The Power of Belief.
Preparing New Orleans students for career success.
Our Mission
Every young person in New Orleans deserves a clear path from school to a meaningful career. That’s why YouthForce NOLA fuels a movement that equips young people to graduate high school on a path to career success, working with a coordinated network of education, business, and community partners to ensure every high school student has access to career-connected learning and is prepared to confidently pursue a wide range of opportunities after high school.
Our Work
Our team works across the city to expand access to career-connected learning. We do that through:
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Students learn about industries, career pathways, and opportunities available to them through events, partner programs, and other career exposure experiences.
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Through internships and training, students gain hands-on experience that helps them build confidence, and earn credentials and college credits.
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Educators help students build essential workplace skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and professionalism that help them succeed in any career.
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We work with schools, training providers, and community partners to strengthen the systems that make career-connected learning possible.
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By collaborating with elected officials, government agencies, and partners at the local, state, and federal levels, we advocate for policies and systems that enable career-connected learning.
YouthForce NOLA serves as a connector across the career-connected learning ecosystem in New Orleans. We collaborate with:
100%
250+
of public high schools across the city
Employers and business partners
8
All
Elected officials and government agencies
Community organizations and partners
20+
Training providers and colleges/universities
Why This Work Matters
New Orleans students want opportunities to explore careers and gain real-world experience while still in high school. We work to make that happen: connecting schools, employers, training providers, and funders so New Orleans public school students are ready for college, career, and the future they choose. To date, more than $60 million in public funding and private philanthropy has been brought into New Orleans through YouthForce NOLA.
Thanks to our collective efforts, young people are fulfilling their potential, and we’re cultivating a stronger New Orleans economy!
Our Impact
Through collaboration with schools and partners across New Orleans, YouthForce NOLA has helped expand access to career-connected learning opportunities for thousands of students.
Learn more about YouthForce NOLA’s impact in our most recent annual report.
Over 172,000 hours have been contributed by 250 local businesses to engage directly with students exploring careers, gaining work experience, and building their professional networks.
Over 400 educators have worked collaboratively with expert YouthForce NOLA coaches to embed soft skills in their classrooms, directly reaching more than 10,000 students.
YouthForce NOLA has distributed over $12 million to local schools and partners, creating a strong ecosystem of support for providers and students alike.
Our Values
YouthForce NOLA deeply respects young people and each of our collaborators—families, educators, employers, colleagues, and civic leaders—and seeks to live the following values in our daily work.
Collaboration
We work alongside our partners, ensuring their perspectives shape our work and maximize our shared impact.
Opportunity for All
We pursue enabling policies and remove barriers as needed to ensure every collaborator has access and the opportunity to succeed.
Excellence & Accountability
We hold ourselves and our collaborators to high standards, use data to inform goals and planning, and monitor and report on our results.
Learner Mindset
We embrace “learning by doing,” innovation, and continuous improvement.
Informed Choice
We provide collaborators with the information they need to make informed choices.
Transparency
We openly communicate values, goals, decisions, policies, and programs.
Interested in learning more? Get in touch with our team!