The inspiring story of a pioneering program that is redefining urban young adults as economic assets, not deficits
During Gerald Chertavian’s many years as a Big Brother, the former technology entrepreneur realized that our nation’s "Opportunity Divide" strands millions of young, disadvantaged, yet motivated workers at the bottom of the job ladder. In 2000, Chertavian dedicated his life to closing that divide and Year Up was born.
Year Up is an intensive program that offers low income young adults training, mentorship, internships, and ultimately real jobs—often with Fortune 500 companies. 85 percent of program graduates are employed or in full-time college within four months of graduation. Today, Year Up serves more than 1,300 students in nine cities across the nation.
Following a Year Up class from admissions through graduation, A Year Up lets students share—in their own words—the challenges, failures, and personal successes they’ve experienced during their program year. This deeply moving and inspirational story also explains Chertavian’s philosophy and the program’s genesis, offering a road map for real change in our country and a beacon for young adults who want the opportunity to enter the economic mainstream.
{"itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":16.95,"ASIN":"0670023779","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":17.64,"ASIN":"1400069289","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"0670023779::xCZ%2FKuy6sLe9he5lSPwu%2B2rL64hYSTOhFeQ7ZdTnsk645NWtiMsaD0ETvUp1D2wbFguBX8x13xrKU95AHf5f8tQKslLOqp7TJ3l4lZBf8L5A3t2VoIZcVg%3D%3D,1400069289::kIwvfEGHNnRJwX53fPmNHcPBUpJzMWKG5B86JRLMZ5ZljVLh7tVPW6aVkPmavvnzM6GV7rWFSYvgeQH8CWMOhzpOWHZ6TOrei1eQ3jjxIbOlikTw1M7ikg%3D%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"currenyCode":"USD","shippingDetails":{"xy":"same"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"addToWishlist":["add to wishlist","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"]}}
A must-read account of the origins and growth of Year Up, a groundbreaking employment program. -Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Gerald Chertavian is the founder and CEO of Year Up. He serves on the boards of Bowdoin College, the Boston Foundation, the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative, and the Massachusetts State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. A graduate of Bowdoin College and Harvard Business School, he lives in Boston with his wife and three children.
Gerald Chertavian is the Founder and CEO of Year Up, a non-profit organization that provides a one-year, intensive training program for urban young adults ages 18-24.
Gerald is dedicated to closing the Opportunity Divide that exists in our nation. Determined to make his vision a reality, Gerald combined his entrepreneurial skills and his passion for working with urban young adults to found Year Up in 2000.
Gerald's commitment to working with urban youth spans more than 25 years. He has actively participated in the Big Brother mentoring program since 1985 and was recognized as one of New York's outstanding Big Brothers in 1989. The recipient of the 2003 Social Entrepreneurship Award by the Manhattan Institute and the 2005 Freedom House Archie R. Williams, Jr. Technology Award, Gerald has been featured in many publications, including Time Magazine, Fortune Small Business, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, US News & World Report, Fox Business and Newsweek. In 2007, Gerald was elected as a Fellow with the Ashoka Global Fellowship of social entrepreneurs for his innovative approach to social change.
In 2008, Gerald was appointed by Massachusetts' Governor Deval Patrick to serve on the MA State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. In addition, he is on the Board of Advisors for the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative and is an Emeritus Trustee of Bowdoin College and former Board Member of The Boston Foundation. Gerald has received honorary doctorate of humane letters degrees from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and Mt. Ida College.
Gerald earned a B.A. in Economics, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, from Bowdoin College and an M.B.A., with honors, from Harvard Business School. He began his career on Wall Street as an officer of the Chemical Banking Corporation and then moved on to become the head of marketing at Transnational Financial Services in London. Gerald co-founded Conduit Communications in 1993 and fostered its growth to $20M in annual revenues and more than 130 employees in London, Amsterdam, New York and Boston. From 1993 to 1998, Conduit ranked as one of England's fastest growing companies. Following the sale of Conduit to i-Cube in 1999, Gerald turned his full attention to opportunities for others.
A national model for social change, the Year Up program gives companies a cost-effective solution for recruiting entry-level employees, while providing young adults with the essential "stepladder" for success. Results are excellent with 85% of graduates placed in positions that average more than $15/hour within four months of graduation. The program will serve more than 1,500 students in 2012 with sites in Atlanta, Boston, Providence, New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago and soon Seattle. Year Up works with more than 100 corporate partners, including AOL, Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Boston Medical Center, CVS/pharmacy, Digitas, Dunkin Brands, Fidelity Investments, Freddie Mac, Google, JPMorgan Chase, Partners HealthCare, and State Street Corporation.
A really unique book that weaves together stories about young people "overcoming the odds," a businessman trying to make a tangible difference in the world, a workforce development program that actually works, and an effective "all hands on deck" approach to (higher)education reform that brings together individuals, businesses, nonprofits, philanthropy and government. I found this book to be a great mix of head and heart--I was touched by the humanness of the stories the students shared and I was equally inspired by how much sense Year Up makes. Chertavian really lays out a map, through writing about the program he founded, for how we might fix some major problems in the US. A Year Up also gives a great, accessible overview of the growing skills gap in the US and how it relates to social mobility and educational opportunity.
Definitely worth a read. It offers fresh and refreshing perspective.
A Year Up will change how you think and hopefully what you do about the growing opportunity divide in this country. Chertavian never rails against the rich; he simply roots for those on the other side of the divide. In his new book and through his organization of the same name, he harnesses the stories of young people--long considered disconnected--to illustrate their drive, potential, talent, resilience, and hope. In a nation eager for talent yet unable to cultivate it, Chertavian shows us how, by offering young folks a Year Up--something middle and upper class kids take for granted--we can close the opportunity divide and meet our nation's growing need for a more skilled workforce. He does this by giving you a front row seat to two groups of kids in New York City over the course of their year up. I couldn't put the book down; the stories are spell-binding, moving, and transforming. If you read only one book this summer, this is the one to read. If you recommend only one book, this is the one to recommend.
'A Year Up' offers a program for young adults Training mentorship, internship, and real jobs. Most graduates are employed within four months. In addition, the program also offers a class following graduation in which the graduate could share their experience about the program. Comprehensive, Interesting, and a very useful guide that's very much needed with today's economy. Highly Recommended!
