The City of Moreno Valley and the Moreno Valley Unified School District signed their first-ever Joint Resolution to establish a collaborative program to provide invaluable work experience to the City's most vulnerable youth.
Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez was joined by School Board President Susan Smith as well as members of the Moreno Valley City Council and Unified School Board, for the signing of the resolution at a special ceremony hosted by the City.
The Mayor’s Apprenticeship Program Promoting Employment Development or "M.A.P.P.E.D." will provide high school students of all abilities with the support, training, and paid work experience they need to excel after high school. Students will be assigned to various city departments depending on their preference. The school district will provide on-going training to City staff in working with students along with transportation.
This year-long program, fully funded by the City, is designed to help at-risk students with mild to moderate special needs, who are identified as an English learner, and come from a lower socioeconomic background. The program will accommodate 80 students each year resulting in hundreds of students eventually participating in this program.
"We as a City are lifting these students up – and providing them with on-the-job training and real-life experience that up until now had been out of reach especially throughout the school year," Mayor Gutierrez remarked.
The first session of M.A.P.P.E.D. will launch this fall. This program is another example of the strong working relationship between the City and the Moreno Valley Unified School District.
For more information about M.A.P.P.E.D. please contact the City Council Office at 951.413.3008.
