BALTIMORE – This summer marks the seventh year Baltimore has partnered with Colgate-Palmolive’s “Preparing Our World through Education and Responsibility” (POWER) youth employment initiative and Stop Shop & Save supermarkets to kick off the city’s YouthWorks summer jobs program. Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley will join hundreds of students and business and community leaders at Druid Hill Park on Monday, June 20, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. to encourage participants to have their best summer work experience ever.

“Baltimore’s young people count on YouthWorks for their first work experience,” said Mayor O’Malley. “That’s why we doubled our budget allocation this year to ensure that our students continue to build their work skills and make the connection between staying in school and building a successful career. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our business sponsors, foundations and individuals, we are able to keep this vital program alive year after year.”

Colgate-Palmolive’s POWER initiative has contributed to youth employment programs nationwide for the past 12 years, donating more than $1.2 million. This year, Baltimore is among eight Colgate POWER cities, including Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, East Orange, Houston, Memphis and Los Angeles. Colgate-Palmolive is contributing $10,000 to Baltimore’s YouthWorks summer jobs program and $10,000 in personal care and cleaning products for YouthWorks participants. Colgate-Palmolive is one of more than 400 business and community partners providing funding or in-kind services to support YouthWorks.

Approximately 5,500 youth ages 14 to 21 will participate in a six-week summer employment experience from June 27 to August 5, 2005. Students will be exposed to a variety of public and private sector settings, including working at city agencies and local nonprofit organizations on special community-based projects. One project YouthWorks students will work on this summer is a “Hilton to Milton” beautification initiative where they paint an artistic mural, paint doors and windows on vacant homes and clean and mulch vacant lots. In addition, students will work in the private sector at local hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, health institutions, day care centers, summer camps, retail stores and more.

Students participating in the YouthWorks Kickoff will gather at 9 a.m. for a motivational activity.

“It’s important that we provide this experience for young people to help foster pride and commitment in their work and the valuable life experiences gained from their first jobs and firstcareer mentors,” said Karen Sitnick, director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), which administers the YouthWorks program.

“We have had a tremendous response from students this year, with more than 7,000 registering for the program,” said Jim Hamlin, YouthWorks chairman. “Although we’re meeting our goals to
employ at least 5,500 students this summer, we can do more with additional business and community support.”

“At Colgate Palmolive, we believe that an investment in the lives of our youth is an investment in our community, our nation and ultimately the world,” said Dan Cummings, General Manager of Multicultural Marketing at Colgate-Palmolive.

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company focused on oral care, personal care, household care, fabric care and pet nutrition. In the U.S., Colgate sells its products under such nationally recognized brands as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Ajax, Irish Spring, Softsoap, Murphy Oil Soap, Ultra Brite and Fab, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet pet foods.

The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development provides a direct connection to student services and education for in-school and out-of-school youth ages 14 to 21 by linking them to academic support and career development opportunities. Youth services and programs available to Baltimore City teens through MOED’s many partnerships include the YouthWorks summer jobs program; Youth Opportunity for young people residing in Baltimore’s Empowerment Zone communities; the FUTURES year-round dropout prevention program with Baltimore City Public Schools; and the Academy for College and Career Exploration (ACCE), a new “innovation high school” operated by MOED and the Sar Levitan Center at The Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies.

In addition, through the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development awards grants to nonprofit organizations for youth development programs in Baltimore city. MOED’s youth development partners provide education, career exploration and training for in-school and out-of-school youth through the Career Academy at Harbor High School, Bon Secours Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Program, Healthcare Careers Alliance, the South Baltimore Career Center, and the Youth Empowerment Program at the Baltimore City Community College Harbor Campus.

For more information about supporting YouthWorks 2005, please call 410-396-JOBS (5627), email youthcareers@oedworks.com.