Lowcountry

Bank Engages Community-Minded Teens in Paid Nonprofit Internships and Leadership Development

Charleston, S.C.— Bank of America announced the expansion of its Student Leader program to include two high school students from the Charleston community.  Student Leaders (#BofAStudentLeaders) is a signature philanthropic program that offers young people an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at a local nonprofit and the ability to help improve their communities. The program also empowers these civically engaged youth at a national leadership summit in Washington, D.C.  Now in its fifteenth year, the bank has recognized nearly 3,500 Student Leaders from across the country. With its expansion to the Charleston region, as well as 29 additional new markets across the U.S., the program will engage nearly 300 young people during the summer of 2019.

Today, about 15 percent of all young people across the country, or 4.7 million, are categorized as disconnected youth who aren’t in school and don’t have a job.  Without access to opportunities that build career skills, many young people may be left behind, leading to high rates of youth unemployment and juvenile delinquency and hindering overall economic progress. Paid youth employment programs like Student Leaders that connect young adults to education, training and the job market can help them build workforce skills while also enabling them to engage with their community in unique ways.  

Through Student Leaders, Bank of America helps young people gain work experience, broaden their perspective on how nonprofits serve community needs, and advance their civic engagement. Student Leaders from across the country also develop better money habits by working with bank volunteers to increase their financial management skills, from building a budget to creating a savings plan.

Last week Bank of America hosted its annual leadership summit in Washington, D.C. (July 8-13) to bring the program full circle and enable Student Leaders to engage with their likeminded peers. Students joined nearly 300 other young people from across the country to build advocacy and inclusive leadership skills and develop a peer network. In addition to discussing civil rights and the value of cross-sector partnerships, they met with members of Congress and participated in a service learning project at the American Red Cross.

“We recognize that building workforce skills early can help prepare a young person for long-term success,” said Mark Munn, Charleston Market President for Bank of America. “Investing in youth and young adults is part of our broader commitment to connect individuals to the training and jobs needed for success, ultimately strengthening our community and we are thrilled to bring the Student Leader opportunity to the Charleston community.”

The Charleston-based Student Leaders are working at Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative this summer and will complete an eight-week internship program.

The two Charleston Student Leaders are:                                           

• Riley Haas, a Mount Pleasant resident and rising senior at Academic Magnet High School.
• Caroline Vail, a West Ashley resident and rising senior at Porter-Gaud School.

Photos of the students available upon request.

This summer, Bank of America is investing more than $4 million in funding to support nearly 3,000 summer jobs for teens across the country through various initiatives, with a particular focus on young people from low-income families. Locally, the bank has provided grants to the Charleston Metro Chamber for Career Academies, a youth workforce development program in local high schools, as well as having provided significant funding for Trident Technical College’s youth apprenticeship program. Bank of America also provides information and tools to help young adults learn about careers and personal finance through Better Money Habits®, its financial wellness and education platform.

Bank of America

At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).

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