How do we know this program works?

Since 1996, Urban Alliance has partnered with over 500 businesses and 100 schools to provide over 6,000 young people with paid internships and another 21,000+ youth with professional development training. 100 percent of Urban Alliance students graduate from high school; over 90 percent are accepted to college. A further 80 percent of enrolled alumni persist to a second year in college, and 80 percent of all alumni are connected to a college, career, or career-training pathway one year post-program.

A recent six-year randomized controlled trial conducted by the Urban Institute found that completing Urban Alliance’s flagship High School Internship Program had a statistically significant impact on young men attending college (by 23 percentage points), mid-GPA students enrolling in four-year colleges (by 18 percentage points), and students’ retention of professional skills.