YouthForce Summer Internships Go Virtual
Meaningful work experience as part of the high school curriculum is an essential part of preparing young people for their professional futures. In less than five years, we’ve helped provide nearly 800 New Orleans open-enrollment high school students with paid work readiness training and paid internships. Faced with the global pandemic, we quickly altered our programming to be able to continue delivering a quality experience to students this summer, too.
Some 240 New Orleans Open Enrollment Public School Students received training and real work experience as part of the YouthForce Internship 2019 Summer Cohort.
Through partnerships with local employers like LCMC Health and Jacobs Engineering, students will get real world, virtual experience in our region’s fast-growing, high-wage industries. They’ll also benefit from virtual training in essential soft skills, business etiquette, financial and digital literacies, and workplace rights and responsibilities. Additionally, each YouthForce intern will receive a stipend made possible by the City of New Orleans.
We look forward to sharing the interns’ successes with you throughout the summer. And if your business would like to virtually “host” a team of young student professionals for a consultancy this summer, please click here.
Another opportunity to help New Orleans public school seniors prepare for life after high school is LAUNCH, our bridge year program that provides a 13th year of training, instruction, and coaching - for free. Students can apply now.
Thank you for your collaboration. Be well.
Warm Regards,
Cate
Cate Swinburn
President
YouthForce NOLA
Want to know more about our impact? Check out YouthForce NOLA annual report.
In this issue, you will find:
This week’s new information
Information on how YouthForce NOLA is responding
Valuable resources, organized for each segment of our collaborative
LAUNCH Application Remains Open - If you know of a current 2019/2020 New Orleans public high school senior who could benefit from this innovative approach to postsecondary success, encourage them to apply now.
Jump Start Construction Connect Scholars Program Deadline TODAY - Applications are due today (May 1) for the Jump Start Construction Connect Scholars Program. This scholarship will assist graduates in gaining the necessary training to earn industry employment in construction crafts fields aligned to four and five star jobs that may lead to management positions.
YouthForce NOLA Featured - YouthForce was featured in a recent The 74 article as a program that is 'keeping 21st century students engaged.'
NOLA Morning Bell - Although school bells aren’t ringing during the current school-building closures, teachers are still hard at work. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, join NOLA-PS in saluting our teachers by ringing a bell, banging pots and pans, clapping your hands, or making any other type of noise you wish. Record your celebration, then share it on social media using #NOLAmorningbell and tag @nolaps.
Free Patient Care Technician Training and Job Placement - LCMC Health with the City of New Orleans Workforce Office and Delgado is launching a 4-week PCT training. Graduates will be hired as PCT's at one of LCMC Health's five hospitals. Anyone interested in this free training can apply here.
Teacher Leader Summit Goes Virtual - Louisiana Department of Education’s marquee annual event, the Teacher Leader Summit, is shifting its in-person format to a series of more than 30 free, interactive webinars that will take place from May 28 to June 5. It will bring together a host of educators and content experts who are focused on creating meaningful growth for every student, every day. Educators will share their knowledge, learn new skills, and prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. Registration is open through June 5.
Junior Civic Leadership Academy: Open Enrollment - This initiative from Mayor LaToya Cantrell is an engaging 8-week program that will provide youth with an in-depth look at City government. The program includes hands-on demonstrations and presentations that give participants an insider's view of how the City of New Orleans operates. With this knowledge, students will be better equipped to engage their communities and help improve residents’ quality of life.
“When Moving Too Quickly Fails: On Supporting Schools in the Pandemic” - On April 28, Education Week published an article by Patrick Dobard, New Schools for New Orleans' CEO, on what he has learned about the importance of measured responses to crises.
ICYMI:
New Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Construction Management - Beginning in the fall 2020 semester, the University of New Orleans will enroll students in the state’s first bachelor’s degree program in urban construction management. Learn more here.
OPSB Seeks to Fill Interim District 5 Seat - The Orleans Parish School Board will be accepting Letters of Interest from qualified individuals seeking to fill the seat on an interim basis. Learn more here.
Virtual Job Fairs - The Urban League of Louisiana’s Office of Workforce Development is offering Virtual Job Fairs to connect job-seekers to essential-industry jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
High School Guide - The Urban League of Louisiana recently released their 2020 New Orleans Guide to High School and Beyond, which provides information on all public charter, private and Catholic high schools in the city.
Fund for Students Tech Access - New Schools for New Orleans is continuing to accept donations to provide internet and technology access to students. If you’re able, please donate.
Childcare for Essential Workers - As the Child Care Resource & Referral agency for Orleans, Agenda for Children is helping connect essential workers with group and in-home child care options.
