What We Know

We understand that economic and social mobility is multidimentional and a nationwide issue that Birmingham is not facing alone. Economic and social mobility is the goal for the outcome of every student’s education. Creating access to good jobs and providing support that open doors to students are consistently highlighted as the key components to improving economic mobility according to the programs across the country where these models are successful. Evidence suggests that work based learning programs demonstrate notable benefits for students, specifically students of color. Work based learning reinforces the relevancy and authenticity of the learning experiences for students, engaging learners who prefer applied learning environments Moreover, work based learning has been found to increase students’ persistence, graduation, and employment rates, with notable gains for students from underserved racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. An example of this is The Collective Blueprint in Memphis, their mission is to increase socioeconomic mobility for Opportunity Youth by building pathways to
thriving careers. In their pilot program, 81% of young adult participants completed their school programs (compared to a ~5% community college graduation rate locally) and 67% earned certifications.7 Even in the midst of COVID, nearly 70% of this cohort completed their school programs and were on their way to full time employment.

What We Heard

Our community design teams met weekly during a two-month span digging into the root causes of various areas of improvement in the local education system, which included listening to current K-12 students. While students expressed many joys of their current education experience, many responded with concern and a lack of clarity about how their education journey is intentionally preparing them for college or career. Without clear expectations about what was expected academically from students at each grade level, family members and community members were not able to fully support students in reaching their academic goals or career dreams.

As a result, half of surveyed students indicated a lack of clarity on their next step after high
school. Many high school students we spoke with were also unaware of how to secure meaningful work experiences or how to pursue alternative education routes outside of fouryear universities.

Many family members who participated in house meetings recognized that business growth is driving Birmingham’s resurgence, and expressed fear that without more support, many Black and Brown students would be left out of the benefits of that growth.