Bank of America recently announced it will award $127,000 to 16 nonprofit organizations working to increase educational and workforce development opportunities in Hampton Roads.

The organizations receiving support focus on connecting youth and adults, including the unemployed and underserved, to skill-building, education and job opportunities.

“According to recent data, 15.2 percent of Hampton Roads residents live in poverty, more than the state average of 11.3 percent,” Charlie Henderson, Hampton Roads market president for Bank of America, stated in a press release. “By partnering with organizations like Opportunity Inc., Hampton Roads’ workforce development board, we’re connecting young people in the community to opportunities that can prepare them to lead more financially secure lives.”

Opportunity Inc., the regional convener of workforce development, one of the organizations receiving a grant, will use the funding to help operate their Youth Career Center. The center provides workplace readiness training, mentoring opportunities, career exploration and job preparation, while also emphasizing financial literacy education to youth and young adults ages 14-24.

“We applaud Bank of America’s commitment to the region and appreciate their continued partnership as we work to provide strategic solutions that will improve outcomes for job seekers and employers,” said Shawn Avery, president and chief executive officer of Opportunity Inc. “We look forward to utilizing this contribution to further enhance our Youth Career Center and support the emerging workforce in Hampton Roads.”

Other organizations receiving grants include:

Access College Foundation, An Achievable Dream, Big Brothers & Big Sisters Services, Chesapeake Services Systems, Communities In Schools of Hampton Roads (CIS), Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, Governors Magnet School For The Arts Foundation, Hampton University, Horizons Hampton Roads, Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association (HRETA), Nauticus Foundation, Rita Welsh Adult Literacy Program Inc., Thomas Nelson Community College, Tidewater Community College Educational Foundation, and United Way of South Hampton Roads.