YouthForce NOLA Federal Grant Renewed for After School & Summer Learning
YouthForce NOLA (YouthForce) has been notified that its 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant, which allows more young people to receive career-connected learning after school and during the summer, has been renewed for up to five years. The grant award for the first year will be $1.2 million.
The federal 21st Century Grant primarily funds academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours to help students meet state and local standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math. YouthForce is unique because it uses its 21st Century Grant funds to support technical training, career exploration, and work-based learning after school and during the summer.
Last week, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved the 2022-2023 allocation of $1.2 million to fund a collective of programs — the YouthForce Internship program (YFI) and technical training provider programs that allow students to earn credentials and credits toward graduation. YouthForce serves as the lead partner and collaborates with five training providers — New Orleans Career Center (NOCC), New Orleans Technical Education Provider (NOTEP), New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC), Operation Spark, Spark Mindset, and unCommon Construction – to help students develop job-specific technical skills and earn industry-recognized credentials after school and over the summer in digital media and information technology, carpentry, and cybersecurity.
In addition to the credentials students earn that help them secure high-demand jobs after graduation, YouthForce works as an intermediary to ensure that students earn high school credits that count toward graduation requirements. During the summer, YFI provides students with soft skills training, career development workshops, and paid work experience.
YouthForce received an initial three-year 21st Century Grant in 2019. As a result, young people in New Orleans completed nearly 800 new career-connected learning experiences in YouthForce’s skill clusters – digital media and IT, skilled crafts, healthcare, and business services in 2020 and 2021. These experiences included career exploration, technical training, workforce preparation, and internships.
During the 2021-2022 school year, students earned 61 industry-based credentials outside of school hours, and this summer, close to 150 rising high school seniors received paid soft skills training and internships.
“Our work to prepare our young people to pursue high-wage, high-demand careers by earning industry-based credentials, college credit, and real-world experience is guaranteed to continue for the next five years thanks to this grant renewal,” said Cate Swinburn, co-founder and president of YouthForce NOLA. “Helping our young people attain economic mobility requires a seamless and connected set of opportunities for work-based learning during the school day and outside of school hours. These important opportunities will guide our young people into the world of work and onto career success.”
Mayukh Raychaudhuri, director of High School Programs at Operation Spark, agrees. “There are a number of advantages to being able to offer career-connected learning outside the normal school hours,” he said. “With the funding provided by the 21st Century grant, we can serve young people whose school schedules are full, offer advanced course work, and pilot new