Teach to Work

Book excerpt: The United States is abundantly rich in adults with "know how." By connecting mentors -- educated adults with expertise and knowledge -- with mentees -- teens and young adults who lack motivation, experience, and role models in their lives -- we can begin to close this gap dramatically. We can prepare the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow by adding real-world, project based experience to their education. Teach to Work is a call to action for mentors currently sitting on the sidelines. Whether you are a banker, lawyer, architect, accountant, engineer, IT specialist, or artist, you have the experience and skillset to become an ambassador of talent, grit, and transferable skills. The book provides a step-by-step guide to help professionals share their knowledge with the next generation of workers through this intergenerational experience. Based on Alper's fifteen years of mentoring inner-city high-school students, Teach to Work proves how corporations, professionals, and boomers can have a significant impact on the professional future of America's youth. Drawing from real-life stories and letters received from students, teachers, and fellow mentors describing pride of accomplishment, Alper helps professionals embark on this journey to transform lives, mentoring one student at a time.