Bank of America Provides Internships, Leadership Training to Local High School Students

Michael Edwards, Eva Maher, Zak Sayah, recent graduates of the Classical Magnet School, Angelica Torres-Maldonado, a recent graduate of The Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, and Makeda Barr-Brown, a rising senior at the Sport and Medical Sciences Academy are the five Hartford area students selected to participate in Bank of America’s Student Leaders program this year. The program awards a total of 225 community-minded high school juniors and seniors from around the country with paid eight-week summer internships at local nonprofit organizations. The five teens are working at the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford.

In 2004, when the Student Leaders program was launched in Hartford, the average rate of youth unemployment (age 16-19) was just under 17 percent. A decade later, the situation has only gotten worse – youth unemployment currently sits at 21 percent nationally and 17 percent in Connecticut, which was more than double the rate for the state’s work force as a whole in 2013. Clearly, these opportunities for students to gain valuable skills and on-the-job experience are more critical than ever.

“These internships provide valuable hands-on job experience for emerging teen leaders while supporting local nonprofits,” said Kevin Cunningham, Connecticut president, Bank of America. “For 10 years, the bright young adults of our Student Leaders program and our participating community partners have worked tirelessly to make the Hartford community stronger.”

In addition to the paid internships, the students recently attended a week-long Bank of America Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Summit activities included a service learning project and a series of interactive workshops, including Capitol Hill briefings and sessions on financial education and leadership development skills. The students gained a deeper understanding of how service creates positive change and how corporate, nonprofit and government collaboration can revitalize communities.

The Student Leaders program is part of Bank of America’s ongoing commitment to provide individuals with access to opportunities that will bolster their work and life skills while also benefiting the community.