Latest news with #YouthWorks
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
How students spent the summer building Baltimore's tech future
Jabir Ghaffar had always been interested in tech, but this summer gave him his first chance to explore it in a professional setting. Ghaffar participated in CodeWorks+, a paid internship experience that places participants at tech companies and nonprofits in Baltimore. It's part of the broader YouthWorks summer employment initiative, which connects young people to jobs across the city. 'I already came in with a problem-solving mindset,' Ghaffar told 'I just needed something to focus it on.' Ghaffar interned at DataTrail, a free program that teaches data science to teens and young adults from marginalized communities. He presented his work last Friday during the CodeWorks+ internship showcase at the Spark Baltimore coworking space in downtown Baltimore — the program's first year operating out of that location. At DataTrail, Ghaffar redesigned the curriculum to resemble a video game, introducing a ranking system and fictional 'bosses' to challenge students' data science skills. It all culminates in a final boss named 'Corvexus Null,' who obscures data about Baltimore neighborhoods. Students have to defeat Corvexus by cleaning and analyzing data to produce an accurate report about a neighborhood of their choice. 'It's not about perfection, it isn't just about the grade. … This is the moment they show they understand their tools, their data and, most importantly, their communities,' Ghaffar said during his presentation. Other presenters included Jack Overton and Evelyn Bachman who worked at the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance. The organization, part of the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore, organizes community data for the city. Overton adapted income intervals for the organization's Economic Diversity Index and found that the Greektown/Bayview neighborhood had the highest economic diversity. Bachman analyzed city projects funded by the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act and evaluated feedback from the last Baltimore Data Day, a free event that brings together community leaders to explore data usage. 'I really enjoyed talking to people in Baltimore, local people who work with data and seeing how so many people care about helping Baltimore City,' Bachman said. Building Baltimore's talent pipeline Andrew Pham, co-executive director of Code in the Schools, which runs the CodeWorks+ program, wants to ensure Baltimore retains local talent like Ghaffar. He sees summer internship programs as essential in nurturing the city's tech pipeline in the city. 'Baltimore is a place where you can start a business and get a job — you don't have to leave for another tech hub,' Pham said. LaTonya Hall, founder of cybersecurity firm Stondoh Secure Digital Solutions, found out about CodeWorks+ through a newsletter from Spark, where she keeps an office. She decided to hire interns through the program to help create a pipeline for potential employees. 'We as business owners, especially cyber companies, have a skills gap, so I think it's important that we do our best to try to create opportunities that are centered in the real-world applications of cybersecurity,' Hall said. Eileen Jiang and Oluyinka Ojolayo worked at Stondoh, where they learned about the controls set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that help organizations manage cybersecurity risks. The duo explored ways to automate the rules implementation process. Ojolayo, a student at Amherst College, noted the depth of the experience and credited Hall for her guidance. 'I had dabbled a bit with cybersecurity in a previous internship, but had never worked on something to this scale,' Ojolayo said. 'But thankfully, everyone was so accommodating and I learned so many new tools.' Maria Eberhart is a 2025-2026 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs emerging journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported in part by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation and the Abell Foundation. Learn more about supporting our free and independent journalism.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
YouthWorks program returns, setting teens up for success
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A local summer program is hoping to keep teens busy and set them up for success. Montgomery County's YouthWorks program is back for its 26th year and those behind it are poised to break down barriers for area youth. The summer months is when YouthWorks ramps up their output in the community. Antonio Mobley, who works for the county says the program sees hundreds of teens sign up during this time. The program is for students between 14 and 18 years of age and provides them with various job opportunities. Students can gain experience in manufacturing, IT, communications and marketing, to name a few. The program also promises year-round support in the form of resume building, interview prep, job search and workplace tips. 'We want our youth when they come through the program just to say, you know, I see myself making a career out of this field and not just, oh, this is just some employment for the summer, and I can't wait to go back to school,' Mobley says. For more information on the YouthWorks program, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Baltimore Mayor Scott to host town hall to discuss FY26 budget
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss the city's planned budget for fiscal year 2026. The preliminary budget includes what Scott says is the largest capital project investment the city has seen in two decades - a 56 percent spike. Mayor Scott seeks to tackle longstanding community issues Scott says he wants to direct money toward long-neglected issues, including eliminating vacant homes, improving city parks, and constructing new schools. The proposal dedicates nearly $7 million to expanding the city's Youth Works summer job program. The mayor said the goal is to help keep teens engaged and off the streets. More than $1 billion is earmarked for public safety, including efforts to tackle crime and enforce parking restrictions. Scott's budget plan allocates $346.4 million to community development, with an additional $1.5 million for the mayor's $3 billion vacant housing effort. That funding will also cover Bmore FAST, a new initiative designed to improve the city's property permitting process. Federal cuts pose challenges for Baltimore City While income tax rates will remain unchanged, the city remains heavily reliant on revenue from income taxes and federal funding. Scott acknowledged that future funding from the federal government could be uncertain, depending on potential cuts from the Trump administration. City budget officials project an $8 million deficit by the end of the fiscal year in June. The city already issued a spending freeze more than a month ago for several agencies, including police, fire, sheriff, and the recreation and parks department. Residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on the budget plans during the town hall meeting at Coppin State University. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
