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Students, providers ask Council to baseline Student Success Centers and scale work‑based youth programs
Summary
Student Success Centers and city‑supported youth workforce programs gave students direct help applying to college and getting paid internships; advocates asked the Council to baseline funding and enlarge the programs.
Lede: Student advocates, schools and workforce program providers told the Council that Student Success Centers (SSCs), work‑based learning and apprenticeship programs are delivering measurable results and asked the Council to convert temporary funds into permanent baseline investments.
Why it matters: SSCs and workforce programs create direct pathways from high school into paid internships, industry certifications and early college credits. Providers said the payoffs can be rapid for vulnerable youth — school leaders and witnesses cited $18 million in work‑based earnings by students and 15,000 students in Future Ready pathway programs.
What testimony said: SSC youth leaders, principals and nonprofit providers described how SSCs provide 1‑on‑1 college application help, SYEP and internship matches and career navigation. Students testified their SSC advisors reviewed resumes, refined applications and connected them to internships. Providers asked the Council to baseline SSC funding to preserve services and expand reach. Workforce advocates requested a near‑term city investment: Future Ready expansion to dozens more schools (DOE asked for a multi‑million expansion; providers cited an example ask of ~$29M for a larger scale) and a roughly $31M ask for Learning to Work to scale year‑round work opportunities. Councilmember Stevens called the combined ask a sound public‑safety investment.
DOE response: DOE said Future Ready currently serves 15,000 students and reported $18 million in student earnings; DOE said it hopes to expand to more schools and that additional funding would be required and welcome from the Council during budget adoption. DOE noted SSCs are funded in part through external philanthropic and council grants and said baseline funding decisions will be part of the adopted budget negotiations.
Bottom line: Students and providers urged the Council to convert temporary program dollars to permanent baseline investments so SSCs and workforce programs can expand steadily rather than restart each year.
