Our Programs
CAREER PATH
Our flagship program, Career Path, follows our five pillars, which are proven to help students find and keep jobs in growing industries. It begins with STRIVE’s signature job readiness workshop, STRIVE START. Delivered through a work-simulated environment, this program provides the training people need to not only land a job, but build a career. START focuses on mindset, accountability, personal responsibility, workplace ethics, professional etiquette, and interpersonal skills.
Following STRIVE START, students continue with occupational skills training, a hands-on certification process that follows one of several career paths aligned with local market demand and employer needs. Training results in one or more industry-recognized credentials. Industry areas of occupational training include Construction, Healthcare Support & Office Operations, and Transportation & Warehousing/Logistics.
Throughout the program, career coaching offers each student intensive, personal attention to identify and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of their success in the workplace. STRIVE provides job placement assistance through our close partnerships with local employers, securing jobs that are a good match for students’ interests and skills and offer opportunity for growth and upward mobility. All STRIVE students are offered lifetime services of follow-up and support. Though they may graduate and begin their careers, STRIVE continues to stand by all of our students. The historic, evidence-based success of STRIVE Career Path’s five-pillar model has made it a solid foundation for all of STRIVE’s programs.
FUTURE LEADERS
Launched in 2015, this innovative, comprehensive program for justice-involved young adults incorporates evidence-based, informed practices and promising strategies to help youth grow as thriving adults in their communities. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and was developed in collaboration with MDRC and the Youth Development Institute, with support from The Annie E. Casey Foundation. It offers much-needed work experience, community service opportunities, and chances to demonstrate leadership qualities, all to ensure that those who may be entering the workforce at a disadvantage have the opportunities they need to thrive.
STRIVE Future Leaders currently operates in Atlanta, Chicago, Connecticut, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, and San Diego.
FRESH START
Fresh Start provides comprehensive supportive services to returning citizens and refers them to partners for housing, wellness services, and other needs, all to ensure they stay stable and healthy. Intensive case management is recognized as the best practice in reducing recidivism for returning citizens. STRIVE offers participants individualized development and learning plans while they progress through career pathway training, credentialing, and successful employment in high-demand fields.
Fresh Start is made possible in part thanks to generous private support. In 2021, Gotham Gives funded Fresh Start $1.8 million, one of the largest private grants in our history.