Youth Crime Initiative Summer Internship Program

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Fulton County Community Development Director with the support of the County Manager and Board of Commissioners launched the County’s first Summer Internship Crime Prevention Program in 2017. This new program placed 300 youth between the ages of 16 - 24 in summer jobs in order to keep them off the streets, help reduce the summer crime rate and provide tangible work experience in a wide range of career fields. Interns were paid $9 per hour for up to 30 hours per week. Youth were provided lunch and transportation and were placed within nurturing and professional environments. Interns worked in a variety of fields, inclusive of government and private sector employers, designed to spark future career interests. The program was strategically aligned with Fulton County’s Strategic Plan and priority areas: “All People Have Economic Opportunity”, “All People are Safe” and “All People are Self Sufficient. Fulton County allocated $1 million toward the Summer Internship Crime Prevention Program as well as other youth programs. The Program served as an intervention and rehabilitation initiative, targeting youth who lived in areas with low educational and economic opportunities, affording them the opportunity to acquire transferrable skill that can be used in future career pursuits.