CBS News
29-04-2025
- CBS News
16 teenagers charged with violent crimes in Baltimore over the weekend
Sixteen teenagers were charged with a string of violent crimes over the weekend. The teens range in age from 13 to 17, and three of them are being charged as adults, according to police. Baltimore Police say 11 of the teens have prior arrest records, and two of them have been arrested more than nine times. Seven were released to a guardian. Among the crimes committed are robbery, auto theft, and assault. "It is incredibly frustrating to see young people involved in violent crimes across our city," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "Our officers are working every day to keep our neighborhoods safe, but real, lasting change requires all of us, from our families, schools, community leaders, and the justice system, working together. We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. We need accountability, early intervention, and real support for our youth to break this cycle and build a safer future for Baltimore." Mayor touts decline in crime Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott discussed in an interview with WJZ on April 23 his administration's aggressive efforts to attack crime. Scott said the city has seen a 40% reduction in murders since 2020; shootings are down 43% over that time; robberies are down 23% since last year; carjackings are down 19%.; and auto thefts are down 40%. "We said that we were going to reduce homicides by 15 %, and we did that, we beat it, that is great progress, but we have a lot more building to do together, Mayor Scott told WJZ. Mayor Scott says the approach to decreasing crime numbers and investing in young people is working despite a shortage of nearly 500 police officers. "Statistics will show, unless you have something that connects them with something better, they will revert back to something they did before, creating this cycle that we're seeing over and over again," Mayor Scott said. "The way that we operate now is the way we should have been operating forever, not putting everything on the backs of BPD. There are other things for other agencies to handle, and they have to have investment to do that." Investing in youth and safety Mayor Scott said during his State of the City address on April 21 that youth and public safety are major investments in the city's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. According to the mayor, the spending plan involves $624.8 million for youth initiatives, including $6.9 million to expand the YouthWorks summer jobs program to 8,500 participants at $15 per hour and funding for two new recreation centers. Public safety would receive $1.2 billion, with full funding for the citywide expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and continued efforts to transition administrative police tasks to civilian roles, according to the proposed budget.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
What's in Baltimore City's fiscal 2026 budget?
Mayor Brandon Scott has announced Baltimore City's fiscal 2026 budget, which is expected to address an $85 million shortfall while making several investments. The budget balances the deficit through $26.6 million in new revenue from updated fee structures, $43.7 million in citywide cost optimizations, and $14.7 million in agency-specific reductions. The proposal does not include increases in property or income taxes. "These decisions look to avoid mistakes of the past, which balanced the budget on the backs of core services and investments in our communities," Scott said in a statement accompanying the budget proposal. The spending plan includes $624.8 million for youth initiatives, including $6.9 million to expand the YouthWorks summer jobs program to 8,500 participants at $15 per hour and funding for two new recreation centers. Public safety receives $1.2 billion, with full funding for the citywide expansion of the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and continued efforts to transition administrative police tasks to civilian roles. These efforts are expected to save $1.1 million annually in overtime costs. The budget allocates $1.1 billion for neighborhood services, including $5 million to enhance trash and recycling collection with 15 additional crews and $36.7 million from the Opioid Restitution Fund to combat the opioid epidemic. Scott's plan also includes $346.4 million for neighborhood development, featuring an additional $1.5 million for the mayor's $3 billion vacant housing initiative. That funding will also cover Bmore FAST , a new program to improve the city's property permitting process. $2 million to establish a new Office of Art, Culture, and Entertainment. The capital budget marks the largest investment in 20 years, with $125 million in borrowing for capital projects 56% increase from previous levels-targeting affordable housing, school construction, and city parks. The budget now moves to the City Council for review before the start of the fiscal year on July 1. According to The Baltimore Banner , the plan relies on $200 million in federal funding and does not account for any cuts to income tax revenue as a result of Baltimoreans laid off by the federal government. The Trump administration's recent cuts to federal funding and ongoing efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce have created an air of uncertainty. As many of Maryland's federal workers who were laid off search for new career opportunities , agencies, and organizations are assessing the impact of federal funding cuts. On Monday, state education leaders said they were shocked after the federal government rescinded a reimbursement of $360 million in funding that was previously committed to state schools.
