July 18, 2013

Mayor Emanuel, First Lady Rule and First Lady Obama Highlight Success of Urban Alliance Chicago

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Emanuel, First Lady Rule and First Lady Obama meet with youth from Urban Alliance Chicago

Today Mayor Rahm Emanuel, First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, and Chicago’s First Lady Amy Rule highlighted the accomplishments of the nonprofit organization Urban Alliance, which empowers youth to work and succeed by providing them with professional experiences and mentorship. Mayor Emanuel joined First Lady Obama and First Lady Rule, who is the Board Co-Chair for the Urban Alliance Chicago, to meet with 60 high school seniors who participated in the Urban Alliance program the past school year and to draw attention to their successes.

“The Urban Alliance is making a tremendous impact on the lives of Chicago youth by providing them with real work experience that they can build upon for a successful future,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I am pleased to see the accomplishments that these extraordinary high school seniors have made through this initiative and look forward to the Urban Alliance’s continued success through their investment and commitment to Chicago children.”

First Lady Rule began working with the Urban Alliance and the City in 2011 to bring the successful organization and their targeted strategies to Chicago. For the Urban Alliance Chicago’s first year, the organization selected six Chicago schools to partner with: Dunbar Vocational Career Academy, Wendell Phillips Academy High School, Curie Metropolitan High School, Gurdon S. Hubbard High School, Percy L. Julian High School and Crane Tech Prep. The organization’s mission is close to First Lady Rule’s heart and she remains actively involved as Board Co-Chair in reaching out to companies and organizations to partner with the nonprofit.

The Urban Alliance provides year-long paid internships for under-resourced high school seniors, who are selected for the program after a rigorous application process. The interns work part time with a public or private sector job partner four days a week and attend professional development workshops one day a week. The Alliance continues to support interns after finishing the program, providing them access to the Urban Alliance Alumni Services. Based in Washington, D.C., the Urban Alliance also has a program in Baltimore, MD.

 

Photo Caption: Mayor Emanuel, First Lady Rule and First Lady Obama meet with youth from Urban Alliance Chicago

Photo Credit: Brooke Collins // City of Chicago


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