Evidence shows how institutional discrimination and adverse neighborhood and home environments leave boys and young men of color with fewer of the resources and skills necessary to succeed academically and in the workforce. Although reducing these discrepancies will require systemic changes commensurate with their scope and causes, smaller-scale programs designed to prepare this population for college and career success can play a vital role.

We recently evaluated a program designed to prepare at-risk high school students for work and college success and found promising results, particularly for boys and young men of color.

The Urban Alliance High School Internship Program targets high school seniors at risk of neither attending college nor having a job after graduation. Key program components include hard- and soft-skills group training sessions, coaching and mentoring, a paid internship in an office setting, and continued support services after the program ends. Several of these components have shown promise in improving workforce outcomes for youth:

  • 8 percentage points more likely to have graduated from high school one year after expected graduation,
  • 11 percentage points more likely to have completed two years of college and 28 percentage points more likely to be attending college two years after finishing high school, and
  • more likely to report comfort with soft skills (e.g., speaking with adult coworkers or making a presentation) two years after finishing high school.

Read the source article at Urban Institute