Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein Announce 5,000th Student Will Graduate from City's
'Learning to Work' Program*
*Office of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Press Release
The program is administered by New York City Mission Society
at Harlem Renaissance High School.

Participants enjoy a broad range of paid internships in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, with placements tailored to match their interests and career goals. Students express high levels of satisfaction with the program, with over 90 percent of students reporting that their internships would help them obtain jobs after graduation. Additionally, three times as many students reported that the overall Learning To Work program supported key career development skills - such as identifying career goals, constructing résumés, and applying for jobs - compared with programs they previously attended.

Expansion of Learning To Work programs has been a central priority of this Administration. Since September 2005, the DOE has opened or enhanced 15 transfer schools, 10 GED programs, and 20 Young Adult Borough Centers with Learning To Work components. In 2007, 9,809 students participated in Learning To Work programs, compared with 6,351 during the previous year. As of November 2007, nearly 8,000 students were already participating in the programs citywide, with students continuing to enroll throughout the academic year. The Department of Education has also expanded program services to students, with internship placements increasing by 115 percent during the program's second year of operation and continued growth expected in 2008.

"Learning to Work programs have provided tremendous benefits to Harlem Renaissance students who have taken advantage of them," said Harlem Renaissance High School Principal Mary Rice Boothe. "Our most successful students are those who have been involved with Learning To Work, not only because of the work experience they gained outside of school, but also because of the social, emotional, and academic supports they received from the dedicated staff of our community partner, the New York City Mission Society."

"Our partnership with Harlem Renaissance High School demonstrates that community-based organizations such as the New York City Mission Society are committed to working with the Department of Education to ensure that the City's education system works for all young people," said New York City Mission Society Executive Director Stephanie Palmer. "The success of this initiative proves that our collective efforts can assist students who somehow lost their way to get back on track to fulfill the promise of a brighter future and better outcomes for themselves and their families."