Urban Alliance has been a key workforce development partner for Baltimore City Public Schools for over 13 years – providing internships, skills training, and mentoring to over 900 young people since 2008.
So when the district’s Department of College and Career Readiness decided to ramp up its work-based learning offerings, it looked to Urban Alliance for our expertise.
“Urban Alliance is highly revered in the Baltimore market as a leader in preparing and connecting students to successful career transforming opportunities, said Baltimore City Public Schools Manager of Work Based Learning, Adenike Akintolo. “City Schools values having a regional partner in student college and career readiness, persistence and success.”
UA served as a thought partner and trainer as the district built its workforce development curriculum and internship program.
This summer, we conducted a three-day training course for a pilot group of 10 teachers in a new workforce development curriculum we designed for them
Throughout the workshop, BCPS staff received an overview of our champion high school internship program and how the curriculum works in tandem with Canvas, the district’s learning management system.
During the training provided to BCPS staff, we provided an overview of UA’s programs and we also provided in-depth training on how to use and navigate Canvas along with curriculum overview and walked teachers through the scope & sequence.
We also trained them in how to facilitate it using an online learning management system – Canvas
This school year, the district will offer this to 250 students: 15 topics over 15 weeks of training, followed by 13 weeks of internships with stipends, four days per week.
“Youth in Baltimore are incredibly talented and driven, but too often lack the opportunity to put that talent to work through meaningful employment and training,” said Urban Alliance Director of Banking and Partnerships and Pathways, Nikki Brooks. “This partnership seeks to change that for hundreds more local youth. We’re grateful to work with a partner like BCPS whose priority is and continues to be student success and well-being.”
Urban Alliance’s mission has always been to make critical work-based learning opportunities available to all young people, regardless of background, so partnerships like this one enable us to reach even more youth.
This partnership comes on the heels of a similar model in Chicago – Teacher Institute – which was incredibly successful and is embarking on its second year of this train-the-trainer work.
As BCPS begins to roll out this new pilot program, we’re gearing up for year two and look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.