StreetWise Partners, Inc.

Our programs run year-round, and vary in time commitment from one day workshops to weekly mentorship opportunities. Volunteers motivate unemployed or underemployed individuals and connect participants (trainees) with networking and career readiness skills to attain or improve employment. Career Ventures, our signature program, is held once a week over 13 weeks in donated corporate space.  Trainees and volunteers have the choice from the following days and host corporations:

Tuesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm, at Marsh & McLennan Companies

Wednesday evenings, 6:00-8:00pm, at the New York Stock Exchange

Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm, at Credit Suisse (for trainees 18-24 only)

Saturday afternoons, 12:00-2:00pm, at PwC

Each trainee is carefully matched with 2 mentors based on industry of interest, background, hobbies and other characteristics.  Mentors receive training before being placed with a trainee.  Participants also go through a selection process to determine who will most benefit from our program and to help match trainees with their volunteer mentors. 

StreetWise Partners works with over 800 working professionals each year across New York City and the Washington, D.C. metro area.  Our volunteers come from a variety of careers and backgrounds, working for companies such as PwC, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, MMC, Bloomberg, American Express, Sony Entertainment, Ralph Lauren, Sesame Workshops, Cisco and many more.  Volunteers enhance their own leadership, team building and communication skills, and develop personally and professional through the experience.  The greatest strength of the program is our volunteer mentors, who commit themselves to helping improve the lives of their mentees.  Mentors are more than than – they are educators and coaches, sounding board, role models and a cheering section when necessary.  Above all, volunteers help mentees build their confidence in themselves and their ability to work towards success and the achievement of their dreams.

Since its founding in 1997, StreetWise Partners has served almost 2000 low-income and unemployed youth and adults ages 18-60. Programs serve approximately 300 participants (mentees) each year in New York, New Jersey and Washington, DC. 

The mission of StreetWise Partners is to build mentoring relationships between low-income individuals and volunteer mentors to develop workplace skills and employment networks as the bridge to a successful career.  Our vision is that one day all citizens will have the skills and opportunities to become economically self-sufficient and achieve their full potential.