John Hancock’s MLK Scholars program, built on the inspirational values and legacy of its namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., aims to provide meaningful employment and jobs readiness opportunities through 50 local nonprofit organizations and at John Hancock’s Boston office. The target population is Boston teenagers selected for their leadership potential, with priority given to those living in communities with relatively lower economic opportunity. “Pairing employment experience with financial capability training helps open doors for our city’s young people and empowers them to make educated financial decisions, laying the groundwork for economic growth and a more equitable Boston,” said Marianne Harrison, John Hancock president and CEO.
The Scholars, paid by John Hancock, work 20 to 25 hours a week at the nonprofits. Last year, more than 600 young people participated in the program, with 36 working at John Hancock. The latter group took part in weekly career exploration sessions, professional development workshops, small group check-ins, one-on-one sessions with mentors, a college/scholarship essay boot camp, and a group project, on top of departmental work with their managers. To elevate all Scholars’ work experience, the firm hosted four virtual leadership forums connecting more than 400 youth each session with civic and business leaders. The 15 MLK Youth Council Members led each session and informed session goals. Building on an effort begun in 2014 to provide financial wellness content to Scholars from EVERFI, an online learning company, John Hancock expanded access to the content to 362 young people participating in other summer jobs programs in Boston.
Contact: Annie Duong-Turner, US Community Investment Lead, at Annie_duong@jhancock.com.
— Evan Cooper