City Year South Africa Service Leaders

City Year was founded on the belief that a healthy and vibrant democracy depends on active, engaged citizens who commit their time, skills, and resources to address pressing problems in our communities. City Year believes in the power and idealism of young people as a means to achieving this goal by uniting a diverse corps of 18 – 25 year old South Africans from all races and backgrounds for an intensive year of full-time community service, leadership training and personal development. United in their desire to serve, these young Service Leaders invest their talents and energy working directly on critical issues that face children and communities in South Africa, while developing their own talents and potential for enhanced learning and employment opportunities upon graduation from the programme.

Service Leaders are selected from a diverse cross-section of youth, representing all racial, socio-economic, educational, religious and language groups. Service Leaders work in teams of 10 to 12 members, each team a true reflection of City Year’s diversity, relying on each others skills and experiences to serve the communities in which they work. Teams are supported by a full-time Team Leader as well as a strong network of staff, trainings, referral systems. City Year is registered with the National Youth Service Unit, overseen by the Presidency, and aims to support South Africa’s efforts to grow national youth service in the coming years.

City Year works in partnership with a range of government and private sector partners. The service and learning programme has been developed in close partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, the City of Johannesburg, the Department of Labour, and the National Youth Service Unit in the Office of the Presidency. City Year is strongly supported by African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American, Claude Leon Foundation, Edcon, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, JP Morgan, Standard Bank, The Timberland Company, Xstrata, and a growing number of South African private, public, and corporate partners. Learn more about what City Year Service Leaders do...