Bank of America Helps Teens Build Skills for Workforce Success

[DETROIT]— Bank of America has announced that five high school students from the Detroit community have been selected as Student Leaders(#BofAStudentLeaders). This signature philanthropic program offers young people who are passionate about improving the community an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer nonprofit internship and participation in a national leadership summit in Washington, D.C.

Today, approximately 8.8 percent of young people ages 16 to 24 are unemployed, and the rate is often in the double digits for African-American and Hispanic youth from underserved communities. Paid youth employment programs that connect young adults to education, training and the job market can help them build workforce skills while also enabling at-risk youth to avoid juvenile delinquency.

Through Student Leaders, Bank of America helps young people gain work experience, broaden their perspective on how nonprofits achieve their mission, and advance their civic engagement. Bank of America Student Leaders also develop better money habits by working with bank volunteers to increase their financial management skills, from building a budget to creating a savings plan. At the leadership summit in Washington, D.C. (July 8-13), students will join 225 other young people from across the country to build advocacy and inclusive leadership skills and develop a peer network that can advance their future career success and contribute to economic progress in Detroit. In addition to discussing civil rights and the value of cross-sector partnerships, they will meet with members of Congress and participate in a service learning project at the American Red Cross.

“We recognize that connecting young people to meaningful early employment can help them chart a path for career success and advance the long-term success of our community,” said Matt Elliott, Michigan Market President, Bank of America. “The Student Leaders program offers youth in Detroit a unique opportunity to build their resume while also learning more about how to shape positive community change that will result in a more sustainable community for us all.”

The Student Leaders of metro Detroit are placed with Focus: HOPE, a Detroit nonprofit organization that provides community betterment programs, for an eight-week paid internship that will include activities in the organization’s food, early child education and community building programs.

“For more than ten years, Focus: HOPE has been proud to be the host site for Bank of America’s signature internship program,” said Vernice Davis Anthony, Interim CEO, Focus: HOPE. “It is an honor to host tomorrow’s leaders on our campus and educate them on the complexities and rewards of nonprofit management, enhancing their leadership skills and promoting community engagement.”

The five Detroit area Student Leaders are:

• Arslan Anjum, a Sterling Heights resident and a Senior at Utica Academy for International Studies in Sterling Heights
• Liam Householder, a Canton Township resident and a Senior at University of Detroit Jesuit High School in Detroit
• Amina Khalique, a Detroit resident and a Senior at Cass Technical High School in Detroit
• Kayla Thomas, a Lathrup Village resident and a Senior at University High School Academy in Lathrup Village
• Justin Wilson, a Southfield resident and a Senior at Troy High School in Troy

There are more than 50 student alumni from the Detroit area, and more than 3,000 Student Leaders across the country who have gained leadership skills and workforce experience through the program since 2004.

This summer, as part of its three-year, $40 million commitment to connect youth and young adults to skills, training and jobs, Bank of America is investing more than $3.6 million in funding to support 2,300 summer jobs for teens across the country, with a particular focus on young people from low-income families. Locally, the bank is partnering with Mayor Mike Duggan to fund paid summer internships for approximately 8,000 local teens through the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program. Mentoring, job shadowing, teaching better money habits and other volunteer opportunities give teens valuable perspective and vision about what it means to be employed, how to manage a paycheck and the kinds of job opportunities that exist today.

Bank of America has also partnered with Khan Academy to provide information and tools to help young adults learn about careers and personal finance through Better Money Habits®, its financial wellness and education platform.

Bank of America

At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).

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Focus: HOPE

Focus: HOPE is a nationally recognized civil and human rights organization founded in 1968, after the Detroit riots, by Father William T. Cunningham and Eleanor M. Josaitis. Together, they adopted the following mission: “Recognizing the dignity and beauty of every person, we pledge intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, poverty, and injustice. And to build a metropolitan community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust and affection.” – adopted on March 8, 1968. Since 1968, Focus: HOPE has dramatically transformed thousands of lives through its three key areas of focus: food, careers and community. For more information, visit focushope.edu