United Way, PIC launch summer pilot supporting reconnected dropouts

BOSTON – A cohort of 24 students who had dropped out of Boston Public Schools but were reconnected over the past school year will have an opportunity for a summer job because of a new partnership between United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and Boston’s Private Industry Council (PIC).United Way is investing $50,000 this summer in a PIC program that aims to encourage students to stay motivated and stay in school after the summer months by showing them first-hand the link between education and income and what it means to their futures.

“We all win when we can inspire young people to graduate from high school with options for a successful future,” said Michael K. Durkin, president and chief executive officer at United Way. “But young people who have dropped out of school face tremendous barriers to employment and a productive adulthood. This investment aims to support youth who have been reconnected with school and offer them educational and career pathways that will lead to a more promising future for themselves, their families and our community.”

This spring, using Governor Patrick’s Youth Works funds, PIC piloted a transitional employment program for over 20 young people who had been reconnected with schools and educational programs last year. United Way’s investment of $50,000 is for the first time supporting a summer component of this program, which includes mentoring, coaching, and discussions of life skills, job readiness and career exploration in addition to summer employment. During the 2006-07 school year, 1,976 young people dropped out of Boston Public Schools. Nearly 60 percent of dropouts were young men, and 25 percent dropped out as ninth-graders and 24 percent as 10th graders.

“Students are more likely to stay in school when they see how it matters to their future,” said Neil Sullivan, executive director of the Boston Private Industry Council. ““Paid employment keeps students motivated and rewards their commitment and their productivity. These are lessons that will pay off for a lifetime.”

The 24 young people – who are from Dorchester, Roxbury, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale, East Boston and Chinatown – will be placed in jobs with opportunities for clerical work, property management and camp counseling this summer. Others will assist program and outreach staff at organizations such as Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, Boston Private Industry Council, Freedom House and Young Cape Verdean Club, Inc.

Alex Biddy, who is at the Young Cape Verdean Club work site and Charlestown High School, says: “It’s an extremely good experience. Not only do we have mentors, but we have each other, as peers. It becomes like a family. Any hardship we have, we have a whole group we can talk to about it.”

“The working part of the program gives us a chance to explore different fields that we never thought we’d be able to do,” says Will Viera, who is at the Boston PIC work site and just earned his GED at Bridge Over Troubled Waters. “To be working in an office building, dressed up and treated with respect, boosts my confidence level. Knowing that my opinions matter and that people listen to my ideas is an eye-opener. With the mentoring, knowing that we have the support of others that we didn’t have before and the chance to grow with that support is key. Being able to share support with others makes me feel like I’m giving back, too.”