Bank of America

CTE Summer Scholars

Career and Technical Education (CTE) of the 21st century has come a long way from the past. 

New York City’s high quality CTE programs prepare students to graduate ready for college and for careers in booming sectors of our economy. Students gain a strong academic foundation, industry-validated skills and credentials, as well as authentic hands-on experiences that are essential to succeeding in the workplace. 

Working collaboratively with key industry partners, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) has made expanding high-quality CTE a top priority through its $113 million multi-year investment. As a result, there are now 301 CTE programs across 135 schools, reaching approximately 64,000 high school students. Programs include academic and industry-specific coursework, as well as high quality work-based learning experiences. 

The Fund for Public Schools is proud to facilitate support to CTE students through partnerships that support their college and career readiness, such as the Bank of America CTE Summer Scholars program. Through this public-private partnership with Bank of America - the title sponsor and generous supporter of this program - every summer, New York City high school students participate in a six-week career readiness experience. 

Since the Bank of America CTE Summer Scholars launched in 2012, over 700 students have participated in paid internships with industry partners in Information Technology, Software Engineering, as well as Media, Technology, and Design. 

The program is comprised of paid internships along with a variety of career activities designed to support CTE students in exploring career options within their field of study. Students receive academic and professional support from teachers, in order to maximize their achievement and personal growth during the summer – a time when many students lose ground they may have gained during the school year. At the same time, students gain an opportunity to gain industry-validated credentials, real-world professional skills, and exposure to authentic workplace settings. 

The program not only provides leading industry organizations with an opportunity to build the future of NYC’s workforce, but also to gain CTE students’ technical and intellectual skills for their business.

All students participate in a Youth Think Tank throughout the program, challenging them to inquire into real world problems that are local in scope and relevant to their lives. The Youth Think Tank provides students with opportunities for civic engagement, while developing their communication, research, and critical thinking skills. At the end of the program, students present their group capstone projects to their peers, teachers, and internship hosts.

The Fund for Public Schools is committed to partnering with the DOE to scale successful practices and solutions across all schools. To this end, over the last 8 years, as the Bank of America CTE Summer Scholars program has cultivated a community of dedicated employers, the DOE has leveraged key elements of this model system-wide. This includes strengthening and building capacity across broader work-based learning efforts, such as best-practices for recruiting internship hosts, developing curricula, and engaging workforce agencies.