City Links Somerville Partnership Proposal April 2016 (2) — File 201741

Cambridge Community Services Phone: [phone removed] 99 Bishop Allen Drive [email removed] Cambridge, MA 02139 www.CambridgeCommunity.org April 1, 2016 Cambridge Community Services FY 2017 Funding Request for City Links Program ATTN: Superintendent Mary Skipper CC: Mayor Joseph Curtatone Dear Superintendent Skipper: Thank you again for meeting with me last week. As discussed, Cambridge Community Services (CCS) is interested in partnering with the Somerville Public Schools and City of Somerville to pilot an after-school program for English Language Learners (ELLs) at Somerville High School, based on a successful model refined in Cambridge over the last 24 years. For the past two decades, City Links has doubled the college graduation rate of low-income immigrant students in Cambridge, helping them set and achieve ambitious goals through programming focused on workforce development, mentorship, and leadership development. I am grateful for the opportunity to further discuss this exciting potential partnership with Somerville. Funding Request: Cambridge Community Services respectfully requests that the Somerville Public Schools and City of Somerville consider a joint financial contribution of $30,000 in FY17 to support a City Links pilot at Somerville High School. This funding would support mentoring, tutoring, leadership seminars and valuable workforce development experiences through paid public-sector internships in municipal offices, departments, and local nonprofit organizations throughout the city. In FY17, CCS will receive $45,000 from Cambridge Public Schools to support all 70 City Links students and $67,000 from the Cambridge Office of Workforce Development to support paid internships for 40 of these students. In addition to being essential financial support, this per-student investment of $2,317 (for students with internships) has enormous symbolic value to CCS as we work to rally corporations, foundations and individuals to contribute the remainder of the operating budget. These potential supporters want to know that the school district and city, who know our work best, believe in City Links enough to invest their resources. The budget for the City Links pilot in Somerville serving 15-20 students is $122,875. In recent weeks we’ve had a number of historical funders express interest in supporting our expansion to Somerville. Several have indicated the potential for multi-year commitments if CCS is able to demonstrate impact and build a strong partnership with the school district and city. Partnership Request: Working closely with the City of Cambridge and Cambridge Public Schools has been essential to success since City Links’ inception in 1992. City Links staff work closely with teachers and school administrators on a daily basis to ensure students remain on the path to success. Each City Links student is matched with a paid public-sector internship at city offices, schools, and local nonprofits. The City of Cambridge’s investment in paid internship stipends reflects the value it places on creating a diverse talent pipeline and developing the next generation of civic leaders and civil servants. CCS seeks to build a similar multi-faceted partnership with Somerville in service of ELL students at Somerville High, including collaboration with school staff, in-kind contributions such as operating space in Somerville High School, and financial support. Program Model: City Links empowers students to succeed as learners and prepare to enter a competitive workforce. The program’s goals are to help students: 1) Improve academic performance; 2) Demonstrate a greater sense of self-confidence and agency; 3) Develop a clear and inspiring pathway for higher education and career; 4) Build a marketable skill set through paid real-world internships; 5) Graduate high school prepared to successfully transition to and graduate from post-secondary education.

City Links extends the learning day by 50%, through 15 hours of programming each week including: paid internships, 1-1 academic tutoring, 1-1 mentoring, case management, and a weekly seminar focused on workforce readiness, college preparedness, leadership development, and social-emotional well-being. Since all programming takes place in English, City Links greatly accelerates the pace of English language acquisition for students Measuring Impact: A recent alumni impact survey documents over 20 years of success: Post-Secondary Readiness & Completion: While only 21% of low-income students graduate college in 6 years,  41% of City Links alumni have completed a Bachelor’s degree; 10% more completed 2-year programs  28% of City Links alumni are currently enrolled in a four-year degree program Self-Confidence and Leadership Skills: While 1 in 4 youth display worrisome signs of depression and anxiety,  88% of City Links students report significant increases in self-confidence and advocacy skills  87% of City Links students report discovering unique skills and talents “When I first joined the program... I had almost given up on my education. City Links opened up a way for me and I was able to see that anything was possible if I kept doing my best and not giving up.” -City Links Alumnus, Class of 2011 I very much look forward to partnering with Somerville Public Schools and the City of Somerville in the coming years. Together, we can ensure that all ELL students at Somerville High are prepared for lifelong success. Sincerely, Ben Clark Executive Director