News

July 7, 2021 | From City of New Orleans

Mayor's Office of Youth and Families Celebrates Second Year of 'Summer Success' Connecting High-Risk Youth to Employment Opportunities

Summer Success 2


NEW ORLEANS — The Mayor's Office of Youth and Families (OYF), in partnership with JOB1, this week will complete its second year of the "Summer Success" program, which provides workforce readiness opportunities for high-risk youth. The program 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.

 

This summer’s cohort includes 129 youth, ages 14-17, from across all five City Council districts.

 

“This is what Mayor Cantrell means when she says, 'Nothing stops a bullet like a job.' This is also part of the holistic approach the Mayor employs to ensure public safety by investing in our people. Our previous work with Summer Success has shown a 6% recidivism rate; programs such as these connect our most vulnerable youth to opportunities that enable them to make positive connections in our community that propel them forward,” said Emily Wolff, Director, Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families.

 

Summer Success partnered with nine organizations to offer employment and work readiness programming as well as wraparound support. Youth receive $10/hour for up to 20 hours a week. In addition, all youth are receiving case management, transportation assistance and transitional planning support.

 

Summer Success is run in conjunction with the Office of Youth and Families’ Pathways Program, which is a year-round workforce readiness program that serves system-involved youth and is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.

 

Internship placement partners include:

  • New Orleans Technical Education Provider (NOTEP) – Trade School in Gentilly, youth have the option to receive certifications in NCCER, HVAC, Carpentry, etc.
  • Studio 4212 – Beauty Salon and Cosmetology School in New Orleans East
  • The Black School – Creative Art and Graphic Design school at Xavier University
  • Heroes of New Orleans – Job training program in Algiers
  • Level-up Campaign – Job training program in the Ninth Ward
  • MicAmped – Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship program in Central City
  • Taking Back Our Youth (TBOY) – Work readiness program in New Orleans East
  • The Net Charter High-School – Internship program within an alternative high-school in Central City and Gentilly
  • Youth Rebuild NOLA – Job training program that specializes in training youth in the construction industry, located in the Ninth Ward

“It is so important that we all do our part to intervene in our young people’s lives, specifically in New Orleans East. Our experience investing in these 12 young women and men through the Mayor’s Summer Success Program has allowed our business to do our part. We are so proud of the transformation we’ve observed in our youth over the past several weeks and can’t wait to see them grow and thrive,” said Lauren Lewis, owner, Studio 4212 and the Cosmetology Institute.

 

 

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