Pilot Program Leverages Wyman’s Nationally Recognized Teen-Development Approach
St. Louis, MO [Oct 5, 2015] – Ameren Corp. and Wyman recently announced a new collaboration focused on engaging students in North St. Louis County Schools, beginning in middle school through post-high school, to help successfully transition them from school into the workforce. Through funding support provided by Ameren Corporation as part of its Ameren Cares initiative, the two organizations will create a specialized curriculum to extend to young people participating in Wyman’s impactful programs.
Via a five-year grant from Ameren Corporation to Wyman, the organizations are working together to build a curriculum that focuses on strengthening the skills of St. Louis area teens and enhancing their competitiveness for possible internship, job and career opportunities in their adult life. The Wyman Career Connections program will allow teens to learn about a variety of career options through hands-on experience. This collaboration will begin January 2016, with implementation by the following fall.
Ameren has a proven track record of support for North St. Louis County region, as showcased by its support of the Urban League’s Ferguson Community Empowerment Center, as well as its career outreach efforts at Hazelwood Central Middle School. Wyman – a St. Louis-based nonprofit dating back to 1898 – has extensive experience helping teens from economically disadvantaged circumstances.
The two organizations will develop and implement a college-to-career experiential learning model to supplement Wyman’s successful Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®), Teen Leadership Program (TLP), and inspireSTL. The new program will expand upon Wyman’s engagement with teens during their adolescence and into young adulthood. Program initiatives will include intern and mentorship partnerships with Ameren and its employees, as well as career coaching and community-service learning.
“We are proud of our partnership with Wyman Center, and we believe the programs and support we are implementing over the next five years will help better prepare teens in North St. Louis County to be competitive in the job market and college,” said Warner Baxter, chairman, president and CEO of Ameren Corporation. “This program is in keeping with our belief that providing hope, opportunity and resources to communities in need helps build a stronger region for everyone.”
Wyman has worked extensively with teens who come from backgrounds in which circumstance have narrowed their worldview and perspective of the options available to them in the future. The organization has found that every new horizon-broadening experience and positive adult role model is potentially life shaping for these teens. Wyman’s teen programming seeks to address these needs and fulfill the region’s long-standing goals for educational attainment, workforce productivity and building stronger communities while supporting healthy teen development and positively impacting leadership capacity, college access and college persistence.
Wyman has found that support in a student’s post-secondary pursuits is crucial to their career successes. This program is designed to assist teens to successfully complete a post-secondary degree and to best enable them to pursue a meaningful career and contribute to their communities.
“For more than 100 years, Wyman’s programs have supported teens on their path to success in learning, work, and life,” said David Hilliard, Wyman President and CEO. “We are honored to partner with Ameren to create unique experiences for our teens, which will only further empower them to lead successful lives and build strong communities.”
It is estimated that the Wyman Career Connection will serve approximately 2,000 students during this initial five-year program. Wyman intends to continue and potentially grow this participation after its infancy.
About Ameren Corp.
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric and natural gas delivery service while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of 10,200 megawatts, and natural gas delivery service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp. For more information, visit Ameren.com.
About Wyman
Wyman, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit and proud member of the United Way, partners with communities to provide teens with the support and opportunities they need to thrive in life. Originally founded in 1898, Wyman’s mission is to enable teens from economically disadvantaged circumstances to lead successful lives and build strong communities.
Media Contact:
Kristin Gumper
Director, Communication & External Affairs
Kristin.Gumper@WymanCenter.org
314-346-4042