Fifty nonprofit groups serving communities of color in the Twin Cities area received “Celebrating Communities of Color” grants from the General Mills Foundation. Grants of $10,000 were awarded to each of these groups.

FALL 2004 RECIPIENTS

1. Character and Leadership Development Programs

Boys & Girls Clubs
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.

The Character and Leadership Development programs are designed to give young people the skills they need to value themselves and others, develop a positive self-image as well as promote an appreciation for diversity with the goal of helping to strengthen families and create a safe, nurturing environment for children. The programs help support the growing number of young people who are joining Boys & Girls Clubs. Programs include the Virtues Project, which focuses on themes such as truthfulness, respect, self-discipline and thankfulness; the Torch and Keystone Clubs in which youth elect officers, plan and organize activities and volunteer projects, raise funds for programs and attend conferences; as well as the popular Members of the Month, who are recognized for their success, improvement, service and leadership.

2. Hmong Academy Club Program

Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council
St. Paul, Minn.

The program establishes Teens-In-Action Clubs for young people attending the Hmong Academy Charter School in Minneapolis. The clubs are part of an effort to build on the academic program at the new school, which opened in 2004. The clubs focus on service-learning activities and leadership development. For example, in the past, students have started a community food shelf and collected mittens for homeless shelters. The Hmong Academy Club will feature small groups of students who meet weekly during school with an adult mentor/leader to learn about themselves, their communities and the environment. In addition, the young people plan group projects and take an active role in decision-making.

3. Native Traditions and Customs of China

Center for Chinese Culture
Maplewood, Minn.

4. CAPI Food Shelf

Centre for Asian and Pacific Islanders
Minneapolis, Minn.

The CAPI food shelf is the only Asian-oriented food shelf in the Twin Cities. The General Mills grant will help the facility meet the growing demand for services as the new wave of Hmong refugees immigrate to the Twin Cities. The facility serves 1,200 people each month, with a 20-percent increase in usage expected in 2005.

5. Latino Civic Participation Project

Centro Legal, Inc.
St. Paul, Minn.

This community outreach project targets immigrants who have permanent-resident status or are newly naturalized U.S. citizens and is designed to address the low participation of Latinos in the public arena despite Minnesota’s rapidly growing Latino population. The General Mills grant will help Centro Legal produce a bilingual Latino Civic Participation Toolkit that will be used in community education programs that teach immigrants about democracy and public policy as well as provide information about how to become involved in their communities. For example, immigrants will learn about participating in local government activities such as school board meetings, city council meetings, nonpartisan volunteer opportunities during elections and public safety volunteer opportunities. The information will be available in print as well as electronically. The kit as well as training will be offered across Minnesota with a focus on the seven- county metro area. The project will serve up to 500 people.

6. Youth Enterprise in Food and Ecology

Community Design Center of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minn.

The program works with young people ages 9-18 on St. Paul’s East Side by using gardening and local ecology projects to teach them work skills and habits, expand their knowledge of career opportunities, increase their knowledge of the environment as well as teach them about good health, nutrition and fitness. The program includes internships and leadership programs as well as after-school and summer environmental science and cooking/nutrition classes. The program serves 600 children and their families each year, 95 percent of whom are low income and minority.

7. Family Education Diabetes Series

Department of Indian Work/St. Paul Area Council of Churches
St. Paul, Minn.

This pilot project provides a holistic approach to helping American Indian families in the east metro area manage diabetes through education, nutrition, diet and exercise. The series consists of six to eight, 2 ½ hour sessions at the Department of Indian Work that feature a self-administered mini-check up with a doctor or other health-care professional on hand for questions about test results. Medical supplies for the mini-check ups are available for those who need it. The check up is followed by a meal, discussion, question-and-answer session and a fitness activity.

8. East African Electronic Program

East Metro Opportunities Industrialization Center
St. Paul, Minn.

