One in nine young Americans ages 16-24 are considered "disconnected youth": they are neither in school nor working. In partnership with employers, Urban Alliance prepares them for upwardly mobile careers through professional training, paid internships, and supportive adult relationships. After completing a workforce readiness bootcamp, youth report to their internships, where they apply, practice, and reinforce skills learned in training. They attend ongoing professional development workshops that are led by youth development professionals and include peer learning and self-reflection. Interns are matched with a jobsite mentor and a Program Coordinator who provide guidance and support. Each year, 100% of youth who complete the flagship program graduate from high school with concrete plans for the future: college, continued training, or a job; 90% are accepted into college; and 85% remain connected to self-sufficient pathways one-year after completing the program. This is an alliance that deserves your support.
COVID-19 Update:
On March 23rd, Urban Alliance launched the Student Support Fund to ensure interns and their families continued to receive a steady paycheck to cover housing, food, and personal essentials. To keep youth earning and learning, it provided access to technology and rolled out an adapted online curriculum: biweekly learning sessions and smaller virtual sessions with their cohorts on alternating weeks. Offline, participants were assigned tasks to promote mastery of skills. Remote programming continues through the fall with preparations in place for a transition to in-person or hybrid learning as conditions require.
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