All of today's young people need a rigorous academic program that prepares them for college and career success. But a growing body of research also suggests that low-income, high-risk teens who have opportunities to gain work experience and to connect education and work during high school are likely to do better in school and earn more throughout their lifetimes. The bad news is that opportunities for work and work experience are far less available to low-income urban youth than to young people who live in more affluent suburbs. Therefore, there is a clear and compelling case for public officials, school leaders and private employers to increase the numbers of these potentially life-changing experiences available to young people in Philadelphia. (Contains 9 endnotes.)