Working with Higher Ground Academy, the East Metro Opportunities Industrialization Center is expanding its electronics and computer systems program to the East African community by offering the course in Somali and Aromo. The program offers students the skills they need to work in a high-tech field and earn an income that can help support their families. The program has previously served Hmong and Spanish-speaking Minnesotans in the Twin Cities.

9. Social Arts Program

Harvest Preparatory Charter School
Minneapolis, Minn.

In addition to academic courses, the Harvest Preparatory School offers a Social Arts class that provides a curriculum designed to promote social competence and reduce social and emotional problems by teaching skills such as emotion management, positive-problem solving and conflict resolution. The program also features art activities ranging from the visual arts, media, music, literary arts, and dance and theater. Students enrolled in the class attend on a three-day rotating schedule. The lessons include the Afrocentric principles that are part of Harvest Prep’s mission and philosophy. The K-6 charter school focuses on fundamental skills in reading, math and science as well as cultural knowledge and pride, and building self-confidence in students. It also offers a Latch Key and a Summer Academic Enrichment program. About 90 percent of the children attending the school are from low-income African American families.

10. Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (CSNAP)

Hennepin County Medical Center Department of Pediatrics
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program is a national, multi-site project that monitors hunger and malnutrition in families with young children. The project will help 20 families of color each month find necessities such as housing, food, employment, health care, bilingual services and other resources by working one-on-one with a community health worker. In 2003, 44% of the families with children under the age of 3 who received care at HCMC’s Pediatric clinic experienced hunger – an increase from 21% of families seen at the clinic in 1999. An overwhelming majority (91%) of the families served at the clinic are people of color.

11. Hope Community Youth Program

HOPE Community, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minn.

This year-round program provides a stable environment for the racially and ethnically diverse children and teenagers in Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood and surrounding community. The Hope Community Center will offer up to 150 young people activities scheduled four times a week including field trips, community art projects such as working with local artists on painting murals, tutoring by college students, learning and leadership opportunities as well as attending cultural and community events. The goal is to help build community relations, help young people develop leadership skills and learn how to be engaged members of their community. The youth program reflects the agency’s overall work in community engagement.

12. Internship Program

HIRED
Minneapolis, Minn.

HIRED will provide internships for young people of color and young immigrants as part of the organization’s school-based programs that help students with career and job preparation. HIRED partners with several schools to provide on-site employment preparation services that link educational success with future career opportunities. In addition, HIRED partners with Ramsey and Hennepin Counties to provide work-ready programs for at-risk young people or those in the criminal justice system. The organization will also collaborate with Project Offstreets on a program that brings employment services to homeless youth.

13. Hmong Resettlement and Scouting

Indianhead Council, Boy Scouts of America
St. Paul, Minn.

This program reaches out to families who recently arrived in the Twin Cities from the Hmong resettlement camps in Thailand. The program will provide welcome kits with school supplies, games and toys to more than 500 new families. In the long term, it will introduce and offer scouting to the growing number of Hmong young people in the east metro area.

14. West Broadway Gateway Project

Juxtaposition Arts, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minn.

This grassroots, collaborative project will bring together young people, North Minneapolis residents, artists, architects, the University of Minnesota and others to create an artistic and inviting public environment at the entryway of the West Broadway community. The goal is to help fuel the revival of West Broadway Avenue, the main commercial corridor for North Minneapolis. Working with the University of Minnesota’s Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization, the West Broadway Area Coalition as well as the Hawthorne Area Community Council, the Northside Residents Redevelopment Council, the university’s Design Institute and others, the project will result in the creation of sculptures, murals or other public art to be installed by the fall of 2006. The program will also feature a design workshop with 8-18 year-olds from the neighborhood who will begin mapping out a concept for the public artwork. Juxtaposition Arts is a minority directed urban visual arts center that focuses on children and young people.

15. Padres Program

La Oportunidad
St. Paul, Minn.

