Mayor's Office of Youth and Families Completes Second Year of "Summer Success" Program

Strategic Insights -

The Mayor's Office of Youth and Families, in partnership with JOB1, has successfully completed its second year of the "Summer Success" program, providing workforce readiness opportunities for high-risk youth. This initiative pairs youth who have interacted with the criminal justice system or who have been truant with a five-week internship experience at a local organization. The program has shown a 6% recidivism rate, demonstrating its effectiveness in connecting vulnerable youth to positive opportunities that propel them forward.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Summer Success" program provides workforce readiness opportunities for 129 high-risk youth, ages 14-17, from all five City Council districts.
  • The program pairs youth with a five-week internship experience at a local organization, including trade schools, beauty salons, and job training programs.
  • The program has shown a 6% recidivism rate, with previous work demonstrating the effectiveness of connecting vulnerable youth to positive opportunities.
  • Partners for the program include JOB1, New Orleans Technical Education Provider (NOTEP), Studio 4212, The Black School, Heroes of New Orleans, Level-up Campaign, MicAmped, Taking Back Our Youth (TBOY), The Net Charter High-School, and Youth Rebuild NOLA.
  • Youth receive $10/hour for up to 20 hours a week, along with case management, transportation assistance, and transitional planning support.
  • The program is run in conjunction with the Office of Youth and Families' Pathways Program, which is a year-round workforce readiness program funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

Statistics:

  • 129 youth participated in the "Summer Success" program.
  • 6% recidivism rate for youth who completed the program.
  • Youth received $10/hour for up to 20 hours a week.
  • The 6% recidivism rate demonstrates the effectiveness of the program in preventing reoffending.

Sources:

  • The City of New Orleans.
  • Mayor's Office of Youth and Families.
  • JOB1.
  • W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
  • Lauren Lewis, owner, Studio 4212 and the Cosmetology Institute.
  • Emily Wolff, Director, Mayor's Office of Youth and Families.