CAYLA The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) is committed to providing its students with: A meaningful summer work experience, Leadership development through seminars and community service, and 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. In 2011, CAYLA was honored with the North Carolina Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service. CAYLA is an integral part of the City’s ‘Grow Our Own’ initiative, as envisioned by 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 Buncombe County. 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. The vast majority of CAYLA students will be first in their families to attend college. CAYLA students must be enrolled in Asheville City Schools or one of the Buncombe County High Schools. 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 4,000 hours of community service with agencies including MANNA FoodBank, IRL at Asheville Middle School, Big Brothers Big Sisters, ABCCM Women and Children’s Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, Brother Wolf, and Eliada Homes, among others. 2020 Internship Sites Government and Business ● City of Asheville City Manager’s Office ● City of Asheville Community and Economic Development ● City of Asheville Neighborhood and Community Engagement ● City of Asheville Equity and Inclusion ● City of Asheville IT Services ● City of Asheville Parks & Rec ● City of Asheville Water Department ● Chamber of Commerce – EDC ● Buncombe County Strategic Partnerships ● Buncombe County Human Resources Department Social Services/Nonprofit ● SPARC Foundation ● YTL ● Habitat for Humanity ● SlaytheMic Radio Show ● The Collider ● The YMI ● AVL Technologies ● Asheville Museum of Science ● The Ade’ Project ● Let’s Explore Africa Quiz Show Health Services ● ABIPA *Internship Sites were greatly affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic 2019 Internship Sites Government and Business Asheville City Soccer Club Buncombe County Family Justice Center Buncombe County Justice Resource Center Carolina Small Business Fund City of Asheville City Manager’s Office City of Asheville Community and Economic Development City of Asheville Neighborhood and Community Engagement City of Asheville Equity and Inclusion City of Asheville IT Services City of Asheville Parks & Rec Chamber of Commerce – EDC Hola Carolina JMPRO TV Lenoir Rhyne University Mountain Xpress UNC Asheville Athletics CAYLA students visited a horse farm. Social Services/Non-Profit Asheville Area Arts Council Asheville City Schools Foundation Asheville Community Theatre Buncombe Alternatives Teen Court ChildrenFirst – Communities in Schools Nuestro Centro Pisgah Legal RHA/Partnership for Substance Free Youth SPARC Foundation YTL Health ABIPA Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers French Broad Pediatrics Gentle Mothering Doula Services MAHEC WNC Birth Center Summer Internships CAYLA seniors bound for college. CAYLA students are placed at summer internships with City and County departments and with local businesses and nonprofits. Notice: The schedule is Four days per week, 4 hours per day for a total of approximately 16 hours (specific times will depend on each job site) Weekly 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. The theme for 2019 is “Feeling Seen: Conversations about Race and Identity.” Students will develop team Action Plans that can create positive change in our community. 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 participate in the annual Me2We Conference in conjunction with the ASCORE Leadership Council, the Center for Diversity Education, the AVID Summer Bridge Program, MANOS, the JCC and Youth/OutRight. Community Service CAYLA students are involved in numerous community service and social justice projects throughout the summer and academic year. Accomplishments Total scholarship money (merit) awarded to CAYLA 2007 -2019 = $1,850,000 Total community service hours since 2007: 4,300 100% of CAYLA seniors have been accepted to college Contact Information Alex Mitchiner – CD Workforce Development – CAYLA amitchiner@ashevillenc.gov / 828-259-5735 Updated 02/19/2020 Related Services MWSBE Certification Find information to register for certification as a Minority, Woman, and/or Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) with the City of Asheville. Business Inclusion The Business Inclusion Office for the City of Asheville actively seeks to identify minority and women-owned businesses for an opportunity to participate as providers of goods and services to the city. Apply for a commercial film or photography permit Information about commercial filming and photography work involving city-owned property, sidewalks, streets, and parks. Apply for a special event or festival permit Information about hosting an event on city-owned property, sidewalks, streets and parks. Find cold weather emergency shelter When extreme cold weather is expected, the