Padres provides a weekly parent education and support group to help Latino parents raise healthy families and successful children. The 10-week, bilingual program is held in conjunction with La Oportunidad’s El Camino Children’s Program at elementary schools across the Twin Cities including Webster Open School, Jefferson Elementary, Andersen Elementary and Richard Green Central Park School. The program helps provide better services to families and helps parents become more involved with their children’s education. Some of the topics covered in the parenting support groups include child development, parenting to your child’s learning style, setting goals and establishing realistic expectations for children, healthy family communications and positive discipline.

16. Homework and Hoops

Loring Nicollet-Bethlehem Community Centers, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minn.

An after-school program, Homework and Hoops centers on improving basic academic skills and fostering the healthy social development of 200 second-sixth graders from Minneapolis’ diverse Whittier and surrounding neighborhoods. The neighborhood’s population has changed over the years as more immigrant families from other countries moved in. The students are paired with volunteer tutors who help them with homework, in particular basic reading, writing, math and computer skills as well as other activities. The program operates four times each week. Two nights a week, bilingual adult volunteers are available for Latino or Somali students.

17. Academic Tutoring and After-School Enrichment Programs

Neighborhood Involvement Program (NIP)
Minneapolis, Minn.

These programs work with low-income children and youth (ages 8-18) in north and south Minneapolis who face challenges in academic achievement, home life, social skills, etc. The programs are designed to increase social skills, increase study habits and improve school performance by providing a safe, structured and academically enriching environment for children. The after-school programs include Study Friends, Study Buddies and Good Grades & Games, which provide a range of support including one-to-one homework assistance, group tutoring and study sessions as well as projects that develop social skills.

18. The Partition Project: Migration Stories

Pangea World Theater
Minneapolis, Minn.

Pangea will create a new work called, The Partition Project: Migration Stories, that tells the stories of families and individuals of Indian and Pakistani descent who migrated to the West, primarily the U.S. and England, in 1947 when the British divided India into India and Pakistan. The partitioning led to the death of a half-million people and the relocation of millions. The work will deal with the experiences of migration, colonization and diaspora. The Partition Project, which will be staged in June, 2005, is being created from interviews and other collected materials from people who lived through the partition or are the children or grandchildren of those affected by the experience. The piece will use a combination of movement, music and narrative to evoke the history of the partition and the effect it has had on the two generations who have followed. The performance will also feature discussions and intergenerational dialogue with the audience as well as with the South Asian community and others who have experienced exile from other parts of the world. The piece is written by Meena Natarajan and directed by Dipankar Mukherjee.

19. Service-to-Children Program

Page Education Foundation
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Service-to-Children program is a part of the Foundation’s Scholar program, which awards grants to students of color who attend post-secondary schools in Minnesota. The Page Scholars are required to give back to the community by spending a year tutoring and mentoring children of color from K-8th grade. The scholars serve as role-models for the younger children, helping them learn the value of academics, how to make positive life choices and reinforcing the importance of staying in school.

20. Broadway Teen Parent Chef Training Program

River of Life Lutheran Church
Minneapolis, Minn.

The General Mills grant will help River of Life Church expand its chef-training course for at-risk teen parents as well establish a new student-run catering business that will operate at the church. The program is a collaboration between River of Life, the Minneapolis Public School’s Broadway Teen Parent Program and HIRED. It provides job training skills and strengthens the academic ability of teen parents through hands-on instruction in the culinary arts and restaurant management. Students receive training in sanitation, food handling, menu planning. But the course also incorporates math, reading, writing and communication skills. As part of the course, students participate in community service projects such as the church’s Loaves and Fishes meal program as well as preparing and serving a monthly lunch for elderly church members.

21. A Healthy Start (A.H.S.)

St. Paul Urban League
St. Paul, Minn.

A Healthy Start is designed to educate more than 400 children of color (ages 10-17) in the St. Paul area about the benefits of good nutrition and regular exercise as well as expose young people to higher education opportunities. The project will be added to the Urban League’s current program for children and will be taught over a four-week period. In addition to lessons on health, nutrition and exercise, the students will go on a field trip to learn about the University of Minnesota’s nutrition program.

