Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, teen program participants and representatives of partner/funder organizations recently launched a youth summer employment program.
The program was chosen by the White House as one of only 16 Summer Impact Hubs in recognition of the city’s efforts to provide youth with job training and preparation, learning programs, violence reduction initiatives and opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Newark has also received renewed support for the second year from the Citi Foundation as one of eight cities in its Summer Jobs Connect initiative with the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund.
“We have brought together Newark businesses, philanthropies, colleges and universities, financial institutions, the White House, the Newark Public Schools and the city to create a unique public/private partnership,” said Baraka. “This is about vastly more than giving kids a paycheck and keeping them off the street for the summer. We are preparing our youth for success in college and in the workplace and teaching them life skills to help them thrive in whatever career they choose.”
There are 2,700 young people participating in the Summer Youth Program. In addition to cultivation of job sites by the city, youth are supported by program monitors throughout the summer. The monitors receive special training in youth development and coaching.
Partnerships include a Summer Leadership Institute with Rutgers University Newark’s Newark City of Learning Collaborative for 400 youth, a collaboration with New Jersey Institute of Technology to provide 65 youth with college-level courses on coding, and architecture and design and academic acceleration programs.
