Introducing a Career-Readiness Curriculum to Help More D.C. School Students Succeed 

In 2019, 43 percent of D.C. Public Schools students were considered “at-risk” under a local statutory designation covering students who receive certain public benefits, experience homelessness, are in the foster care system, or are over-age in high school, according to D.C. Policy Center research.

In 2022, JPMorgan Chase launched their signature program, The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) in Washington D.C. to help young men of color forge local pathways to graduation and post-secondary success. Working alongside local partner, Youth Guidance, the firm is working with District of Columbia Public Schools (D.C. Public Schools) to improve the economic and social outcomes for young men of color from six public schools in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8.  

“When I enrolled in TFI, I didn't know where I wanted to go in life,” said Sagid Mohamed, TFI Fellow and Howard University student. “Beyond helping me find a great mentor, build skills and get my first internship, TFI helped me learn what being college-ready meant, both mentally and academically. This helped me achieve a lot of success during my first year at Howard University.”

Currently, the program has 226 participants but the number of fellows is set to grow to 400 by 2025. With the support of 23 JPMorgan Chase employee mentors and a licensed clinician counselor, students will receive academic coaching, college and career readiness services, social and mental health support, and leadership development that helps put them on a path toward greater economic mobility.

JPMorgan Chase’s The Fellowship Initiative originally launched in 2010 in New York City to provide comprehensive and hands-on academic, social and emotional support to young men of color in high school. Over the last decade, TFI has matched more than 350 high school Fellows in New York, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, with JPMorgan Chase mentors. In 2020, TFI committed to expanding the program to 1,000 more Fellows nationally over the next 10 years. The firm’s investment in the D.C. program is part of its broader $30 billion racial equity commitment and builds on a $350 million, five-year global initiative to prepare people for the future of work.

“D.C. Public Schools is dedicated to promoting equity and creating joyful, student-centered learning experiences that position students furthest away from opportunity with the skills and platform to amplify their voices, deepen their sense of self, and sharpen their leadership skills,” said D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee. “This partnership advances our commitment to closing the opportunity gap and ensuring each of our students have the supports they need to excel in college, career, and life. We are grateful for this investment in our young men of color and the partnership with The Fellowship Initiative.”