Year Up

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The Year Up logo.
The Year Up logo.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Year Up (http://www.yearup.org) is a nonprofit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2000 by Harvard Business School graduate Gerald Chertavian, Year Up has sites in Boston and Cambridge, New York City, Providence and Washington, D.C. and is currently expanding to other locations across the United States.

Year Up is a one-year, intensive training program that prepares at-risk and low-income young adults, ages 18-24 with a high school diploma or GED, in technology (IT) skills as well as business and professional skills. After a 6-month classroom component, Year Up students are placed in a variety of 6-month corporate apprenticeships with leading US corporations.

[edit] Mission

Year Up's stated mission is to "close the Opportunity Divide by preparing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through successful careers and higher education."

[edit] How it works

Year Up's unique structure has made it a model organization in the nonprofit sector since its inception in 2000.

Year Up's "high-expectation, high-support model", combining four elements--"education, experience, support and guidance"--is the cornerstone of its educational philosophy.

During the first six months, students attend classes at one of Year Up's learning sites. Year Up students are enrolled at Cambridge College and can earn up to 18 college credits for their classwork.

Working with Cambridge College as well as corporate partners, Year Up's team of instructors utilize a comprehensive and flexible curriculum. Classroom and project-based learning techniques that allow for group interaction and one-on-one learning are popular. Year Up instructors hold a master's degree and have been certified as college instructors.

One of the characteristics that sets Year Up apart from similar nonprofit organization is that it pays students to attend class. Students are paid a weekly stipend for attending classes and their apprenticeships. The stipend is guaranteed at full value; however, a "point system" outlining various infractions controls the actual amount paid to the student.

[edit] Classes taught and skills learned

Partial list of Technical Skills classes:


Parital list of Professional and Business Skills classes:

  • Writing Skills
  • Working in Teams
  • Time Management
  • Workplace Norms
  • Professional Networking
  • Introduction to Business
  • Communicating Clearly and Effectively
  • Personal Finance
  • Conflict Resolution

[edit] Support systems

Year Up surrounds its students with resources to support them during and after the program, assisting them in their transitions to careers and higher education.

  • Advisors: Staff members act as student advisors, meeting with students weekly to advise them on professional and personal issues.
  • Mentors: Each student is assigned a mentor from the business community to further support his or her development.
  • Guest Speakers, Tutors and Job Coaches: Weekly guest presenters provide career and life perspectives and often act as part of the students' professional network. Field trips to local businesses increase the students' awareness of professional environments and opportunities. Tutors, mock interviewers and job coaches offer additional support and assistance in college applications and resume production.

[edit] Corporate partnerships

Year Up is partnered with a vast array of high-powered corporations and individuals. This network is what has enabled Year Up to be successful and allowed it to grow and mature as an organization. All of the following are corporations Year Up students have completed, will complete or are currently engaged in a 6-month apprenticeship with:

Abt Associates · Canacord Adams · Bank of America · Bell Foundation · Blue Cross Blue Shield · Boston Medical Center · Bright Horizons · Children's Hospital · Commonwealth of Massachusetts · Dunkin Brands · Eaton Vance · Ernst and Young · F.W. Webb · Fidelity · Goodwin Proctor · Houghton Mifflin · Massachusetts Judiciary Department · Mellon · Partners HealthCare · Pegasystems · Pioneer Investments · Putnam · State Street · Stop and Shop · Lehman Brothers · Merrill Lynch · BlackRock · Hale and Dorr · J.P. Morgan

[edit] Achieving results

The impact that Year Up has made on the students and communities it serves has been measured:


Program Results:

  • 100% of student placement in apprenticeships
  • 86% graduation rate
  • 90+% positive student feedback
  • 60+ apprenticeship partners, funding 45% of operating costs
  • More than 400 volunteers
  • Partnership with Cambridge College to grant college credit


Career Placement Results:

  • 87% of graduates placed in professional positions
  • Average wage of $15/hour at placement


Further Education Results:

  • 65% of students accepted to college
  • 43% currently attending college

[edit] Recognition

Since 2000, Year Up has been recognized in the following sources:

Fast Company Magazine · The Christian Science Monitor · Fortune Small Business · The Boston Herald · Veritude.com · WCVB-Channel 5 CityLine, · The Boston Globe · Imagen Hispana Magazine · Providence Journal · Providence Business News · Commonwealth Magazine · New Century Philanthropy Magazine · Business Week · New England Political Review · Boston Metro · WCVB-Channel 5 Chronicle · Mass High Tech


Year Up has also been the recipient of multiple awards, including:

  • Fast Company and Monitor Group's "Social Capitalist" Award (January 2005, January 2007)
  • The Freedom House Archie R. Williams, Jr. Technology Award (May 2005)
  • The Commonwealth Corporation's Excellence in Partnership Awards: Dr. Stanley Z. Koplik Commitment to Learning Award (June 2004)
  • The Manhattan Institute Social Entrepeneurship Award (Fall 2003)

[edit] Quotations

  • "Year Up does not accept the opportunity gap that exists in our nation. We are determined to provide our urban young adults with the education, guidance and support they need to realize their potential."

-Year Up founder and Executive Director Gerald Chertavian


  • "The best investment we can make for Boston's future is to create the skilled workforce employers need and to invest in our young people so they can compete for the jobs of tomorrow. That's why programs like Year Up are critical."

-Tom Menino, Mayor of Boston


  • "Year Up has developed a program model that continues to prove itself as both sustainable and scalable. We knew from day one that this program would make a big difference in our community and that is why we provided support from early on."

-Paul Grogan, President, The Boston Foundation


  • "As a Year Up apprentice, Wilson came to us as a motivated, hard-working and skilled student. As a full-time employee, he has become an irreplacable asset to our IT department."

-Mary Finlay, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Partners HealthCare

  • "Year Up has demonstrated that it has the ability to deliver a high quality program that makes an enormous impact on the lives of urban youth and provides immense value for corporations. We are committed to our relationship with them and look forward to their continued growth."

- David Fike, Chief Technology Officer, Marsh & McLennan Companies

[edit] Further information

[edit] Related links

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