The US has the highest rate of incarcerated people in the world and for decades NYS was one of only two states to prosecute 16 year olds as adults. Upon release, these young people face barriers to employment, and aren’t prepared to succeed or grow professionally. Imprisonment has lifelong consequences, and youth that have been incarcerated have a 70% chance of being rearrested within 5 years.

At Drive Change, our mission is to equip young people with the tools to succeed in the food service industry and become leaders in their community. We run an 8-month paid-fellowship for 18-25 year olds, to train them in culinary arts, place them into living wage jobs, and hold our hospitality partners accountable to providing a workplace experience that is fair, supportive and equitable.