, according to the organization’s own reporting. On October 5, the partners helping make the next chapter possible came to see it firsthand.
Ellen Bronfman Hauptman and Andrew Hauptman toured the school as the Bronfman Hauptman Foundation began its role as a City Year Miami Team Sponsor. They met with students, school administrators, City Year Miami’s leadership, and the corps members who work in Citrus Grove’s classrooms every day.
Along the way, Ellen and Andrew heard how corps members balance tutoring, mentoring, and classroom collaboration. They spoke with school leaders about where additional resources could have the greatest impact. A team sponsorship ties a funder to one school’s corps team, so the foundation’s investment is linked directly to Citrus Grove’s students.
Citrus Grove, part of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, enrolls roughly 1,600 students from pre-K through eighth grade. Families know it for its STEAM-focused curriculum, specialized magnet offerings, and bilingual learning opportunities. The City Year partnership is now in its second year there. Last year, according to City Year Miami’s reporting, corps members serving as student success coaches ran more than 700 math sessions totaling nearly 23,000 minutes, plus nearly 2,500 English Language Arts sessions totaling more than 48,000 minutes. By year’s end, the school had raised its state accountability rating.
Corps members are young adults, generally between 18 and 25, who commit to a year of full-time service in a local school. As student success coaches, they partner with teachers throughout the school day. Beyond tutoring, they mentor students and strengthen their connection to school. The skills they reinforce run from fractions to collaboration and problem-solving, all with the goal of keeping students on track to graduate and move on to college or a career.
Ellen and Andrew, who recently moved to Miami, have been involved with City Year for close to 20 years.
“City Year’s belief that every young person should have the opportunity to serve their community and that every child deserves access to a quality education has inspired our family’s engagement with the organization for nearly two decades,” Andrew Hauptman said. “As new Miami residents, we are excited to deepen our relationship with City Year and support the outstanding work City Year Miami is doing to help students reach their full potential.”
Their involvement goes back to 2007, when they founded City Year Los Angeles. Andrew chaired that site’s board for its first nine years. Today he is a Charter Trustee of City Year Inc., the national organization. While their connection spans nearly two decades, Miami gives Ellen and Andrew an opportunity to help advance City Year’s mission in their local community.
Across Miami-Dade County, City Year Miami’s more than 170 AmeriCorps members work with over 7,000 students. City Year was founded in Boston in 1988. It is now in more than 250 schools in 29 U.S. cities and has affiliates in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Nationwide, close to 1,500 AmeriCorps members serve as student success coaches. Their work is funded by a mix of partners: school districts, AmeriCorps, corporate sponsors, individual donors and philanthropic investors. The Bronfman Hauptman Foundation’s sponsorship expands the network of local partners investing in student success in Miami. For Citrus Grove, it means consistent classroom coaching, mentorship, and academic support for the young people who benefit most from the relationships.
