Avenue Scholars last week celebrated 17 years of equipping Omaha-area students with the tools to succeed in high-demand careers – retaining the city’s next generation of talent. Avenue Scholars Day drew community leaders, employers, educators, and program alumni to highlight the program’s impact.
Avenue Scholars supports students, particularly those navigating financial or personal adversity, through high school and into the workforce, offering individualized coaching, career exploration and strong partnerships with nearly 2,000 local employers. To date, the program has served more than 4,000 students and boasts a 97 percent high school graduation rate since 2014.
The program’s alumni are living proof of its success. Biye Belew credits Avenue Scholars with helping him find and prepare for a career he is passionate about. “I wake up proudly each day knowing the support I received along my journey helped me find my way to a career that serves the people of Omaha, and allows me compensation, benefits, and a retirement plan that will keep me in Omaha and help me build my life here.”
“Our mission is about guaranteeing careers for youth,” said Lindsay Decker, Avenue Scholars CEO. “A career is about much more than just a paycheck – it’s a vehicle for transformation.”
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert issued a proclamation marking Avenue Scholars Day and shared her support during the event.
“I am so grateful for the investment you are making for young people,” Stothert said. “We all have a role, and we all have a responsibility to prepare today’s students. They are tomorrow’s community leaders, our future workforce, our future elected officials and parents. We all have a stake in their future.”
Belew summed up Avenue Scholars’ impact: “I am grateful and proud to be a representative of what is possible when donors, educators, businesses, families, and students come together and say, ‘In this city, we will support our youth and strengthen our workforce together.'”
Photo above: Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert speaks at Avenue Scholars Day.
