Our Programs

Mentorship at the core

Building Futures Through Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship, and Job Readiness

At We Rise, mentorship is more than a program—it’s a movement. Our mentorship model integrates real-world training with holistic guidance to support youth in becoming economically informed, self-sufficient, and community-driven. Every program is built around our foundational pillars: financial awareness, entrepreneurship, and career and character development.

Module 1: Financial Literacy

  • Understanding credit
  • Investing basics
  • Savings strategies
  • Budgeting techniques

Module 2: Entrepreneurship

  • Steps to becoming a business owner
  • Developing business plans
  • Building entrepreneurial skills

Module 3: Career and Character Development

  • Professionalism in the workplace
  • Mastering business etiquette
  • Fostering positive attitudes and behaviors

Module 4: Industry Sectors

  • Introduction to broad range of industries
  • Connecting youth to industries matching their interests

Senators program

Transforming Communities Through Workforce Development

The We Rise Senators Program is a two-phase workforce development initiative that equips youth with critical financial knowledge, industry-specific skills, and mentorship that extends beyond the classroom.

  • Phase 1: Youth attend weekly workshops focused on budgeting, credit, entrepreneurship, and job readiness.
  • Phase 2: Participants transition into hands-on workforce training, gaining paid experience in real estate, construction, and community development.

Program sites

Park Heights (West Baltimore)

Through a partnership with Park Heights Renaissance, the Senators Program implements the Governor’s ENOUGH Initiative, offering a 10-week workforce development course. Youth begin at the CC Jackson Recreation Center for classroom instruction before transitioning to Phase 2 at our Basic Training Facility. The program includes a stipend and a pathway to future employment or advanced training.

Broadway East (East Baltimore)

Home to our Basic Training Facility—a full city block of houses undergoing active redevelopment—this site provides youth with practical business skills.  Youth from across Baltimore and surrounding counties learn real estate development which encompasses a wide range of industries, including:

    • Construction and Engineering
    • Architecture and Design
    • Real Estate Finance and Investment
    • Brokerage and Sales
    • Property Management
    • Hospitality, 
    • Technology

Many receive stipends for their work, reinforcing the value of their time and contribution.

Park Heights – Pictured above 

Delegates program

Reaching Justice-Involved Youth with Rehabilitation and Opportunity

As a partner of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services’ (DJS) Innovation Team, We Rise facilitates weekly mentorship and skills-building workshops at the Victor Cullen Center, a male youth detention facility in Frederick County.

Our workshops focus on:

  • Financial Awareness (budgeting, banking, credit)
  • Conflict resolution and restorative justice
  • Resume building and mock interviews
  • Entrepreneurship and business planning

 

This program gives justice-involved youth the opportunity to reimagine their futures and reconnect with their communities through consistent mentorship and development.

House of Representatives program

Early Engagement for Long-Term Empowerment

The House of Representatives program brings We Rise’s core principles—financial education, entrepreneurship, and job readiness—directly into middle and high schools.

  • In Spring 2025, We Rise launched a weekly lunch mentorship series at Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School, providing 7th grade girls with insight into credit, saving, homeownership, and business planning.
  • The summer of 2025, we expanded our program to Coppin Academy High School, where students receive weekly with Coppin Academy High School, where students will receive weekly mentorship and gain access to our workforce training programs in Park Heights.

This program is ideal for schools and institutions looking to embed mentorship and financial awareness into their student experience.

Job Readiness

Our Job Readiness Program is a subset of the Senators Program. Students earn $20 per hour, and participate in our workforce development training at the We Rise Basic Training Facility. Students participate in weekly sessions focusing on construction, but they gain skills transferable to any field of work.

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