While delivering the speech at Harlem Children Zone’s Promise Academy, Pharrell made a surprise announcement to the audience.

“So let me be clear,” the ten-time Grammy award winning artist stated. “The 2019 graduating class, is guaranteed an internship waiting for them, you, next summer.”

Pharrell made the promise in hopes of inspiring the class of 114 students to be “awake, leaned in and engaged.”

He referred to their future successes as a “new Harlem Renaissance”.

“The world is watching Harlem, but this renaissance will be different. And believe it or not, with respect, it’s going to actually be better. The new Harlem Renaissance has education at its core,” said Pharrell.

The school hasn’t specified where the internships will take place, but promised they would be related to the students’ respective career goals.

According to Anne Williams-Isom, CEO of Harlem’s Children Zone, the new internship program will give students access to better opportunities and connections.

“In order for us to get our community, these children, and these families out of poverty, we want to make sure that they are connected to a livable wage,” said Williams-Isom.