Global Citizenship Report 2017

PATHWAYS TO PROGRESS: PARTNER EXAMPLES Youth Co:Lab | asia pacific The Citi Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered to launch Youth Co:Lab, which empowers young people to lead through entrepreneur- ship and social innovation. Youth Co:Lab includes a series of National Dialogues and Social Innovation Challenges across the Asia-Pacific region. National Dialogues enable young people to directly engage with policymakers, private-sector partners, NGOs and others, to discuss challenges and solutions for encouraging youth entrepreneurship across the region. Social Innovation Challenges, akin to startup hackathons, enable participants to showcase their proposed ideas. Youth Co:Lab serves as a platform for enabling youth-led social enterprises that are tackling some of the region’s most significant develop- ment challenges and contributing to the SDGs. International Rescue Committee | europe , middle east & africa The global refugee crisis that has gained worldwide attention in recent years will have long-reaching effects for many. Millions of young people continue to be swept up in war and displace- ment, disrupting their lives and putting their future at risk as education and work opportunities are lost. Creative interven- tions are needed to help get refugees, who face enormous social and economic hurdles, back on track. The Citi Foundation announced a new partnership with the International Rescue Committee to provide refugees, internally displaced young people and vulnerable youth living in host communities with support to help them generate reliable incomes and contribute to their local economies. The partnership includes a $2 million grant to fund Rescuing Futures, a program that will provide business training and startup grants to help nearly 1,000 young people in three cities — Athens, Greece; Amman, Jordan; and Yola, Nigeria — start their own businesses and build a better economic future over a period of two years. Creando tu Futuro | latin america The Citi Foundation works with the Global Fairness Initiative (GFI) to implement Creando tu Futuro, an innovative job skills training program aimed at building a strong foundation of technical knowledge and life skills for low-income youth in Latin America. Through the program, youth in Colombia, Argentina and the Dominican Republic participate in both online learning modules and classroom instruction that teach the technical and personal skills necessary for financially sustainable jobs in the organized sector. The Citi Foundation’s support also enables the GFI to conduct youth unemployment studies using data gathered through the program. The find- ings are used to catalyze the dialogue around youth unem- ployment among global influencers in the field. Jóvenes de Excelencia | mexico In Mexico, Citibanamex Compromiso Social’s Jóvenes de Excelencia program supports high-achieving low-income university students who aspire to complete their master’s degrees at top universities abroad. Participating youth receive support and guidance throughout the admission process, including mentorship, exam prep, English language profi- ciency training and internship opportunities, with the goal of increasing their success when applying to master’s programs. Once accepted, youth are presented with a wide range of options for financial support along with continued mentoring from professionals who have received their master’s degrees abroad. This program is contributing to the social mobility of youth in Mexico, who develop their knowledge and leadership skills abroad and then apply these skills toward the develop- ment of their local communities upon their return home. Youth Workforce Fund | north america Access to apprenticeships, internships and vocational training is essential to empowering youth and preparing them to compete in today’s economy. According to the Citi Foundation’s 2017 Global Youth Survey, 78 percent of young people believe that internships and apprenticeships are critical for career success; however, 60 percent say there aren’t enough of these opportunities in their cities. In April 2017, the Citi Foundation launched the Youth Workforce Fund (YWF). The $4 million fund is supporting youth employment organizations across 15 U.S. cities, helping them expand their programming to provide a range of employ- ment opportunities in various areas, including environmental sustainability, robotics, culinary arts and coding. In 2018, the Citi Foundation announced that it will renew the YWF, with the request for proposals launching in April 2018. 112