Tallahassee Selected as Finalist for NLC Award
City’s TFLA Summer Youth Program Spotlighted for Community Collaboration
March 05, 2018
The City of Tallahassee has been selected as one of two finalists for a National League of Cities’ (NLC) City Cultural Diversity Award. This annual award is given in recognition of programs that demonstrate quality and innovation in relation to the many aspects of cultural diversity.
Tallahassee is being considered for its Tallahassee Future Leadership Academy (TFLA), which provides teens with mentorship, job readiness training, financial literacy education, college exposure and summer employment. NLC has called the program, “a shining example of diversity and total community collaboration and partnership.”
“When we began TFLA in 2015, our goal was to employ 100 high school aged youth for the summer, and in just over two years, we have nearly doubled the participation,” Mayor Andrew Gillum said. “Through crucial partnerships with businesses, financial institutions, and higher education partners, our young leaders are earning more than just a wage. They are gaining life skills that will help ensure their future professional success.”
The innovative eight-week program begins with two weeks of job readiness training followed by six weeks of paid employment. Employment placements are offered through the City of Tallahassee, private organizations and local businesses around the Tallahassee area. Over 500 area youth have already registered to participate in the upcoming 2018 program.
NLC will announce the first and second place award recipients in the 50,001-200,000 population category at the Diversity Awards Breakfast during the Congressional City Conference held on Monday, March 12, in Washington, D.C. This award program is designed to encourage citizen involvement in local government-sponsored activities and enhance and show the appreciation of cultural diversity as a way of life in municipalities. To learn more, visit www.nlc.org/city-cultural-diversity-awards.
To learn more about the City’s TFLA program, visit Talgov.com/TFLA.
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