No Halo News · Sourced development
Independent randomized evaluation found limited but measurable employment gains from Urban Alliance's internship program
An Urban Institute randomized evaluation found that Urban Alliance's high-school internship program increased participants' comfort with job applications and made them more likely to hold a job during the first year after graduation. The employment difference narrowed in year two, and researchers found no statistically significant full-sample effects on college enrollment or persistence. A separate ten-year follow-up found no detected effects on college completion, debt or credit outcomes.
Status matters. This page records a sourced development, not a completed No Halo investigation. An allegation is not a finding. Dismissals, settlements, judgments, corrections and final outcomes remain distinct.
Donor relevance
Why this matters
The study provides donors with unusually rigorous evidence identifying both benefits and limits of a flagship workforce program rather than relying only on participant counts or organizational claims.
Attribution
Who reported or established this
Urban Institute researchers reported the findings from randomized study cohorts in Baltimore, Chicago, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., plus a longer-term follow-up of earlier participants.
Evidence limits
What remains unverified
No Halo has not replicated the analysis or determined whether the redesigned program produces stronger outcomes. The findings may not apply to every site, cohort or later version of the program.
Right of reply
Organization response
Urban Alliance was reported to be adapting its model by engaging students earlier, emphasizing sector-specific learning and building pathways into living-wage careers.
Classification
How No Halo records this event
Event type: Independent Impact Evidence. Current state: Reported. No Halo preserves the current procedural state rather than treating every mention as a finding.
Published February 5, 2025 · Last verified September 16, 2026. See an error or a later outcome? Submit a correction or right of reply.