About BrookLynk
Directed by the Cities of Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park, BrookLynk is a youth employment program dedicated to addressing our regional talent and workforce needs through a strategy that explicitly supports and invests in young people facing barriers to employment.
BrookLynk’s history
BrookLynk was developed in partnership between the schools, cities, community partners and youth. The program launched in 2015 in response to findings that over 60% of youth in the Brooklyns were not participating in summer programming; and that middle and high school-aged youth, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, did not have the skills or connections needed for post-secondary and career success.
Also responding to a business community that was struggling to attract and retain talent. BrookLynk is focuses on three components: 21st-century skill building and training, experiential employment opportunities, and the development of professional networks and relationships.
BrookLynk began with a training cohort of 80 students and an intern cohort of 28. BrookLynk has grown and has since successfully coordinated over 400 paid summer internship opportunities with local employers and has trained over 1,000 young people with essential job skills.
Our mission
BrookLynk exists to coordinate partnerships that prepare employers to engage the next generation of workers and to connect young people in the Brooklyns facing barriers to employment with the skills, experiences, and professional social networks needed to develop their pathway to college and careers.
Our shared vision
To achieve the economic health, equity, and well-being of our community ensuring prosperity for all. Our workforce is awesome because we have ignited the aspirations of youth, and this attracts employers to grow their business in the Brooklyns.
Our core values
- Leading with courage, trust, and integrity
- Igniting hope and optimism in young people
- Keeping youth at the center of planning of decision making
- Interrupting systems to realize racial equity and inclusion
- Fostering inclusive relationships to transform community well-being
- Acting with passion and urgency for deliberate results