The Career Initiatives program will address underserved students' lack of exposure to career options and the skills and internship experiences required to gain entry into today's sophisticated workplace. The program ensures that students gain valuable 21st century skills that are essential to the modern workforce, and that they are exposed to a wide range of career options.
Global Kids equips young people with the skills to be engaged citizens and achieve success in a technology-driven global society. Urban youth remain largely uninformed about global issues, and today's workplace requires a wide scope of competencies, from critical thinking to digital media literacy. GK youth are ethnically and socio-economically diverse, attend low-performing, high-need schools in NYC and Washington, DC, and face significant challenges such as poverty, drugs, and teen parenthood.
The Career Initiatives program will provide a six-week career readiness program for 100 high school students from low-income families. Youth will attend weekly career development trainings, receive counseling and support from staff, and be matched with partner sites around the city for paid employment opportunities. With exposure to these opportunities, youth will be better informed about their career options and will have taken concrete steps toward success in the workplace.
Long-term, GK participants graduate from high school, enroll in college, and become leaders in their communities and the world at large. Last year, 99% of GK seniors graduated from high school, more than 30 points higher than NYC's average. 87% of those graduates are now in college. In an alumni survey, 97% agreed that GK helped to increase their leadership skills, and 95% agreed that they increased their civic and community engagement due to GK.
