Organizational example:
Year Up
Name |
Year Up |
Program Purpose |
Year Up's mission is to close the “opportunity divide” by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. |
Program Description |
Year Up's intensive one-year program serves low-income high school graduates and GED recipients between the ages of 18-24 from urban neighborhoods. Year Up’s high expectation, high support program combines marketable job skills, stipends, paid internships (Year Up calls them “apprenticeships”), college credit, a behavior management system and several levels of support to place these young adults on a viable path to economic self-sufficiency. During the first six months, students attend classes at Year Up, learning technical skills that allow them to succeed in entry-level IT positions without a college degree. During the second six months, Year Up students gain experience in paid internships at leading companies such as State Street Corporation, Fidelity Investments and Partners HealthCare. After graduation, students continue to receive support and build their professional networks through Year Up’s Alumni Association. Over the next few years, Year Up will create a network of sites, including New York City, with an explicit goal of serving 450 urban young adults annually by 2007. |
Progress |
In 2006, Year Up will serve more than 300 students in sites in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington D.C. Its outcomes are strong: 100% placement of qualified students into apprenticeships, 83% student retention; 90% of apprentices meet or exceed partner expectations; 87% of graduates placed in full or part-time positions; and $15/hr average wage at placement. |
Contact Information |
Year Up Boston |
Information from Ariel Santos at Year Up-Boston, from Goldberger et al, 2005, and from the Year Up website.