Asheville Homeless Coalition issues a Code Purple Alert. Participating homeless shelters voluntarily add space beyond their normal capacity to keep as many people as possible out of the cold. To find out when Code Purple is in effect, visit the Homeless Coalition’s Code [...] Find financial support for your Asheville business Learn about financial support that may be available for your business. Find or register a minority, women or disabled-owned business Resources for finding or registering a minority, women or disabled-owned business. More Related Services CAYLA News Asheville Community and Economic Development to host neighborhood meetings in the spring Posted on March 3, 2021 by Polly McDaniel In March, City of Asheville staff will once again engage neighborhoods in the development of three small neighborhood lots on West Chestnut Street, Lufty Avenue, and Kentucky Drive for affordable housing. Several weeks ago, finalists were named for the Neighborhood Lots for Affordable Housing Request for Proposals (RFP) process to develop the lots. The finalists are [...] Dogwood Health Trust donation designated to help Asheville’s homeless community Posted on February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville will use funding support from Dogwood Health Trust to support people experiencing homelessness. At their Feb. 23 meeting, City Council voted to add the $50,000 donation for Code Purple shelter funding. Code Purple is a longstanding practice where homeless shelter providers exceed regular capacity and waive regular rules on nights when the [...] City of Asheville opens application process for CAYLA program Posted on February 23, 2021February 26, 2021 by Polly McDaniel Applications are now open for the CAYLA program. The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) recruits, trains, and places eligible high school sophomores and juniors in paid summer internships that provide exposure to 21st century job skills. Each summer, teens from across the City and County come together to learn and earn valuable job experience [...] More CAYLA News
MWSBE Certification Find information to register for certification as a Minority, Woman, and/or Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) with the City of Asheville.
Business Inclusion The Business Inclusion Office for the City of Asheville actively seeks to identify minority and women-owned businesses for an opportunity to participate as providers of goods and services to the city.
Apply for a commercial film or photography permit Information about commercial filming and photography work involving city-owned property, sidewalks, streets, and parks.
Apply for a special event or festival permit Information about hosting an event on city-owned property, sidewalks, streets and parks.
Find cold weather emergency shelter When extreme cold weather is expected, the Asheville Homeless Coalition issues a Code Purple Alert. Participating homeless shelters voluntarily add space beyond their normal capacity to keep as many people as possible out of the cold. To find out when Code Purple is in effect, visit the Homeless Coalition’s Code [...]
Find financial support for your Asheville business Learn about financial support that may be available for your business.
Find or register a minority, women or disabled-owned business Resources for finding or registering a minority, women or disabled-owned business.
Asheville Community and Economic Development to host neighborhood meetings in the spring Posted on March 3, 2021 by Polly McDaniel In March, City of Asheville staff will once again engage neighborhoods in the development of three small neighborhood lots on West Chestnut Street, Lufty Avenue, and Kentucky Drive for affordable housing. Several weeks ago, finalists were named for the Neighborhood Lots for Affordable Housing Request for Proposals (RFP) process to develop the lots. The finalists are [...]
Dogwood Health Trust donation designated to help Asheville’s homeless community Posted on February 23, 2021February 23, 2021 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville will use funding support from Dogwood Health Trust to support people experiencing homelessness. At their Feb. 23 meeting, City Council voted to add the $50,000 donation for Code Purple shelter funding. Code Purple is a longstanding practice where homeless shelter providers exceed regular capacity and waive regular rules on nights when the [...]
City of Asheville opens application process for CAYLA program Posted on February 23, 2021February 26, 2021 by Polly McDaniel Applications are now open for the CAYLA program. The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) recruits, trains, and places eligible high school sophomores and juniors in paid summer internships that provide exposure to 21st century job skills. Each summer, teens from across the City and County come together to learn and earn valuable job experience [...]