Futures and Options

Mission: Futures and Options empowers New York City's youth to explore careers and guides them to further their education and become productive citizens.

About: Since 1995, Futures and Options has empowered New York City's underserved youth to explore careers through career development and paid, mentored internships. We reach out to teens at a formative time of their lives, guiding them to further their education and become contributing citizens.

Our model program enables New York's underserved youth to gain much-needed access to the economic mainstream, work-readiness training and support from caring adults.

At the same time, private and nonprofit businesses are connected to a pipeline of promising, motivated and diverse young people.

Together with our business and community partners, we are building the workforce of tomorrow. Our career development program makes it possible for underserved, motivated teens to acquire the applied skills and higher education to successfully contribute to a global 21-century economy.

Futures and Options recruits youth who attend schools that lack sufficient resources to provide educational and career guidance:

• More than two-thirds of Futures and Options participants come from low-income families and qualify for free or reduced lunch.
• In FY2015, our student population was 40% African American, 30% Hispanic, 13% Asian/Pacific Islander, 7% multi-ethnic, and 4% Caucasian and 6% other.
• Our student population in FY15 was 58% female and 47% male.
• Our programs serve middle, high school and college students.

New York City's underserved teens could easily fall through the cracks. It is imperative that we work together to continue providing the kinds of internship and career development programs that enhance their education and career trajectories. 

Partner Since: 2016

Founders (year established):  Dr. Barbara L. Christen (1995)

Website: futuresandoptions.org