WRES What's up AVL banner

Who’s up this week on What’s Up AVL! – City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy Coordinator Alex Mitchiner

What’s Up AVL! The City of Asheville’s bi-monthly radio show gives the community the chance to take a deep dive with City of Asheville staff and departments. Learn about different departments and what projects are taking place in your community. This week, the City of Asheville host Sam Parada sat down with City of Asheville [...]

CAYLA students on summer retreat pose for group photo

City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy supports high school students with career development opportunities

Since 2007, the City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) has provided internship placement opportunities for area high school students in local government, businesses and nonprofits. Each summer, 38 are selected from more than 80 applicants from city and county high schools. In addition to workforce training at their selected job sites, the students also [...]

CAYLA students at horse farm

City of Asheville opens application process for CAYLA program

Applications are now open for the CAYLA program. The City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) recruits, trains, and places eligible high school sophomores and juniors in paid summer internships that provide exposure to 21st century job skills.  Each summer, teens from across the City and County come together to learn and earn valuable job experience [...]

CAYLA special screen design

CAYLA summer internships equip Asheville students for college and the workplace

  They’re heading back to school in a few days, but the 35 Asheville students who participated in the CAYLA program this summer take with them hands-on experience from paid internships that better prepare them for college and the workplace. CAYLA stands for City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy. CAYLA recruits, trains and places local high [...]

CAYLA students spend summer getting valuable work experience

​Networking, meeting etiquette and career exploration are just a few of the professional skills that 37 Asheville area high school students are learning this summer. Their involvement in the City of Asheville’s Youth Leadership Academy ​(CAYLA) gives them opportunities for internships to help shape their education and career choices. Formed in 2007, the CAYLA program [...]

Asheville CAYLA students build teddy bears for foster children

From left, Lisi Pena, Zya’ Brown, Marcus Lewis, Sheila Bautista Perez and Jaihlen Harper. participate in a Build-A-Bear workshop for area foster children. Students in the City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy (CAYLA) shared the joy of the holiday season with community service projects during December. Thanks to generous donations from AVL Technologies, the Asheville Brewers [...]

City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy interns learning life lessons this summer

Asheville high rising junior Dalvin Battle, right, is working with Adam Griffith in the City’s IT Services Department on a GIS mapping project designed to show how Asheville’s development evolved. They could be sleeping in. Or hanging out at the pool. Instead, the 38 Asheville area high school students participating in the City of Asheville’s Youth [...]

CAYLA program celebrates a decade of youth leadership training

Asheville High senior shares how participation shaped her professional goals Ten years after the creation of the City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy, Asheville City Council on May 9 recognized and congratulated this year’s outgoing class of CAYLA high school interns. Founded in 2007 by former Mayor Terry Bellamy and the City Council, the program’s intention was [...]