Per Scholas to Attend White House My Brother’s Keeper What Works Showcase

On Monday, October 17th, 2016, Per Scholas is invited to the White House My Brother’s Keeper What Works Showcase in Washington D.C. My Brother’s Keeper is an initiative launched by President Obama aimed to “address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.” We are excited to share Per Scholas’ innovative model amongst thirty of the nation’s premier programs and interventions. The Showcase will highlight providers who have demonstrated “rigorous evidence of impact” and here, at Per Scholas, measuring our impact is something we take very seriously.  

In both 2010, and again in 2016, Per Scholas participated in two Randomized Control Trials (RCT) that demonstrated significant impacts related to income, overcoming material hardship and overall well-being. To quote the most recent RCT 2016 MDRC report, “[it] is unusual to see such a consistent pattern of impacts across so many domains…These large impacts on secondary economic measures reaffirm the overall effectiveness of the WorkAdvance program at Per Scholas.”

President Barack Obama addressed the intent of ‘My Brother’s Keeper,’ “Helping more of our young people stay on track. Providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future. Building on what works – when it works, in those critical life-changing moments.” The White House plans to livestream the morning event. Our CEO, Plinio Ayala, has been asked to feature Per Scholas during a lightning presentation and we encourage you to check out Per Scholas and a number of other programs at the White House on Monday, October 17th from 9:30 am – 12:15 pm ET here.

The event will take place at the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Per Scholas CEO, Plinio Ayala, will be accompanied by Wayne Kunow, Global Head of Information Risk Management for Barclays Investment Bank along with Jonathan Pena,  a Per Scholas graduate and Information Risk Manager at Barclays Investment Bank. All three will participate in a seated morning program before the afternoon’s showcase that will invite 150-200 people to visit with our CEO Plinio Ayala, a student representative and one of our employer partners. The audience will include White House officials, Federal agency representatives, foundations nonprofits, private sector partners and other My Brother’s Keeper stakeholders as well as members of the media. Event hosts include the White House Office of Social Innovation, My Brother’s Keeper, US Department of Education, Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Laura and John Arnold Foundation and Results for America.