22. Chicas al Ritmo de la Salud (Girls to the Rhythm of Health)

West Side Community Health Services
St. Paul, Minn.

This program takes a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of life for overweight Latina teenagers(ages 14-17) by combining nutrition, exercise and stress management techniques such as meditation and journaling. In addition to nutrition and fitness, the program provides teens with bilingual services including social services support and comprehensive health care. The 12-week program features weekly group sessions, nutritional and fitness assessments as well as counseling and support. The goal is to help teens control their weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases later in life. The project will be used as a model for other programming that will target Hmong and Latino teens.

23. YMCA Black Achievers Program

YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minn.

Black Achievers provides programming that helps young African Americans, particularly from low-income families, develop a positive self-image, attain high education goals and expose students to diverse career options. The program currently serves 150 young people in grades 9-12 at five metro YMCAs. The General Mills grant will help support the program’s annual youth leadership retreat, which brings students from across Minneapolis together for a three-day retreat that further develops skills in leadership, team-building, communication and critical thinking. The grant will also support monthly meetings in which 50 teens meet to explore post-secondary and career opportunities. In addition, young people attend weekly, small-group meetings that focus on a range of topics including money management, Black history, career workshops and college planning.

24. Asian Youth Program

YWCA of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Asian Youth Program focuses on tutoring, help with homework and developing leadership skills. The other component of the program deals with preventing and reducing truancy and learning how to resolve conflicts. The program provides more than 200 Hmong and Lao young people with a safe environment to practice English, receive help with homework, increase their school attendance and learn anger management skills. The tutoring component of the program includes developing social skills, journal writing, group reading and Hmong cultural activities. In the truant segment of the program, students write a monthly contract for behavioral change that includes three goals and action steps. The program also includes team-building leadership development, conflict resolution, stress management and self-esteem and identity. The program is staffed by young Hmong adults who serve as role models.

25. Make a Stand Student Leadership Program

Youth Frontiers
Minneapolis, Minn.

Community service projects and leadership workshops are the backbone of the Make a Stand program, designed to bridge the gap between students of diverse backgrounds and experiences while giving young people the opportunity to redefine their concept of community. The program, a partnership between Youth Frontiers and the West Metro Education Program (WMEP), focuses on community service, cultural competency and mentorship. The program brings together students from Minneapolis and the western suburbs including Brooklyn Center and Wayzata who work on projects such as Habitat for Humanity or canoeing on the Mississippi River in Voyager canoes. The program began in 2002 with high school students, but the General Mills grant will this year help expand the program to middle-school students. The goal is to develop a new generation of leaders who are we versed in their differences and commonalities and are guided by ethics and character.

SPRING 2004 RECIPIENTS
(Listed alphabetically by nonprofit organization)

1. Mitakuye Oyasin

American Indian Neighborhood Development Corporation
Minneapolis, Minn.

Mitakuye Oyasin, which means “all my relations,” is a flourishing visual arts program that exhibits the work of established and emerging American Indian artists at Ancient Traders Gallery in Minneapolis’ diverse Phillips neighborhood. The American Indian Neighborhood Development Corporation seeks to strengthen relationships between contemporary American Indian artists and the living influence of preceding generations, between artists and audiences of all ethnic backgrounds, and between art and the vitality of the neighborhood. Upcoming exhibits include “Restless Native...Coming Home,” paintings by David Bradley; “Standing on Sacred Ground,” images by Joseph Allen and “A Photographic History of the American Indian Movement,” photos by Dick Bancroft.

2. Naturally Native Program

American Indian OIC
Minneapolis, Minn.

The program will provide cultural activities to OIC’s ethnically diverse staff and student body. Projects include two sewing programs in which female students make a shawl for dancing and for pow wows, while male students make a ribbon shirt. In addition, a lecture/demonstration series will be held in the fall with Herb Sam, a traditional American Indian spiritual healer and provider. Topics of discussion for the lecture series include sovereignty, American Indian songs and the drum, American Indians and their languages, Indian medicine and healing plants, American Indian food in Minnesota, etc.

