Bank of America has expanded its Student Leader program to include two high school seniors from the Savannah 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 Savannah 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% 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.

To bring the program full circle and enable Student Leaders to engage with their like-minded peers, Bank of America also hosts an annual leadership summit in Washington, D.C. (July 8-13). Students will join 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 will meet with members of Congress and participate 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 Patrick O’Neil, Savannah market president, 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 Savannah community.”

The Savannah-based Student Leaders will work at YMCA of Coastal Georgia this summer. The YMCA of Coastal Georgia has been serving the Coastal Georgia communi­ty for more than 160 years, and works every day to strengthen the community through three areas of focus: youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Over the course of the summer, the Student Leaders will lead a Togetherhood Volunteer Service Project and gain valuable experience in the YMCA’s Advancement and Marketing and Communications departments.

The two Savannah Student Leaders are:                                    

• Daniel Birch, a rising senior at Herschel V. Jenkins High School.

• Cimaya McCreary, a rising senior at Woodville Tompkins High School.

Daniel & Cimaya’s signature Togetherhood Volunteer Service Project for the summer is a school supply drive to benefit the students and teachers at Gadsden Elementary School. Nationally, the first day of school, about 15 million students arrive with no supplies. Gadsden Elementary is a Title One School, meaning that many students receive federal funds due to low-income and have less disposable income to furnish supply lists.  Cimaya and Daniel have coordinated all aspects of the drive including creating detailed marketing materials, distribution and collection of donations,  and developing copy and content to promote the drive. Supplies will be collected at all Chatham County YMCA locations through July 30^th. Supply lists can be found here.

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. Locally, the bank is partnering with Goodwill Southeast Georgia to fund paid summer internships for two local teens through Mayor Eddie DeLoach’s Summer 500 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.