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City Year CEO Jim Balfanz argues that national service gives young people practical experience in leadership, communication and judgment as AI reshapes entry-level work. Preliminary evaluation findings cited in the opinion show chronic absenteeism fell 3.6 percentage points more in City Year partner schools than in matched comparison schools; the author also points to new education and employer partnerships.
City Year CEO Jim Balfanz argues in an opinion article published by The 74 that national service can give young people practice in leadership, communication and judgment that AI tools cannot teach on their own, while helping students in schools. His case draws on City Year’s tutoring and mentoring work, preliminary absenteeism findings and new education and employer partnerships; the article is an argument for expanding service, not an independent assessment of its effects on careers.
City Year places AmeriCorps volunteers ages 17 to 25 in schools across 30 U.S. cities, where they work as student success coaches alongside teachers. Balfanz describes volunteers supporting students with reading, writing, the move to middle school and progress toward high school graduation. Their day-to-day work can also include tutoring, after-school activities, family communication and collaboration with school staff.
Balfanz says those responsibilities help volunteers practice project management, active listening, conflict resolution and adapting communication to different people and situations. Coaches also review student performance information and adjust math and literacy support, applying problem-solving skills in a setting where there may not be one ready answer. He argues that these capabilities matter as AI takes on more routine tasks associated with entry-level jobs.
The article cites preliminary findings from an independent Policy Studies Associates evaluation covering 2021-22 through 2023-24. It reports that chronic absenteeism fell 3.6 percentage points more in City Year partner schools than in matched comparison schools. Balfanz also points to programs connecting service with education and employment: a City Year and State University of New York pilot makes some coaches eligible for up to 10 academic credits, while Deloitte and ServiceNow offer mentorship, fellowship and paid-internship opportunities for coaches who complete service.
Service as a Route to Job Skills
The argument matters because young people entering the workforce face uncertainty about how automation will change entry-level roles. Balfanz’s proposed answer is not that service stops those changes, but that it gives participants a place to practice human interaction, judgment and teamwork while doing work that supports students. Those skills may be useful across jobs, though the article does not establish how much service improves employment outcomes compared with other routes.
Service also has a cost and access question. A year of work in schools may be difficult for people who cannot cover housing or other living expenses. Balfanz calls for corporate and philanthropic support, including funds for training and living costs and partnerships that help participants move into full-time employment. Without that support, he argues, service may remain least accessible to people who could benefit from its professional networks and experience.
The education partnerships offer a practical test of whether service can count toward longer-term credentials. If participants can earn recognized college credit or qualifications while serving, the experience may carry value beyond the skills they practice. The source describes pilots and opportunities, however, not results showing how many participants earn credit, complete degrees or secure jobs.
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How City Year Connects Service and Schools
City Year’s model places young adult volunteers in schools as student success coaches, working with teachers rather than replacing them. In the examples Balfanz gives, coaches provide individual attention and small-group tutoring, help students manage school transitions and support after-school activities. The roles expose volunteers to the demands of school communities while giving them guidance and opportunities to reflect on their work.
Balfanz writes from both an organizational and personal perspective: he leads City Year and says he began his career as one of its corps members more than three decades ago. That experience informs his view that service builds confidence and purpose, but also means the piece is an advocacy argument from the organization’s leader. The absenteeism comparison is attributed to an independent evaluation, while broader claims about career preparation are presented through the author’s account and alumni feedback.
The article also describes a wider effort to expand service opportunities. The National Governors Association launched Service United, which Balfanz says will build on work by Service Year Alliance and America’s Service Commissions to expand state-based programs. A SUNY pilot offers up to 10 credits to eligible City Year coaches at participating campuses in New York, and Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching and Learning Innovation is partnering with City Year on a Phoenix-school pilot.
“It is exactly this kind of experience — where there is no guaranteed right answer — that teaches when technology can help and when judgment and leadership matter more.”
— Jim Balfanz, City Year CEO, in an opinion article for The 74
Evidence and Access Still Need Testing
The article does not provide the full Policy Studies Associates evaluation, the number of schools or students included, or details about how the matched comparison schools were selected. The reported 3.6-percentage-point difference concerns chronic absenteeism in partner schools relative to comparison schools over the stated period; it does not by itself show that City Year caused the difference or establish effects on academic achievement.
It is also unclear how many service participants move into full-time jobs, how their employment compares with that of similar young people who do not serve, or whether the experience changes their earnings over time. The article supplies no participation totals or outcome data for the SUNY, Arizona State University, Deloitte or ServiceNow programs. The scale and funding of the Service United effort are also not specified.
Balfanz’s broader claim that national service develops skills that employers value is an interpretation supported in the piece by City Year’s experience and alumni feedback. The article does not include employer survey results or independent evidence measuring how those skills compare with training gained through other routes. The reach of the programs will also depend on whether financial support makes a year of service feasible for people with different income levels.
Partnerships Must Show Results
The developments described in the article are pilots and an expansion initiative, so the next evidence to watch is whether they grow and produce measurable outcomes. For SUNY and Arizona State University, that means reporting participation, credits earned and progress toward degrees. For employer programs, useful indicators would include how many coaches take part, complete internships and enter full-time roles.
Further evaluation could clarify whether service contributes to student attendance and learning outcomes, as well as to participants’ later employment. Details about program costs, participant support and access will help readers judge whether the approach can expand beyond existing locations. Balfanz’s call to action is for employers and philanthropies to help fund training, living expenses and pathways into jobs; the article does not announce specific new funding commitments or a timetable for these steps.
Key Questions
What is the opinion article arguing?
Jim Balfanz, City Year’s CEO, argues that national service can help young people practice communication, leadership and judgment while supporting students in schools, and that those experiences may help prepare participants for changing workplaces.
What did the cited evaluation find?
Preliminary findings from a Policy Studies Associates evaluation covering 2021-22 to 2023-24 reported that chronic absenteeism fell 3.6 percentage points more in City Year partner schools than in matched comparison schools. The article does not provide the full study details, and the comparison alone does not establish causation.
Can City Year coaches earn college credit?
The article says a pilot with the State University of New York makes City Year coaches serving in New York eligible for up to 10 academic credits at a participating SUNY campus. It does not report how many coaches have earned credits so far.
Does the article prove national service leads to jobs?
No. Balfanz argues that service develops skills employers value and cites opportunities from Deloitte and ServiceNow, but the article gives no employment-rate comparison or longer-term job outcome data for participants.
Source: the74million.org
