Future Leaders Program

Together, we have the power to change young lives…

Helping Where We Can Have The Greatest Impact

As Americans we are blessed to have countless opportunities to “do good,” not only in our private lives but through the workplace.

At the Matworks, we strive to “do good” in ways that reflect our corporate values and culture. We provide opportunity needy youngsters from minority communities in large US cities through education and business experience. In this way we believe our efforts will have the greatest impact, both on individual lives and future generations.

Education

We know the measurable value of education, the doors it can unlock, and dreams it can make real. We also recognize that the education being provided in many of our communities is sadly lacking. Fortunately, as practical, analytical, creative businesspeople we’re in a position to do something about it.

Business

Business — yours and ours — is the key to minimizing poverty because it’s the way to “teach others how to ﬁsh” for a lifetime. It is the great equalizer of economic imbalance, and the single most powerful lifter of people in the history of the world. Moreover, as business pros we invest in things that are proven to work — where our investments make a difference and produce repeatable positive results – including those things that help our employees, our customers, and our communities.

A Unique Work-Study Scholarship Program

This combination of Business and Education led to the Matworks Future Leaders Program. A powerful partnership with the national network of 37 Cristo Rey high schools, a unique education model that combines a rigorous curriculum with a Work-Study program. With each TEC Services contract, The Matworks funds four scholarships at a Cristo Rey high school local to the customer. The students work at the client’s office or store, one student per day, and Matworks pays for the Work-Study Program which funds the majority of the student’s education. Our customer gets an energetic, motivated intern while the student receives a top-quality college prep high school education and professional work experience.

How The Program Works

Matworks pays $34,000 to cover the work-study costs for a team of four Cristo Rey students. The funds pay the high school tuition at the Cristo Rey school.
Each student works one day per week at the customer’s headquarters or other location learning and performing assignments from spreadsheet analysis to filing, from lab work to customer service.
All of the students are employees of Cristo Rey, not the customer, so there are no benefits to pay, healthcare contributions, or legal issues. The work-study program is written into the U.S. labor code.
All transportation to and from the customer’s workplace is handled by Cristo Rey.
The positive influence of these bright, hardworking, enthusiastic young people on your employees can’t be overstated.
The work-study students also create a pipeline of future minority college graduates to the customer’s business.
Perhaps most importantly, customers gain the immeasurable rewards that come from knowing they’re making a positive difference in the lives of deserving youngsters, their families and the communities where they live.

The Cristo Rey Network

Though work-study, students learn firsthand what success can look like and what the business world is all about. They work with knowledgeable mentors and experience the “professional culture” that they will have to compete in. Most will also be exposed to people and communities unlike those in their daily neighborhood life. While unfamiliar, these experiences allow the students to create a picture of the future they hope to achieve and provide motivation as they progress through high school, college, and the start of their business/professional careers. A rigorous academic curriculum and caring, supportive environment prepare the students for success in college. However, what makes the program so successful is the unique work-study component. Cristo Rey, founded in 1995, is a nationwide network of 37 college prep, work-study high schools, located in some of the poorest neighborhoods of our largest cities. Students at Cristo Rey attend school four days a week and work one day a week at leading companies, institutions and organizations in their local areas.

Watch This Poignant “Dear Philadelphia” Video

See the impact the Work-Study program has through it’s Job Partners by supporting and guiding our students and for enabling the miracle of Cristo Rey.

Partners in Corporate Social Responsibility

Whether you’re a current or future client of The Matworks, chances are your company or organization shares our goals, values, and sense of social responsibility. If so, we hope you’ll partner with us in bringing a Future Leaders Program work-study scholarship to needy young people in your area.

In addition it’s a critically important step to break the all-too-common cycle of poverty and government dependence in our major cities. Your support can also bring tangible value to your business, building awareness, trust and engagement, while making a genuine positive impact on those who need it most.

Learn how you can put the Future Leaders Program into practice for your business. Get started by submitting the form below.