Urban Alliance High School Internship Program
About the Intervention
Urban Alliance High School Internship Program provides high school seniors at risk of disconnecting from work and school with training, mentoring, and work experience to help them successfully transition to higher education or employment after graduation. The program targets seniors in high school at risk of not transitioning to further education or meaningful work, aiming to serve middle-of-the-road high school students who maintain a GPA of 2.0 to 3.0, but not limited to that group. Program components include: (1) a paid internship in an office setting from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. after school Monday through Thursday starting in late fall, with full days during summer following graduation; (2) soft and hard skills job training through three to six weeks of pre-work training (one to one and a half hours daily after school) and workshops most Fridays after school throughout the year; (3) coaching and mentoring provided by Urban Alliance program coordinators (with caseloads of approximately 30-35 interns) and job mentors at internship sites; and (4) alumni services consisting of individual coaching, alumni events, and paid internship opportunities during summer breaks from college. Interns earn starting hourly wages close to city minimum wage ($8.25 in DC, $7.25 in Baltimore), which can rise to $10.00 per hour based on performance. Program coordinators require training to deliver the intervention.
Statistical Findings
No effect on SAT taking
No effect on ACT taking
No effect on FAFSA completion
Positive effect on comfort with FAFSA and scholarships
No effect on college applications
No effect on high school graduation
No effect on senior year suspensions
No effect on chronic absenteeism senior year
No effect on cumulative GPA
Positive effect on soft skill comfort at one year
Positive effect on soft skill comfort at two years
No effect on hard skill comfort at two years
No effect on goal setting
No effect on time management
No effect on college attendance
No effect on four-year college attendance
No effect on two-year college attendance
No effect on completing one year of college
No effect on completing one year of four-year college
No effect on completing two years of college
No effect on completing two years of four-year college
No effect on attaining two-year degree or enrolling in third year
No effect on retention rate of college attended
No effect on graduation rate of college attended
Positive effect on 75th percentile SAT score of college attended at one year
No effect on 75th percentile SAT score of college attended at two years
No effect on holding postprogram job
No effect on current employment
No effect on postprogram wages
No effect on money accumulated
More Intervention Details
Focus Areas
Drop-Outs, Economically DisadvantagedPrograms & Services
General EducationDelivery Methods
Face-to-FaceDisability Support
N/ATarget Groups
Student(s)Source
Brett, T., Devlin, H., Michael R., P., Rebecca, D., Sara, E. & Tanaya, S. (2017). Pathways after High School: Evaluation of the Urban Alliance High School Internship Program. Research Report (ED615700). ERIC. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED615700.pdf.
Study Demographics
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Other Participant Characteristics
Geographical Setting
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