Program Recognizes Founder of Urban Alliance
in its 25th Anniversary Year
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a partnership with the Urban
Alliance and the Smithsonian Institution, Bank of America is
providing $800,000 to form an
internship program designed to support youth employment and
increase representation in arts and culture organizations. This
program is in addition to the 500 Urban Alliance interns the bank
has hosted over the past 10 years. This most recent partnership
brings the bank's total commitment with Urban Alliance up to
$3.2 million since 2020.
"Bank of America's continued commitment to Urban Alliance and
young people further proves that public and private partnerships
work," said Elizabeth Lindsey, Chief Executive Officer of
Urban Alliance. "We are excited to be working alongside the
Smithsonian to further connect young people to paid work
experiences."
The newly created Andrew Plepler Internship Program will provide
paid internships at Smithsonian museums and locations for 45 high
school students from communities of color across Greater Washington, DC. Urban Alliance will
recruit and train students and place them at positions across the
Smithsonian network for exposure to career paths in history,
science, art, education, and museum operations.
"The Smithsonian is honored to join the Urban Alliance in
building a diverse talent pipeline to build the next-generation
workforce," said Monique Chism,
Under Secretary for Education "The Smithsonian Institution is the
world's largest museum complex, and students will have a
unique experience that sparks curiosity and develops transferable
skills."
The announcement of the program coincides with the
25th anniversary of Plepler founding the Urban
Alliance. Plepler, Bank of America Global Head of
Environmental, Social, and Governance, has connected high school
students with early-career internship experiences since serving as
an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in 1996.
"Andrew has built a career that combines his professional
expertise with his passion for creating meaningful opportunities
for young people to build their own careers," said Larry Di Rita, President, Bank of America Washington, DC. "As a leader at Bank of
America, Andrew has been instrumental in shaping programs to
enhance economic mobility, and the Plepler Internships recognize
his long-time commitment to that."
Since 1996, Urban Alliance has connected more than 6,000 young
people to paid internships and 23,000 more with workforce training
and professional development. Through its flagship High School
Internship Program, Urban Alliance connects approximately 500
students annually to paid internship experiences with more than 200
employers across the Greater Washington,
DC area, Baltimore,
Chicago, and Detroit. Over the course of a year, a high
school senior can gain 500 hours of paid work experience and
receive 100 hours of skills training, professional development, and
mentoring. One hundred percent of Urban Alliance interns graduate
from high school with a post-high school plan, and 88% of students
plan to attend college.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial
institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market
businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking,
investing, asset management and other financial and risk management
products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience
in the United States, serving
approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with
approximately 4,000 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000
ATMs and award-winning digital banking with approximately 55
million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader
in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading
across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations,
governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of
America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million
small business households through a suite of innovative,
easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves
clients through operations across the
United States, its territories and approximately 35
countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed
on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements
and other important information, visit Bank of America newsroom and
register for email news alerts.
Reporters May Contact:
Andy Aldridge, Bank of
America
Phone: 980.387.0514
andrew.aldridge@bofa.com
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SOURCE Bank of America Corporation