Launched by Mayor Jones in 2010, The Mayor’s Youth Academy is designed to develop
Richmond’s Future leaders and workforce. The Academy serves Richmond youth (ages
14-19 years).
Mission
It is the mission of the Mayor's Youth Academy to provide development opportunities
to youth throughout the city of Richmond which includes: job readiness training,
leadership development, exposure to entrepreneurship, mentoring, and post-secondary
career exploration. Our goal is to develop Richmond's future workforce into determined,
successful citizens who will one day become our city's leaders. In doing so the
Academy strives to accomplish the following goals:
- Provide extensive training for youth
- Develop employability skills
- Promote civic engagement
- Expose youth to post-secondary educational and/or vocational opportunities
- Provide professional mentors and instructors in a variety of career paths
- Provide safe and constructive social outlets through supervised out of school activities
- Encourage continued school enrollment
The advantages of the Mayor's Youth Academy include:
- Developing Richmond’s future workforce
- Youth receive "real" work experience
- Exploration and training in a variety of career fields
- Gaining skills that are necessary for future employment
- Mentoring and networking opportunities from a diverse pool of professional
- Stimulates the local economy
Fast Facts about MYA:
- In 2012, more than 450 youth have been engaged in an MYA program.
- In 2012, 63% of MYA graduates went on to attend two and four year Colleges and Universities.
- Virginia Union University awarded MYA graduates more than $80,000 in scholarship funds as a part of the Dwight C. Jones - Mayor’s Youth Academy VUU scholarship program.
- Each year, employment partners offer employment extensions to youth beyond the 6 week program period. This past year, employment extensions were offered by Dominion Resources, Soul-Ice Vending, McDonalds (FWL and Sons, Inc.), The Office of the Governor for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond Department of Public Utilities, and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
- This past summer, 14 youth earned 3 college credit hours as a part of the ECPI University Technology Series Summer Work Experience Program.
- MYA provided daily transportation and job readiness training for 50 youth employed by Kings Dominion in partnership with Teen on the Go.
- More than 300 youth participated in financial literacy training at Junior Achievement’s Finance Park!