Our immediate response to the pandemic was to restructure our programs, compile resources, maintain a web page, and help our partners and community organizations navigate the evolving situation.
We continue to:
Provide policy guidance,
Advance soft skills building virtually,
Innovate in how young people develop career awareness and gain first-hand work experience, and
Support young people in a post-high school bridge year program in which they develop core skills, expand their networks, and embark on their post-secondary pathways.
We're also looking ahead to how to best support the ecosystem, adapt program models, and deliver on our mission, in a new, virtual or distanced, world.
Subscribe to Our Lists
We send emails to a variety of discrete stakeholder groups with information tailored to their interests, such as students, educators, and employers. If you’d like to subscribe to join one or more of these segmented email lists, click here.
There are numerous online resources for students, families, and educators being compiled by a variety of organizations. YouthForce NOLA is most frequently turning to, and pointing others to, three of our collaborative partners as the primary trusted sources for information: the City of New Orleans, NOLA Public Schools, and GNO, Inc.
City of New Orleans Covid-19 Webpage - resources available to residents, from food and housing to legal and financial support >> LEARN MORE
NOLA Public Schools Covid-19 Webpage - information and resources for schools as well as students and their families >> LEARN MORE
GNO, Inc. Covid-19 Webpage - resources and updates for businesses and workers >> LEARN MORE
YouthForce Covid-19 Webpage - information on our program and links to trusted resources >> LEARN MORE
Resources for Students and Families
Meals
The City is organizing many food programs
NOLA Public Schools is working with partners on a Citywide Feeding Program for young people
Second Harvest is providing food assistance to families in need
Lyft is now offering free rides to grab-and-go meals, tap ‘Enter promo code’ and add the code: CV19NOLAPS20
Internet - NOLA Public Schools has secured WiFi hotspots and Chromebooks and is distributing them in coordination with schools based upon need. Cox, ATT, Verizon and other providers are also offering support.
Job Openings - GNO, Inc. has compiled a running list on WorkNOLA.com of companies looking to fill immediate labor needs
Job Fairs - The Urban League of Louisiana’s Office of Workforce Development is offering Virtual Job Fairs to connect job-seekers to essential-industry jobs
Career and Technical Education - Many local training providers are offering free and reduced training and education programs
Child Care Assistance
Louisiana Department of Education opened the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to support essential critical infrastructure personnel
Agenda for Children is helping connect essential workers with group and in-home child care options
Financial Aid for Gig Workers - The New Orleans Business Alliance created a relief fund for gig economy workers
Financial Aid for Hospitality Workers - The United Way of Southeast Louisiana created the Hospitality Cares Pandemic Fund
Youth Camps & Youth Employment - The Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program and has shifted to an online process to preregister for its youth camps and employment programs
Urban League of Louisiana has created a Covid-19 web page for its various programs that serve the community
Information for Families - Agenda for Children has organized resources for families, including ideas for activities and tools for helping young children deal with hard emotions
How to talk with children about Coronavirus - Messages for parents, school staff, and others working with children
Mental Health Support - SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline is a toll-free, multilingual, confidential crisis support service that connects any U.S. resident in need to a trained crisis counselor; call 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746
Resources for Schools and Educators
Louisiana Department of Education released a suite of resources to support school system leaders with academic and workforce planning during this extraordinary time
NOLA Public Schools is providing resources and updates for schools, including for distance learning
New Schools for New Orleans is supporting schools, sharing resources, and providing updates
GNO, Inc. is highlighting free and reduced training and education programs
Junior Achievement is providing free online Lesson Plans to teachers and parents
LAPCS is providing charter schools with guidance and sample resources to support planning and communications to your school community
Agenda for Children has organized resources for emergency child care options, information for families, and resources for early learning centers
NGLC created an annotated list of links to high-quality tools and materials for educators
ConnectED is offering a series of free online workshops aimed at supporting educators
Learning Keeps Going, the Edsurge/ISTE resource website for free products and support, includes an index where educators can search and filter to find what they need
Resources for Employers
Greater New Orleans, Inc.
is sending daily emails with up-to-date information and resources
is providing information on how businesses can benefit from the CARES Act, including creating a virtual information binder
launched GNOpivot to help regional companies pivot to meet demand in the fight against Coronavirus
is compiling a running list of job opportunities
is continually updating their Covid web page
New Orleans Business Alliance is working to ensure residents and businesses have access to available resources
Louisiana Economic Development has launched a hotline (225-342-4321) for businesses to call with questions related to the impact of the coronavirus
This is but a snapshot of the efforts underway across the YouthForce NOLA network and by no means exhaustive. If you know of news or resources you would like us to share, please let us know.