Miami Dolphins Announce $1 Million Partnership With City Year Miami

In 2014, Miami-Dade County Superintendent Alberto Carvalho vowed to improve the counties high school graduation rate to 90 percent. The Miami Dolphins and City Year Miami hope to help Superintendent Carvalho with his goal.

On Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins and City Year Miami officially announced the public launch of a four-year, $1 million partnership. City Year Miami is an education-focused nonprofit organization that works together with public schools to help keep students in school and on track to graduate.

“Every successful person I know has had mentors and people along the way that helped them,” said Miami Dolphins President and CEO Tom Garfinkel. “We wanted to ensure the longevity of the great work that City Year Miami is doing with the kids right here in our home of Miami Gardens.  We hope to expand this commitment through Fins Weekend and the education pillar of the Miami Dolphins Foundation to fund additional programs in Miami Gardens and other South Florida schools in the future.”

The Miami Dolphins will sponsor City Year programs at Miami Carol City and Miami Norland Senior High Schools through funding raised from Fins Weekend. The three-day event from May 14-16 is the foundation’s largest annual event featuring current players, alumni, coaches and cheerleaders.

City Year Miami and their AmeriCorps members commit to a year of full-time service in schools, where they work as tutors, mentors and role models to students. Founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1988, the City Year foundation operates in 25 cities across the United States and has international affiliates in London and Birmingham, England and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Since the 2011-2012 school year, City Year Miami has served more than 2,500 students at Miami Carol City and Miami Norland Senior High School. City Year Miami also works together with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, school leaders, and committed teachers.

Over the last four years, Math proficiency rates at Miami Carol City and Miami Norland Senior High have increased by 25 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Graduation rates have also increased 13.4 percent at Miami Carol City and 14.3 at Miami Norland.

“Every community looks out for its team,” said bestselling author and co-founder of City Year Miami, Brad Meltzer.  “This is a team looking out for its community.  What the Dolphins did today will give us better students, better schools, and a better South Florida.  Forget scoring touchdowns, this is what makes you my hero.”

You can follow Antwan on Twitter @antwanstaley