After-School Apprenticeships in Technology

Summary

Low-income middle schoolers will work with volunteers from tech firms in CA, MA, NJ & TX, in after-school apprenticeships to build critical academic skills & raise school and career aspirations.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

In communities where Citizen Schools operates, children are caught in a vicious cycle of declining educational and economic opportunity. Among communities we serve, 50% or more of the low-income children who enter public high schools do not graduate. This project will teach educationally at-risk students technology and communications skills that will help propel them toward high school completion, advancement to college and full participation in the civic and economic life of their communities.

How will this project solve this problem?

Technology apprenticeships allow students to work alongside real-world experts (volunteer “Citizen Teachers”) to develop new technological skills. Courses culminate in public celebrations of learning where students teach back to their communities.

Potential Long Term Impact

Citizen Schools aims to change the life trajectories of low-income, low-achieving students and propel them toward success in school, college graduation, career opportunities and civic leadership. We also aim to strengthen the after-school sector.

Project Message

My favorite apprenticeship has definitely been computers. We upgraded computers by adding memory and made the school basement into a computer lab. I want to study computers at MIT when I go to college
- Irvel, apprentice, Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Boston

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources