There’s a critical gap in the career preparation for many public school students: limited access to employers, paid work experiences, and exposure to high-growth industries. Without this access, students miss out on opportunities to build financial literacy and develop essential career skills.

To help bridge that gap, New Visions for Public Schools runs the Career Academies, 5-week summer programs in which public high school students engage with leading New York City employers to explore careers, build career readiness and financial literacy skills, and network with professionals. Last summer, 623 students across 39 New York City public schools participated in our Career Academies: 98% of students reported that they had gained an understanding of career pathways and career navigation within their Academy industry; and 94% of students reported that they now have basic financial literacy skills related to paychecks, personal banking, and financial decision-making.

Beyond these impressive outcomes, the most telling measure of success is that many students wanted more after the five-week program ended. Centerview, one of New Visions’ corporate partners, was also eager to continue to work with these motivated students and welcomed the opportunity to host a small pilot program. As Mark Doramus, Partner at Centerview, shared, “At Centerview we are always looking for meaningful ways to engage directly with our local communities and this group mentoring model offered exactly that. We saw an opportunity to connect more deeply with students not just to share professional knowledge on business topics, but to help cultivate essential life skills like confidence, communication, and self-awareness.”

This pilot, designed by Centerview employees in partnership with New Visions Postsecondary Team, ran monthly throughout last spring. In the launch session, Centerview employees started by highlighting students’ interests and passions. Students shared their goals for this program—networking, preparing for a job interview, improving financial literacy, practicing public speaking, as well as career aspirations—veterinarian, sports journalism, banking, and more. Throughout this mentorship program, students and Centerview staff discussed how current events impact the stock market, recession protection strategies, and the mechanics of bonds. Centerview staff offered tips about building resumes, and students workshopped their own. Lastly, after peer-editing resumes and practicing mock interviews with Centerview employees, a few students took advantage of the opportunity to deliver their resume pitch to the entire group.

Participating students spoke positively about the experience. One student noted that the mock interview practice had been their favorite part because of the hands-on practice and personalized advice from the Centerview employees. Students walked away from the experience feeling better prepared for future interviews.

The impact of this mentorship program was palpable for Centerview staff as well. Victoria Agwam, Analyst at Centerview, noted, “One of the most rewarding aspects was witnessing the students’ growth in real time. From the first session where they shared goals like improving public speaking or learning how to network, to the final reflections where their confidence and clarity had visibly grown, it was inspiring. Hearing their ambitions to become veterinarians, doctors, or lawyers and knowing we may have played a small role in affirming those dreams made the experience incredibly meaningful for our entire team.” 

This partnership between New Visions and Centerview represented both organizations’ commitments to expanding and strengthening career preparation opportunities for students in New York City public schools. Alec Ginsberg, Associate at Centerview, explained, “This partnership has been a true collaboration. Over the past four years, what began as a traditional engagement evolved into something far more impactful: a targeted, relationship-driven mentoring program. Together with New Visions we have created a space where students can develop professional skills, explore career paths including those in finance and leave better equipped to thrive in college and beyond. We are proud of how far we have come and excited about where this partnership will continue to grow.”

“Students need real-world experiences, like those they get through our partnership with Centerview, to prepare for life after high school,” shared Mark Dunetz, President of New Visions for Public Schools. “Our partnership with Centerview, both through our Career Academy program as well as this new mentoring program, serves students across all five boroughs. By giving students these hands-on opportunities, we’re helping them build the skills they need to successfully pursue college and career pathways.”