VP Erin Bibo’s Public Testimony Before the Committee of the Whole
April 4, 2024
Good evening Councilmember Parker, Chairman Mendelson, Committee Members, and staff. My name is Erin Bibo, and I am Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at CityWorks DC, a nonprofit organization focused on ensuring that DC’s youth of color are better prepared for, hired into, and succeeding in the District’s good jobs. I’m also a Ward 6 resident and parent of three DCPS students.
I’ve never talked about my children during testimony before, but I’m going to today, because I think they’re an excellent illustration of why the city’s investments in the Education through Employment Data System, the Advanced Technical Center, the Advanced Internship & Career Ready Internship Programs are so important.
For the sake of time, I’m just going to talk about my oldest, Anna, who is currently in 7th grade at Eliot Hine Middle School. Like many other young people, Anna learns not only by reading, writing, and listening- but by doing. In her Mass Media CTE class at Eliot, Anna’s ability to write clearly, present confidently and succinctly, think on her feet, and delegate and collaborate as a team all grew exponentially. It was because she was practicing these skills in real-life situations that allowed her to learn, grow, and improve so rapidly. To that end, it should surprise no one that the city’s students in CTE programs significantly surpass their peers in attendance, academics, graduation rates, and postsecondary pursuits- an outcome that is even more significant in our highest poverty communities. I have been thrilled to see the city’s first Advanced Technical Center offer high-quality CTE courses to high school students across the city, allowing them to earn high school and college credit in IT and Health Sciences. I’m delighted to see investments to establish an ATC in Ward 8, which will allow even more students access to excellent CTE programming in close proximity to where they live and learn.
While Anna is too young to pursue an internship, I cannot wait for her to do so in high school. I have seen first hand hundreds of students have lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment in their Career Ready Internships or Advanced Internship Programs. Students can leverage internships to hone professional interests, better their strengths, and try different career paths while still in the safe space of high school. Students with these internship and apprenticeship experiences are more clear and confident about their postsecondary plans. This is exactly what I want for Anna, and I love that our city provides these opportunities for our youth.
Last but not least, I want the leaders of our city to know what happens to Anna and her peers after they graduate high school. I want them to be able to hold themselves accountable in terms of graduates’ employment or earnings outcomes. I want them to make informed decisions about what investments work and which don’t as a result of that outcome data. Now that we have the Education Through Employment Data System, the city will have this information. As a parent, and a professional, I am delighted by this development.
Thank you for your continued support of the Advanced Technical Center, the Advanced Internship and Career Ready Internship Programs, and Education through Employment Data System and Office. I’m happy to answer any questions.