Our Impact
Career exploration and early work experience offer life-changing benefits for young people. Youth who participate in career development activities and internships have a broader knowledge of career options and a better understanding of the relationship between post-secondary education and employment. (Center for American Progress, 2020). Young people engaged in work-readiness programs also develop professional relationships critical for accessing future job opportunities, and gain in-demand, transferrable skills, such as critical thinking, relationship-building, and problem solving skills, that make them more competitive in the current labor market (Here to Here, 2021).
While all young people can benefit from early career guidance, research shows that youth from historically marginalized communities are less likely to participate in career development programs. In New York City, where 73% of the 1.1 million students in the public school system come from low-income households, many schools lack the resources and personnel needed to connect students to internships, offer post-secondary educational guidance, and promote economic self-sufficiency (NYC DOE, 2021).
Futures and Options offers access to employment opportunities, work-readiness education, and career coaching to young people across the city. Our youth do not lead easy lives; they juggle school, work, and family responsibilities. They are resilient, ambitious, determined, and curious. They bring energy and enthusiasm to career development workshops and their internships, knowing that workplace experience fosters the crucial executive skills they need to build economic and professional stability. We are honored to work with these students, and our employer partners, to help them realize their full potential.
17,450
(and counting!) students served since 1995
90%
of our students identify as youth of color
25%
of our students were born in a country outside the US
37%
of our students speak English as their second language
164
schools in New York City represented by our students
$872K
wages, stipends, and scholarships collectively earned by our students last year
Students Gain Critical Professional Skills
of students know the steps needed to have a specific career after completing our program
of students agree they are motivated to work harder and get better grades in school
of students feel they can manage their time properly
of students feel confident when speaking in front of a group of adults
Meet Our Alumni
Afua Awuah interned with Cohn Reznick in 2015, and now works as a Patient Care Coordinator at Sloan Memorial Kettering.
