Summer Jobs Connect Miami

Teaching Youth the Language of Money 

Financial Education 

Since the beginning of the multi-year grant investment, the focus has been on hiring low/moderate income disadvantaged youth and engaging them in financial empowerment & education. The target group is students 16‐19 years from area census tracts with 51% LMI. These candidates need to be City of Miami residents and must pass background checks and health screening tests. Additional screenings are sometimes needed depending on where the student is placed, like a City park or a Police unit.

Candidates are matched and placed throughout City departments and select City partner agencies. Positions are aligned within broad functional areas such as:

• Administrative/clerical
• Computer related duties
• Customer service
• Outdoor field related activities.

In order to increase retention, minimize transportation costs and improve participation from all areas, City staff’s goal is to assign students to City sites that are located near the youth’s home or are easily accessible to public transportation. 

Since 2014, the City has been able to provide this opportunity to over 820 youth from disadvantage neighborhoods in the City. Since inception, the students have been able to accumulate assets in savings totaling over $400,000.  

Our goal is to educate youth on:

• Managing Money
• Setting financial goals
• Opening a bank account 

Our goal is accomplished through personalized financial coaching that includes (2) x one-on-one sessions and group sessions.

Summer 2021 Program Information(PDF, 686KB)

Overtown Youth Center program details:

Goals:

The three financial goals of the program are encompassed throughout which are: direct deposit, creating a budget, and starting a savings plan and opening a bank account. Each student is also required during the summer session to meet one-on-one with one of the financial coaches to review their budget worksheets and review their spending and savings plans. 

The City of Miami is currently seeking investors and sponsors to expand the program and hire additional local youth. 

Who Can Apply? In order to apply for Miami Summer Jobs Connect, you must: 

•  Be 16-19 years of age. 
• Live in the City of Miami limits, within one of the targeted moderates or low-income areas. You can find that out through these steps. 
• Be able to provide a copy of three of the following:

• State of Florida issued ID, School ID, Social Security, PF3/PF8 Screen from your school (as Proof of Address), or U.S Birth Certificate.  
• Employment Authorization Card (IF YOU ARE A DACA STUDENT)

You can choose to either apply to The City of Miami's program offering government jobs, or you can apply with our non-profit partner, Overtown Youth Center. 

Summer 2021 Program Details(PDF, 686KB)

Ambassadors

• Complete a budget
• Set a savings goal for the summer
• Review progress

The City of Miami, though this program has been able to impact students in the following ways:

• Income per Student - $2500 
• Placed Over 380 Students
• 9 Week Program Duration 
• Over $1 Million Dollars in Wages Paid 
• Youth Saved Over $53,000 
• 100% Direct Deposit 
• 190 New Bank Accounts 
• 100% Completed the Program 
• 100% Resided in LMI Areas 
• 119,700 Hours Worked by Students 
• Over 50 Work Sites 
• Highest Satisfaction and Retention Rating of the National Grant Program  

We provide on-site recruitment/application assistance at four (4) partner high schools:

• Booker T. Washington Senior High School
• Miami Edison Senior High School
• Miami Jackson Senior High School
• Miami Senior High School

We also work closely with the City of Miami Career Center. Partnering with these schools further ensures the City’s diverse population is represented. There is no need for youth to have a resume, participate in an interview process, or maintain a GPA in order to participate in the City program. 

Each recruitment consists of providing every student with assistance in completing the City’s employment application and understanding the program’s purpose of financial education. Financial literacy is woven throughout the process and consists of; meeting with our banking partners (also on-site at each recruitment); meeting with our financial empowerment coaches, and our 

Also made available at each recruitment is a mobile DMV unit to provide State IDs to aid in the employment and bank account opening process.