Fifty years ago, this would have been scary. Now, it’s synergistic and empowering. The City of Asheville has allocated $100,000 toward providing summer internships for children. Known as the City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA), the program is the result of Mayor Terry Bellamy’s desire for the city to “grow its own.” At the city council retreat that spawned the program, the mayor explained that the demographics of the city should be reflected in the makeup of civil servants.

Participants are placed in office jobs and paid $7.00/hr. They also get a $2000 scholarship for completing the program. They are assisted with mentors and workshops. This sterling example of the proper role of government in a free society has won acclaim as a best practice from the US Conference of Mayors.