Spotlight on Sharif El-Mekki, City Year Philly’s 2022 Idealist of the Year
From City Year
City Year Philadelphia’s annual Red Jacket Gala is coming up next month on Thursday, May 5. We’re looking forward to coming together as a full community to celebrate our students, our AmeriCorps members, our schools and our city. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, simply make a donation at least $75 per person, and you’re invited!
As part of the evening’s festivities, we are thrilled to honor Sharif El-Mekki as Idealist of the Year. El-Mekki has been a steadfast partner, collaborator, and supporter of City Year Philly’s work for nearly two decades. As former Principal of Mastery Charter Shoemaker, he worked with a team of CYP AmeriCorps members, where he helped pilot a new college and career readiness mentorship program and supported alumni in pursuing careers as teachers at Mastery schools. Learn more about El-Mekki in this recent Philadelphia Citizen article.
Read our Q&A to learn more about El-Mekki’s work, his collaboration with CYP over the years, and his thoughts on supporting Black youth to pursue careers in education.
