Mike Swigert is the Senior Program Manager for Youth Employment at the Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions.
Prior to joining the Forum for Community Solutions, Mike was the Director of College and Academic Services at The Door – A Center of Alternatives in New York City. In this role, he led a team of college and career counselors and educators serving over 1,200 high school and college students and opportunity youth through programs that included the city’s first charter school-based summer youth employment program. Mike represented The Door in multiple communities of practice and he collaborated with leaders from other CBOs and the College Access Consortium of New York (CACNY) to launch and steer the NYC College Access Anti-Racism Coalition.
Mike was previously the Assistant Director for Program Planning, Evaluation and Improvement with the Workforce, Education and Youth Services division of FEGS Health and Human Services. There, he worked with alternative high schools and training sites for opportunity youth across New York City to improve career and education outcomes using data-informed practices. Mike started his career in youth development with the District of Columbia Public Schools Office of Special Education, where he served as a community liaison and project coordinator.
Mike earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tufts University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.