71 Atlantic Media Employees Volunteer to Make College Essay Day a Success!

11/21/2007

On Friday, November 9th, just under 100 DC high school seniors nervously waited in the offices of the Atlantic Media Company.  They were there as part of Urban Alliance's year-round internship program.  They would be spending the afternoon with employees of the Atlantic Media Company who had generously donated their time, and expertise as writers & publishers, to help each student refine their college essay.

The 6th Annual College Essay Day was the largest and best to date, thanks to the generosity of Atlantic Media and Service Corps.  Students spent a few hours getting intense feedback and instruction on how to structure and craft a college essay.  And this assistance could mean the difference between a run of the mill essay, and one that makes the student stand-out in the admission process.

"My students were both first generation college students – listening to them talk about that amazed me when I thought about how much they had overcome."  Stefanie Glidden

"This was an opportunity to apply my language and writing skills to help someone else have a shot at achieving their career and life goals."  Stacey Pavesi

THANK YOU to Jenna Osburn Lanier (Service Corps), Alyssa Rosenberg (Government Executive), and Alex Vargo (Atlantic Media Company) for helping plan such a successful event.  Another since thank you to all the volunteers who participated:

Year-long Program Culminates on Friday at the 7th Annual Public Speaking Challenge

08/06/2007

This Friday, over 100 young people from across the city will face what ranks as the biggest fear for adults – public speaking. These students will climb in front of a panel of community judges, turn on a PowerPoint, and speak about their experiences as professional interns in major corporations and government offices. And, no, these aren’t the countless college students who converge each summer on DC for internships. These students are DC’s own public high school graduates who seized a chance to work at places like Advisory Board Company, E*Trade, Fannie Mae, Mayor Fenty’s Office, and the World Bank.

These youth have participated in a rigorous internship and youth development program run by the local DC nonprofit Urban Alliance. Through this year-long program, youth have the opportunity to earn almost $6,000 while receiving vital support via adult mentors and life-skills workshops. Each student is challenge to learn critical job skills while placed in a professional office. The culminating event is the 7th Annual Public Speaking Challenge on Friday, August 10th at the George Washington University School of International Affairs. On Friday, the students are able to showcase their hard work, dedication, and newly acquired skills for a panel of community judges. For many of these young people, it will be the first time in front of an audience.

After the presentations, the students’ efforts will be awarded with a luncheon focused on their accomplishments. The theme of public speaking continues, with speeches made by current and recently graduated students. Additionally, students who had outstanding presentations and those with perfect work attendance throughout the summer will be awarded with pay bonuses. Finally, the luncheon will conclude with the awarding of the 2nd Annual Mentor Excellence Scholarship and the first ever induction into the Urban Alliance Alumni Society.

If you would like to learn more about the Public Speaking Challenge, contact Natalie Zundel at nmoran@urbanalliancefoundation.org.

UA students' first day of work recognized at Fannie Mae

07/02/2007

The Urban Alliance students employed full-time at Fannie Mae this summer were recognized on their first day in an article featured on the Fannie Mae website.  The following is the article in its entirety:

High schoolers start summer internships at DC locations

Thu Jun 28 2007

Twelve students from DC high schools arrived this week to start summer internships in various business units at our DC office locations. The student interns are taking part in the City-Wide High School Internship Program (CHIP) sponsored by Urban Alliance—a local nonprofit organization committed to helping find employment opportunities for DC youth.

The students attended a special introductory orientation on Tuesday, June 26, where they learned about our company and what we do. They also took part (along with new employees starting this week) in the "Our Mission in Action" bus tour east of the Anacostia River where Fannie Mae investments and work with our housing partners are helping revitalize neighborhoods and communities.

The students will work at Fannie Mae Monday through Thursday and receive additional training on Fridays with Urban Alliance. The program concludes on Thursday, Aug. 9.

For more information about the internship program and its participants, contact Jennifer Luecking in Human Resources.

UA Staff Member & Graduate Speak at the World Bank

06/01/2007

On Thursday, May 31st, Director of Alumni Services, Sean Segal, and program graduate, Shanita Conley, spoke about the impact internships at the World Bank have on DC youth with Bank employees.   The World Bank has been a Job Partner since 2000, employing 85 DC youth, and donating over $200,000 to support Urban Alliance.  UA was honored and excited to express our thanks for their tremendous impact on our students.  Here is a short excerpt from the speech:

"On an individual level, the students employed at the World Bank have excelled. For example:

• Last summer, World Bank interns scored significantly higher than an average high school student on Urban Alliance’s “Job Skills Inventory” – a huge accomplishment.

• The World Bank summer internship program produced the first student to garner a perfect score at Urban Alliance’s annual Public Speaking Challenge.

• 100% of the students employed by the World Bank in 2006 went on to enroll in college, and are now busy pursuing degrees influenced by their experience ranging from Political Science, to Economics, and History.

...Thank you for being role models to our young people.  Thank you for giving your time and energy to working with DC youth.  And thank you for your continued support of Urban Alliance and our mission to ensure that DC youth are ready for a life of self-sufficiency."

To download a full copy of the speech, click here.