Youth Leadership Academy

CITY OF ASHEVILLE YOUTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) is committed to providing its students with a) a meaningful summer work experience, b) leadership development through seminars and community service, and c) college preparatory activities, including yearlong academic support. Since its inception in 2007, CAYLA has been nationally-recognized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

CAYLA is an integral part of the City’s ‘Grow Our Own’ initiative, as envisioned by City of Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy and the Asheville City Council. The City is committed to giving Asheville’s young people the opportunity to stay and work in Asheville, as well as to have valuable work experiences that will advance their future careers wherever they go. The program is a partnership with the Asheville City Schools Foundation and is supported in part by the I Have a Dream Foundation, Buncombe County, HomeTrust Bank, McGuire Wood & Bissette, and Dixon Hughes Goodman PLLC.

CAYLA recruits, trains and places local high school students at meaningful summer jobs with the City and with participating agencies, in addition to providing weekly day-long workshops on financial literacy, leadership, career exploration and 21st Century job skills. CAYLA engages its students throughout the school year by offering classroom-based enrichment activities, plus individualized assistance with college applications and scholarship research. To strengthen their connection to the community, CAYLA students learn about civic responsibility through frequent community service projects that they themselves plan and lead. The CAYLA students have become positive role models for their peers and, just as importantly, for the many children with whom they interact, including their younger siblings and neighbors. The CAYLA students have completed more than 1,500 hours of community service with agencies including MANNA FoodBank, RiverLink, Meals on Wheels, Asheville GreenWorks, Kids Against Hunger, ABCCM Women and Children’s Shelter, and Eliada Homes, among others.

After a competitive application and interview process each May, Asheville High School students are selected and placed at one of the following job sites:

CITY OF ASHEVILLE
  • Asheville Fire Department
  • Asheville Police Department
  • Department of IT Services
  • Department of Parks, Rec & Cultural Arts - Nature Center
  • Department of Public Works
  • Department of Transportation & Engineering - Transit Division
  • Department of Water - Meter Services
    2012 PARTICIPATING AGENCIES / PARTNERS

 

A-B Community Relations Council
A-B Tech Daycare

ABIPA

Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce

Asheville Art Museum

Buncombe County Department of Health

Center for Diversity Education

Children First - Project MARCH

Girl Scouts of WNC Pisgah Council

Grand Bohemian Hotel

The Health Adventure

Hilton Hotel at Biltmore Park

Home Trust Bank

 

 

 

The Housing Authority of the City of Asheville

I Have A Dream Foundation

JB Media Group

MAHEC

MOOG

Mt. Zion Community Development

OnTrack Financial Education & Consulting

Sisters of Mercy

UNC-Asheville Career Center

 United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County

 YMCA

 YWCA

 

 

 




PROGRAM SPECIFICS

Summer Internships

  • CAYLA students are placed at summer internships with City and County departments and with local businesses and nonprofits
  • Schedule: Four days per week, 6 hours per day for a total of approximately 24 hours (specific times will depend on each job site)
    Friday Workshops - Summer
  • CAYLA students are required to attend mandatory Friday workshops on topics ranging from leadership development, team-building, financial literacy, college prep and career exploration
  • Partnerships with Montreat Team & Leadership Center, UNC-Asheville's Career Center, Horse Sense of the Carolinas
  • Students are paid their hourly wage for attendance at the workshops

Writing Assignments and Leadership Development - Summer

  • CAYLA students are required to complete weekly reading and writing assignments as assigned by CAYLA program director
  • CAYLA students will work in teams to plan a 2012 Summer Olympics for children from low-income housing communities

Community Service

  • CAYLA students are involved in numerous community service projects throughout the summer and year
  • Seniors in the program will be required to co-chair (plan, organize) at least one project, with the help of the program director

Accomplishments
  • Total scholarship money awarded to CAYLA 2007 - 2008 graduates: $122,000
  • Total scholarship money awarded to CAYLA 2008 – 2009 graduates: $102,000
  • Total scholarship money awarded to CAYLA 2009 – 2010 graduates: $133,500
  • Total scholarship money awarded to CAYLA 2010 – 2011 graduates: $175,000
  • 100% college acceptance and attendance for CAYLA 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 graduates
  • Total community service hours since 2007: 1,500+

For more information, please contact:

Erika Germer
Coordinator, Educational Programs
City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy
 
(828) 271-6116
egermer@ashevillenc.gov

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