Genesys Works - Bay Area Announces Eleven New Partner Corporations

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Genesys Works - Bay Area, the San Francisco-based non-profit that helps underserved high school seniors get on a college and career track, has signed on eleven new corporate partners. 

The San Francisco companies newly offering internships include KIXEYE, Okta, StubHub, Livefyre, Rocket Science Consulting, Castlight Health, Hanson Bridgett, and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA).  In the East Bay, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Numi Organic Tea, and Clif Bar & Company have also signed on. These companies join eight other Bay Area businesses continuing with the program from last year, including Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), Salesforce.com, Accenture, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Gensler, the City and County of San Francisco, Triton Container International, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. 

"Our success directly depends on meaningful internship opportunities from corporate partners. We're delighted to have these prestigious companies be so actively engaged with our students, and committed to changing their life trajectory," said Peter Katz, executive director for Genesys Works – Bay Area. "These new internships allow us to greatly expand the number of students – and communities – we can serve," he added.

In its second year, Genesys Works - Bay Area is placing 48 seniors from San Francisco and Oakland high schools, a significant jump from the 19 interns placed in 2013, its inaugural year.

To earn a paid internship, the students must successfully complete an intensive summer training that includes mastering entry-level IT skills, as well as learning professional skills such as public speaking, team building, and how to write for a corporation.  For the duration of their academic year, these high school seniors attend school in the morning, and in the afternoons work at their part-time professional internships.

Genesys Works provides participants with more than 1,000 hours in a corporate internship throughout their senior year. More than 96% of program graduates continue on to college, compared to the national average of less than 50% of their low-income peers. Genesys Works also helps the students navigate the college application and financial aid process.

The Genesys Works double-bottom-line model allows corporations to meet their responsibility to the community, as well as help drive business growth by providing students with tangible skills that are valuable to the student and the corporation.

ABOUT GENESYS WORKS
Genesys Works, established in Houston in 2002, and now with locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that serves low-income high school students. The program, which includes practical skills training, a yearlong meaningful internship with a major corporation, and college and career preparation, enables underserved youth to change their life trajectory and realize that they can succeed as professionals in the corporate world.

Genesys Works - Bay Area Partner Companies

The local office of Genesys Works began operation in early 2013 and has steadily grown its partner companies to a total of 19:

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SOURCE Genesys Works - Bay Area