2013–2014 Annual Report
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2013–2014 Annual Report Our mission is to empower under- resourced youth to aspire, work, and succeed through paid internships, formal training, and mentoring. Dear Friends, Eighteen years ago, three friends imagined that they could do more to help create opportunities for young people growing up in our most challenging communities in OUR CORE VALUES Washington, DC. After visiting Anacostia High School in Southeast Washington and hearing from students that what they needed most was good jobs, Andrew STUDENTS FIRST Plepler brought his friends Jeffrey Zients and Thomas Nides together to turn that vision into reality and Urban Alliance was born. What began as a small operation Employing Youth, Inspiring Excellence inside of one local high school grew into so much more because of the addition of Veronica Nolan to the team in 2002. For 12 years, Veronica worked to grow and expand our operations and today, TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER we are a national organization that serves over 1,500 youth annually in over 45 high schools across four regions. Her leadership, tireless advocacy and constant Lending a helping hand and championing of youth workforce development solidified Urban Alliance’s success supporting each other’s work and its thoughtful expansion. This summer, we said goodbye to Veronica as she made the difficult, but exciting choice to move on to a new chapter of her life. We will all profoundly miss her boundless energy and deeply generous spirit. FOLLOW THROUGH The Board of Directors elevated Eshauna Smith, formerly our President, to the role of CEO in July. The smooth transition we have seen through this change in the last Creating a strong and responsive few months is a testament to how both Veronica and Eshauna fully embody the relationship with everyone we come core values that guide our work. Their work together over the past year is reflected in contact with and work with in the exciting information you will read about in this report. Eshauna has already begun to expand our presence on the national stage and we look forward to the many exciting years ahead under her leadership. We are confident that she will continue to build on the vision that has brought us to this point and that will continue OPEN/DIRECT COMMUNICATION to shape our future endeavors. Communicating in a clear, precise, Thank you for taking the time to read our and honest manner in all of the report and thank you for your continued work we do support as we work to improve the lives of young people in all of our regions. We could not achieve our ambitious goals without your help. DEDICATED TO MISSION AND Sincerely, RESULTS FROM MISSION Making decisions based on the mission and vision of the organization Mary Menell Zients Urban Alliance Board Chair Veronica Nolan (L), Eshauna Smith (R) On the cover: Joselyn, an Intern at the Alexandria City Attorney’s office, delivers a speech during the 2014 Public Speaking Challenge URBAN ALLIANCE 2013–2014 Annual Report - 3 2 - URBAN ALLIANCE 2013–2014 Annual Report Curriculum Outreach Opportunities to share the Urban Alliance professional development workshops with youth in the broader community Workshops: IMAGINE Facilitate sessions that reinforce job and life skills Flexible and adaptive to the needs of contracted partners Youth focused curriculum incorporating real life scenarios Program Management: Our Current Programs Coordinate and run corporations’ internal internship programs High School Internship Program Provide support and best practices on Intern engagement Ensure high-quality work experience and outcomes for corporations and Interns Year-long, paid professional internships for high school seniors from under-resourced communities Young Adult Internship Program Case management and professional Mentor Currently exists only in the Baltimore region (in addition to High School Internship Weekly workshops on job/life skills and Program) in partnership with the Department of Social Services financial literacy Provides paid, professional internships to 18–21 year-old foster youth Post-high school, college and career planning (32 hours per week for 20 weeks). Culminating event; Public Speaking Challenge Interns receive case management support from an Urban Alliance Program Coordinator Alumni Services Interns attend weekly workshops on skill building, life skills, and financial literacy training and support transitioning to post-program education and unsubsidized Available to all youth who successfully complete the High School Internship Program. employment opportunities. Education and Career Counseling: Résumé and cover letter review Assistance with financial aid and college transfer processes College Internship Program: Paid summer internships I imagined [Urban Alliance] would take a lot of my time, but it was Closely aligned with career goals actually a great experience. I can’t think of another way a student can learn and work GradUAte Events: hands-on alongside people in some of Networking and professional development the most influential and prestigious events companies around Chicago. Community service opportunities Antonio Martinez, Chicago ’13, Student at Columbia College Chicago 4 - URBAN ALLIANCE 2013–2014 Annual Report URBAN ALLIANCE 2013–2014 Annual Report - 5 Who We Served 818 Curriculum Outreach (778) Alumni Services and Internships (205) Summer/Alternative Programs* (129) Year-Round Internships (407) 487 347 256 99 226 76 69 98 12 30 65 48 168 163 43 33 Baltimore Chicago Washington, D.C. Northern NUMBER OF YOUTH PARTICIPANTS Virginia * Includes summer programs, DOES, Police Foundation, and YAIP. 1,519 Total Youth Served Female Year-Round and Summer 68% High School Internship Program Placements Other (8%) Latino (20%) African The High School Internship Program culminates in the Public Speaking Challenge. In each region, Interns 32% Male prepare a 5-7 minute presentation outlining their internship experience and highlighting their jobsite’s American (72%) mission, a profile of their Mentor, lessons learned, challenges experienced, and post-secondary plans. In an effort to incentivize hard work and communicate to the youth that success in the professional world is merit-based, Urban Alliance awards a $100 bonus to Interns earning a score of 80% or higher on their presentations. Each regional event is attended by stakeholders, advisory board members, Mentors, Interns, and staff and celebrates the accomplishments of the Intern cohort for the program year. 6 - URBAN ALLIANCE 2013–2014 Annual Report URBAN ALLIANCE 2013–2014 Annual Report - 7 Prudential Bloomberg BNA Corporation for National Office of the Deputy Public Building Consumer Electronics and Community Service Mayor for Planning and Commission of Chicago Association Danaher Corporation Economic Development Rush University Medical Evolent Health DC Chamber of Office of the General Center Greenbrier Learning Commerce Counsel, Council of the Sanchez Daniels & Center Department of Consumer District of Columbia_ Hoffman LLP Jack Taylor Toyota and Regulatory Affairs Opower Schiff Hardin King Street Wireless Department of Corrections Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Senior Lifestyle National Capitol Department of Small Wharton & Garrison, LLP Sidley Austin Contracting and Local Business Pepco Skadden Bank of America Development PG&E Corporation INVEST Spark Northern Virginia Legal Edison Electric Institute PSI Sterling Bay Companies Services Forest City Washington Reingold LINK Teach for America Reingold Inc Girl Scout Council of the Resources for Inner City The John Buck Company Smithsonian Institution, Nation’s Capital Children (RICH) Job Partners and Supporters Invested in: The Private Bank Office of Sponsored Higher Achievement Sasha Bruce Youthworks The Vistria Group Projects Honest Tea, Inc. Serve DC United Airlines The Motley Fool Hubbard Place Resident Sitar Arts Center University of Chicago Washington Speakers Services SJL Shannon 94 hours of professional training in skills Urban Alliance Bureau JP Morgan Chase & Co. Split This Rock such as: Urban Education Institute WJLA/Newschannel 8 Katten Muchin Rosenman Standard Technology, Inc Urban Initiatives LLP Street Law Walgreens Washington, D.C. Kid Power Inc Sullivan & Cromwell 119,140 cumulative hours Time Management, William Blair 21st Century Fox KIPP DC Team Up DC worked by Interns Winston & Strawn LLP AdvaMed Latin American Youth The Advisory Board Goal Setting, Task Completion, Working in the Schools African American Civil Center Company (WITS) War Memorial and LearnZillion The Glover Park Group Communication, and YMCA Chicago Museum Living Classrooms of the Third Way Accepting Criticism Youth Guidance American Chemistry National Capital Region United States Agency for 536 Youth placed in a paid internship Council Marriott International Development Northern Virginia Artemis Real Estate Marshall Heights United States Chamber of ACT for Alexandria Partners Community Development Commerce Alexandria City Attorney’s Aspen Institute Organization University of the District of Office Atlantic Media Company Martha’s Table Columbia Alexandria Department of Bank of America Mayer Brown Urban Alliance Community and Human Boston Consulting Group Metro TeenAIDS Venable High School Internship Program Job Partners Services Brown Advisory Morgan Stanley Verizon Alexandria Housing Burness Communications National Law Enforcement Washington Animal Baltimore A. Epstein and Sans Chicago Transit Authority Hyatt Development Corporation Capital Source Officers Memorial Rescue League ARC Baltimore International,