Mayor Shirley Franklin hosts the first “Saturday with the Mayor” for the class of 2009 APS seniors.

Over 130 seniors from Douglas High School and Washington High School filtered into the offices of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency on Saturday to register for the Mayor’s Youth Program. The program helps students outline their plans for after high school graduation, whether they are interested in attending a four year or two year college, technical school, going straight into the workforce, or joining the military.

 

During the day, students participated in several workshops covering topics such as financial literacy and workforce readiness.  They met with representatives from various colleges and filled out applications. They signed up for SAT/ACT prep classes and received waivers to re-take the exam based on their scores. They met with college students who had gone through the Mayors Youth Program in previous years and who talked to them about their experiences while preparing for college and being in college. 
After a full day of workshops and activities, each student sat down with Mayor Franklin and discussed what his or her plan would be for after graduation. Mayor Franklin asked questions that the students would need to start thinking about like “how many scholarships have you applied for?” or “if you take out an incredible amount of loans to afford a certain college, how will you afford to attend graduate school afterwards?” Questions that every child needs to think about when navigating their post-secondary education options. Questions that when answered, create a plan of action that helps them reach their career goals.

After the day was over, the students were asked to keep in touch with their program counselors. The counselors would begin searching for summer internships based on their interests and would need to stay in communication with them. Some students would be returning to participate in the various opportunities provide by the program such as the Police Cadet and Fire Rescue Cadet programs, a College Writing class, an SAT/ACT prep class. Some would return for assistance in filling out their FAFSA applications and writing their essays for college acceptance boards. Some would be returning with fears that while their tuition would be covered by a scholarship, they would not have enough money for room and board or books. Regardless of their needs, all students are required to keep in touch with the Mayor’s Youth Program counselors throughout the year, so that they can reap the benefits of the program.

Mayor Franklin will continue to meet with Atlanta Public School seniors at “Saturdays with the Mayor” through the end of the year.  Students are asked to go to http://mayorsyouthprogram.org/register.asp and register for the Mayor’s Youth Program.

 

Mayor’s Youth “Tee Up” in College

Five students, all graduates of Southside High School, are receiving support from the Mayor’s Youth Program to aid them in their pursuit to play golf in college.

Rodriguez Lowery, Brandon Bradley, Eric Davis, Shelton Davis, and Willie Brown, all graduates of Southside High School located in East Atlanta, received $250.00 gift cards, a laptop, and financial assistance to cover any needs unmet by the golf scholarships they received from Talladega College, Grambling State University, and Winston State University. Mayor Shirley Franklin and Tony Dozier, President and CEO of TDC Systems Integration were on hand to present the awards before the students left for their fall semesters.

(L- R) Tony Dozier, President and CEO of TDC Systems Integration, Willie Brown, Shelton Davis, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Eric Davis, Brandon Bradley, and Rodriguez Lowery.

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Mayor’s Youth Program Participants Complete Internships At More Than 100 Atlanta Companies, Organizations and Government Agencies

This month, approximately 700 Atlanta Public Schools (APS) students will complete competitive summer internships and training programs at organizations throughout Atlanta and the metro area as participants in the 2008 Mayor’s Youth Summer Employment and Training Program.
For the fourth consecutive year, businesses partnered with the Mayor’s Youth Program to provide funding and summer internships for this one-of-a-kind program. Over 100 companies joined the City, the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA), the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce (MACOC) and ajcjobs.com to provide the graduating seniors from the class of 2008 with paid summer internships that gave them the experience necessary to effectively transition into college and the workforce.
“The Mayor's Youth Summer Employment and Training Program is made possible by our corporate partners who contribute so generously to Atlanta's youth by offering summer internships that provide them with an opportunity to grow and gain experience in an array of industries,” said Mayor Franklin. “As a result, students are better prepared for the real world, and the next phases of their lives.”
S. L. King & Associates, Inc., (SLK) an engineering consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is one of the many organizations that has partnered with the Mayor’s Summer Internship Program since its inception. “We are pleased to have participated in the program again this year, for our fourth summer in a row.  We have had wonderful experiences and look forward to many more,” said, P. E. founder of S. L. King & Associates, Inc.

[R to L] Stanley King of S. L. King & Associates, Inc with Mayor’s Youth Program interns Rebecca Armstrong, Berry College class of 2009, and Sheldon Mabry, Clemson University class of 2012.