Connecting Under-Resourced Youth to Opportunity: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Youth Employment Program in Washington, DC

This paper presents a cost-benefit analysis of a youth development program run by Urban Alliance, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC that provides paid internships to under-resourced high school students. Although Urban Alliance served over 1,500 youth across four locations through multiple programs during the 2013-14 academic year, this analysis focuses exclusively on the High School Internship Program (HSIP) in Washington, DC. Using a sub-national perspective, the costs and benefits experienced by all residents and groups in Washington, DC are considered in the analysis. The status quo to which this program is compared is student nonparticipation in any similar program. Under the base case, the program is expected to yield approximately $19 million in net benefits. This study concludes that the program is efficient and should continue to operate.