District 5 Councilmember Requests Opportunity Youth Internship Program

Published on March 10, 2026

District 5 Councilmember Requests Opportunity Youth Internship Program

SAN ANTONIO (March 10, 2026) – According to the United States Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Data, San Antonio and Bexar County have more than 36,000 disconnected youth; young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither working nor enrolled in school. Expanding pathways to education, job training, and meaningful employment is essential to ensuring these young people are not left behind. 

The City of San Antonio Ambassador Summer Internship Program currently provides students enrolled in college with internship opportunities that help them gain experience and potentially lead to job offers for graduating professionals. Eligibility criteria for this program requires one year (two semesters) of college and a high school diploma from a San Antonio High School, which excludes disconnected youth.

To address this gap, Councilmember Teri Castillo has filed a Council Consideration Request (CCR) that targets at-risk youth and youth involved in the justice system to participate in an Opportunity Youth Internship Pilot Program. The initiative would expand access to paid internships for at-risk youth, including those involved in the justice system, in an effort to help them gain work experience, develop professional skills, and reconnect to educational or career pathways.

While San Antonio already has strong programs working to support youth, including NXT Level, Municipal Court programs, youth-targeted Ready to Work Programs (18-24 years old), and Parks and Recreation initiatives, more paid internship opportunities would help to fully engage disconnected youth and offer an educational opportunity while employing them.

According to Councilmember Castillo, creating the Opportunity Youth Internship Pilot Program would assist young people who have faced barriers in completing high school or college by including them in meaningful workforce opportunities.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs recognizes that basic needs, stability, and opportunity are interconnected. This approach supports young people by bringing equity to the most vulnerable youth who are bearing the brunt of socioeconomic conditions outside of their control.

Through this CCR, the City of San Antonio could potentially address inequities and invest in the future of the community by uplifting the next generation.