Action Greensboro earns First Place for “Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge”

GREENSBORO, NC – New York City-based Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education) has named Action Greensboro the winner of its “Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge.” The organization will receive $100,000 to support its “Campus Greensboro” initiative, which aims to connect young people, including low-income and first-generation college students, with paid internships. It also provides stipends for youth to work in minority- and women-owned businesses.

“We’re thrilled to have earned this amazing recognition,” said Bramley Crisco, Director of Talent Development at Action Greensboro. “This is about helping underrepresented college students and supporting business growth, especially women- and minority-owned businesses. We have so many students in our area—many of whom are low-income or first-generation—we want to support their professional development, connecting them directly with all that Greensboro, NC has to offer.”

Action Greensboro will also financially support students in a summer skills development program, which kicks off May 31, 2022. Its partners include local businesses and universities.

“Having the opportunity to be part of this program has been life changing,” said James Donnell, a past participant in Campus Greensboro. “I’m thrilled that other students will get the opportunity to experience the financial, educational, and professional development support provided to me when I was in this program.”

The “Big Ideas Bright Cities Challenge” honors teams for their bold, innovative ideas that equip young people to participate in the workforce. It helps solve an urgent problem: in the U.S., one in ten young people is not in school and not employed – a total of four million youth. These young people are badly needed in the workforce. The most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed 11.3 million job openings – a near-record high – with openings increasing in many sectors, including service and manufacturing.

“Cities and businesses across the country are struggling to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They must attract young, diverse workers who are excited by the innovation and energy of urban centers,” said Justin van Fleet, Executive Director of GBC-Education. “To jump start these efforts, cities need to re-imagine how they can create ecosystems allowing young people to gain the skills they need for meaningful employment. That’s exactly what Action Greensboro and other finalist teams have done and their ideas are tremendously inspiring.”

Greensboro earned top honors in the Challenge, besting finalist teams from 14 cities across the country. Together, Action Greensboro and the finalists will form a nationwide community of practice of changemakers. Over the course of the next year, this network will share best practices and connect with business leaders and policymakers invested in youth skills development efforts. This will allow their ideas to grow, succeed, and inspire others.

The full lists of winners and finalists are: 

• Winner: Action Greensboro – Greensboro, NC
• 2^nd Place: Sidekick Education – Madison, WI
• 2^nd Place: Orlando Community and Youth Trust – Orlando, FL
• Finalist: Education for Employment Partners – Corpus Christi, TX
• Finalist: The Trust for Public Land – Camden, NJ
• Finalist: STL Youth Jobs, Saint Louis, MO
• Finalist: Jeffco Schools Foundation, Jefferson County, CO
• Finalist: Philadelphia Works, Inc – Philadelphia, PA
• Finalist: Build UP Birmingham – Birmingham, AL
• Finalist: Junior Achievement Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
• Finalist: Center for the Future of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Finalist: The Urban Alliance Foundation, Chicago, IL
• Finalist: EmployIndy, Indianapolis, IN
• Finalist: Favor House, College Park, GA
• Finalist: New England Basecamp, Providence, RI

The “Big Ideas, Bright Cities Challenge” is made possible by the support of Deloitte and Dell Technologies.

To learn more about the “Big Ideas Bright, Cities Challenge,” click here. 

About The Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC Education)

The Global Business Coalition for Education is a movement of businesses committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of the next generation. Our mission is to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn, and skills for the future. Established as an initiative of the global children’s charity Theirworld in 2012, Global Business Coalition for Education is committed to bringing together the expertise and resources of the business community with the campaign for global education and Sustainable Development Goal 4.

https://gbc-education.org/

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