CMW is taking a stand against low wages, lost opportunities and the school to prison pipeline as we stand in the gap with this creative solution that includes paid work experiences for 600 high-school-aged youth between the ages of 14 and 18 (60 who are not in school). The key factor here is that this is not simply putting a broom in a teenagers hand for the summer, CMW is committed to and is already collaborating with area small businesses, city government, law firms and other businesses that can provide summer placements to provide meaningful and exciting work experiences while opening doors for future opportunities. Additional highlights include hands-on experience in a fully functioning entrepreneurial venture, coaching/mentoring services, financial skills workshops, and carefully planned community engagement sessions, supplying needed participation in and to the communities through our:
Children Must Work, Inc. (CMW) is a non-profit organization piloting a unique youth-development program meeting specific targeted needs within three urban communities (Boston, MA, Hartford, CT, and
Atlanta, GA).
CMW is committed to providing diverse and high-quality experiences that build skills and empower youth personally, professionally.
Our goal is to be operating in all 52 states by 2024 in addition to implement in all public schools
Children Must Work, Inc. (CMW) is an innovative 501(c)3 non-profit organization that bridges the gap between school and work, while interrupting the school to prison pipeline by providing access to work that builds selfesteem, increases responsibility and accountability, while improving valuable life skills – moving children out of poverty and into prosperity.
Children Must Work will launch a national Pilot Project in three states (Boston, MA, Hartford, CT and Atlanta, GA), providing paid employment for 200 inner-city high-school aged youth (in each location). But this experience is about so much more than just getting a summer job. In the past, it was good enough just to put a broom or a rake in a teenager’s hand and they spent their summers cleaning up. CMW is committed to providing diverse and high-quality experiences that build skills and empower youth personally, professionally, and financially.
Together we win
Financial empowerment
This year-round program integrates a comprehensive after-school personal and career development program with 35-hours per week of employment per student during the summer. In addition, participants will receive financial management, communication skills, time management and other critical workshops to improve skills. They will also be required to participate in weekly community-based projects and assist in leading, marketing and operating the in-house entrepreneurial project, the Digital Food Pantry (rechargeable credit cards).
The Pilot Project is led by a team of successful entrepreneurs, community leaders and educators. Program staff will be paid educators from local schools who will provide on-site guidance, support, education and build community and connection amongst their teams. The entire program will celebrate achievements with a graduation ceremony.
CMW’s competitive edge is that it is conceived and developed by business leaders, and is directly connected to, and working in collaboration with small businesses to provide a range of workplace experiences that students can get excited about.
The Youth leadership Team in each city will outline specific employment goals and will be a critical component of program development moving forward. Our students learn early that they have a voice and that they are powerful when they find constructive ways to use that voice.
Children Must Work INC – is requesting financial support in reaching our goal amount of $24,277,014.00
Children Must Work, Inc. (CMW) is specifically targeting urban youth from 10th through 12th grade. Of the 600 youth engaged in the program, 10% (60) will be have dropped out of high school. Factors associated with poverty, minority status, and inner-city life make early adolescence an especially challenging period for many urban youth. Developmental needs must be addressed in an environment often characterized by prejudice, poor schools, limited future job prospects, violence, stressful family life, and fewer positive adult role models (Leadbeater & Way, 1996; McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994; Musick, 1993; Spencer & Dornbusch, 1990).
Because of the demands of work and the low wages available in urban communities, there is often no adult at home when school is over, and for some there is a distinct lack of adult supervision when school is not in session.
Inner-city schools often lack athletic programs and clubs that might occupy and engage children. There may be a lack of well maintained public parks or other recreational facilities, such as can be found in more affluent communities, that offer opportunities for physical, emotional, and intellectual growth and development (Freedman, 1993; McLoyd, 1990; Pittman & Wright, 1991).
According to The American Civil Liberties Union and The School to Prison Pipeline Report by Lionheart.org, the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and its prisons and jails are overwhelmingly filled with African Americans and Latinos.
40% of students expelled each year from U .S. schools are African American.
70% of students involved in in school “arrests” are Black or Latino. Black students are 3 times more likely to be suspended than white students. Black and Latino students are 2 times more likely not to graduate high school than white students. 68% of all Black men in state and federal prisons do not have a high school diploma.
These statistics are not only morally appalling, but they also create a clear and compelling need for forward-thinking positive youth development services in Boston, MA, Hartford, CT and Georgia, North Carolina and across the country.
Problem Statement
Work is important. First, employment is central to a person’s well-being, it often boosts self-confidence contributes to feelings of satisfaction, while producing an income. But this is not just about revenue – or getting paid – it is directly connected to one’s capacity to have choices about the type of life one wants to live. In addition, employment contributes to economic growth and stability. Employment is a gateway to economic empowerment.
Teens face great pressure maneuvering in an urban environment while simultaneously juggling individual identity development and the social need to fit in with peers (Charles, 2005). They are often disengaged – and not connected to the communities in which they live.
As they struggle to make choices about careers and further education, limited resources are encouraging many students to forego college, while choosing to enter the workforce immediately after high school.
Without much previous work experience, a lack of education and below average communication skills there is an open doorway to low wage, entry level positions. And although this may be where a person starts, everyone should have the opportunity to progress to whatever heights they would like to achieve.
CMW recognizes the need for culturally competent service provision – for minorities, by minorities – where youth will be engaged in a holistic manner. There is a critical need for leadership that speaks the language of today’s youth, and who are also everyday mentors. Youth are crying out for role models with experience in business and life who are prepared to be transparent, support their dreams and open doors to opportunity.
Cultural competence findings regarding inner city youth populations demonstrate creativity and a recognized need to reach out to engage youth in non-traditional settings as well as within their communities, while using youth development principles to more comprehensively address the contextual issues affecting youth decision making (Farner, Rhoads, Cutz, & Farner, 2005; Skuza, 2004).
CMW is a bridge between school and work/career… creating access to a network of diverse employment opportunities intertwined with essential self development components.
Young people who ore surrounded by o variety of
opportunities for positive encounters engage in less risky
behavior and ultimately show evidence of
higher rates of successful transition to adulthood.
