Out of school and into the work force.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped kick off the first day of the city’s summer youth employment program at the Queens Botanical Gardens, which will have 35 employees working as garden greeters, horticulture aides and aides to the children’s garden.
More than 31,000 city kids are participating in the program. The participants were selected through a lottery system and placed by community?based organization partners at local nonprofits and businesses.
“With many young people now struggling to find employment, opportunities for summer jobs are very welcome,” Bloomberg said. “These programs help working families, keep kids in school, and help students do better on Regents exams and increases graduation rates. We are grateful to the more than 80 corporate and philanthropic sponsors for their support of our City’s young people this summer.”
Students who work during high school tend to stay in school, graduate at higher rates and are more likely to work after graduation, according to the mayor’s office. Students’ attendance and likelihood to take the Regents also increases the year following summer employment, according to a recent New York University study.
“The research is clear that summer learning loss disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable low-income students, which is why it is so important that we continue to support our city’s summer jobs programs and pilot new initiatives such as the ones we are announcing today,” Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said.
The city launched two new summer employment programs, Summer Quest and Summer Scholars, to go along with the already established Summer Youth Employment Program, Ladders for Leaders, the Young Adult Internship Program, the Young Adult Literacy Program and the Young Men’s Initiative Work Progress Program
