Developing the skills necessary for a life of self-sufficiency is what Urban Alliance is all about. Most students come from neighborhoods where professional development and post-secondary education opportunities are severely limited, so the idea is to get students really thinking about and creating a plan for the future. For some, that means working, and learning about what it means to work. Summer internships are four days a week, with Fridays reserved for skill-building workshops. And the internships continue part-time during the school year with accompanying sessions on a wide range of topics--time management, communication skills, workplace etiquette, conflict resolution, interviewing, financial literacy (a program in which student savings are matched 2:1 by area banks goes a long way toward encouraging financial planning!). A four-year nurse-training program prepares some high school graduates to become Registered Nurses and guarantees employment at Providence Hospital. Classes that introduce young people to the college process and to career planning are an integral part of the program. In 2004, over 88% of UA graduates went on to pursue post-secondary education and the remaining students secured long-term employment or entered apprenticeships such as the DC Fire Cadet Program--becoming responsible, informed, and skilled members of the working community. Now there's an alliance we can all support!

Veronica Nolan, Executive Director 600 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20037 (202) 266-5664 urbanalliancefoundation.org