Students spent summer working at AT&T retail locations throughout the Bronx as part of DreamYard summer program
New York, NY – 15 Bronx high school students today completed the first-ever summer internship program in AT&T retail stores in New York. Over the past four weeks, the students, who were selected as the most-qualified from a pool of applicants, learned about wireless technology and business management in a real-world setting. They had the opportunity to shadow AT&T sales and customer service experts at nine Bronx area retail stores – gaining valuable work experience and furthering their professional development.
At today’s graduation, the students were honored by Bronx Borough President Ruben Díaz, Jr. and Marissa Shorenstein, President, East Region for AT&T. Each student also gave a presentation on the skills they gained throughout this summer as well as their interview of a store employee and mentor.
“It was a privilege to have these exceptionally talented young people work in AT&T stores this summer,” said Marissa Shorenstein, President, East Region, AT&T. “The goal of this internship program was to equip students with the professional skills and experience they need to succeed in college and beyond. Our hope is that this summer’s experiences will inspire these students to continue to pursue careers in tech – and maybe one day, back at AT&T.”
“Integrating work experience in a high-demand field such as the wireless technology industry, as well as learning the nuances of managing a business, gives our students invaluable work experience needed to build their future professional skill sets,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Díaz, Jr. “The education of our children is perhaps the most important responsibility we have as elected officials, and thanks to the partnership and the vision of DreamYard as well as the generosity of AT&T, our high school students are learning to work as a group in a corporate environment, learning about technology, and learning the importance of personal responsibility, all very important components to building up our future leaders, as we continue push to improve the lives of our 1.4 million residents.”
“This summer, AT&T supported the creation of a transformative experience for our students,” said Tim Lord, Co-Executive Director of DreamYard. “By providing internship positions in their stores, AT&T has empowered these young people to take the first step toward accessing a family-sustaining career right here in the Bronx. On behalf of DreamYard, along with our HERE-to-HERE initiative partners at Big Picture Learning and the James and Judith K. Dimon Foundation, we thank AT&T for pioneering such an innovative program.”
While careers in STEM fields are among the most desired, accessing the right education path to achieve those hot tech jobs may still be a challenge for many. AT&T has been a long-time supporter of bridging the gap in STEM education by hosting and sponsoring several different programs throughout the City. From exposure to gadgets, apps and connected Internet of Things technologies, AT&T’s summer internship program with DreamYard was created to inspire Bronx high school students to pursue a STEM or business track.
The DreamYard program is part of AT&T Aspire, AT&T’s signature education initiative to drive student success in school and beyond. Along with sponsoring DreamYard, this summer AT&T continued its support for Girls Who Code and All Star Code, as well as the Brooklyn Science Innovation Initiative at Kingsborough Community College, as the program reaches new minds and teaches STEM concepts to New York City students.
Also, for the second summer in a row, AT&T is supporting the College of Staten Island’s STEM program, which prepares 20 high school students to succeed in college-level math courses by reinforcing pre-college math skills and exposing students to real world sociological, political and anthropological ideas.
About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. The Company’s signature philanthropic initiative, AT&T Aspire drives innovation in education to promote student success in school and beyond. With a financial commitment of $400 million since 2008, AT&T is leveraging technology, relationships and social innovation to help all students make their biggest dreams a reality.
About DreamYard Project
DreamYard uses the arts to inspire youth, public schools and communities in the Bronx by committing to sustainable learning opportunities along an educational pathway from pre-K through high school graduation. Through partnerships with 45 public schools in the Bronx, DreamYard Prep High School and the DreamYard Art Center, they work with over 10,000 young people each year. The nationally-recognized, free programming opportunities include theater, poetry, dance, audio and visual production, photography, fashion design and Maker, all focused on fostering the creative development of young social change agents. Visit www.dreamyard.com for more information.