3. The Banyan House

Banyan Foundation
Minneapolis, Minn.

4. TSEV ZOS HMOOB

(A Family Language and Cultural Enrichment Weekend for Hmong Refugees)
Concordia Language Villages, Concordia College
St. Paul, Minn.

This new project is designed to enhance the assimilation of new Hmong Americans into the St. Paul Community by offering a Hmong family weekend program. The weekend will include English language immersion activities for all participants from beginning to advanced levels. Hmong parents will learn about the American educational system and the expectations for their children as well as how to effectively support their children in school. Families will participate in activities such as food preparation and storytelling – integrating Hmong traditions and customs with American culture. The project is based on the successful model of the Moorhead-based Concordia Language Villages immersion weekends. The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation is a program co-sponsor.

5. Living Across Cultures

Confederation of the Somali Community in Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minn.

The new culturally sensitive program targets Somali girls from ages 9-13 and their mothers. Living Across Cultures will provide programming to help the girls and their mothers make the transition to American life. The girls will receive tools to help them grow and prosper in American society while the mothers will develop a support network of friendship circles to help break the cycle of depression and isolation that many women face. The girls and their mothers will meet in two separate groups, three hours each week for 10 months. One hour will consist of a shared community meal.

6. Family School

Foundation for Early Childhood Family Services
Apple Valley, Minn.

Family School is an intergenerational literacy program for new immigrants. The program offers literacy, parenting and job skills as well as assimilation training to strengthen family life and help families become self-sufficient by adjusting to life in America. The year-round program works with entire families, emphasizing the importance of the educational success and literacy skills of each family member. For example, when parents learn how to use the public library, their children create a book about their family, which they later read together during the parent/child interaction portion of the program. Activity packets are also sent home to help extend the lesson. The program serves a diverse group of families from Somalia, Sudan, Mexico, Laos, Korea, Cambodia, Ukraine, India and China.

7. Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) and Hmong Women’s Circle

Girl Scout Council of St. Croix Valley
St. Paul, Minn.

Beta Gamma Sigma targets 135 young African American women from grades 6-12 by helping them pursue positive life options through community service projects, career exploration activities and an annual Black college tour prepared by the girls. The program helps young women strengthen skills such as decision making, problem solving, assertiveness and communication. Community service and career exploration activities help girls develop post-high school plans and build strong self-esteem.

The Hmong Women’s Circle program educates Hmong girls about their history and the role of women in their culture as well as their own potential to serve as leaders in their community. The girls learn life skills such as personal development, violence prevention, recognizing abusive behavior and college preparation. They also participate in a community service project. They are currently working on a project to aid the new wave of Hmong refugees who will immigrate to Minnesota this summer. The program currently serves more than 80 girls.

8. NOMMO Lecture Series

The Givens Foundation for African American Literature
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Givens Foundation will present three accomplished African-American writers in the 2004 Nommo Lecture Series. In the tradition of Nommo, Swahili for “the power of the word,” three nationally prominent African-American authors with recently published books have been invited to engage the Twin Cities community in a dialogue on social issues related to black identity. Targeted to an audience of young people, the working title of this year?s theme is “Sexuality, Hip Hop and Intellectualism.” The first speaker in the series was University of California Professor Tricia Rose who recently spoke on the politics of black women’s sexuality in America. Other invited speakers include Colson Whitehead, author and MacArthur “genius award” recipient and Angela Davis, writer, professor and activist.

9. 2004 Days of the Dead Celebration

Guadalupe Alternative Programs
St. Paul, Minn.

Guadalupe Alternative Programs is collaborating with other organizations to provide a week-long Days of the Dead celebration that will build cultural identity and community interaction as well as raise public awareness of St. Paul’s West Side. As part of the celebration of this ancient Mexican tradition, community education classes and workshops will be held. Community Artist Debra Ramos will guide the process of creating ofrendas or alters with offerings to deceased family members and friends. Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc and the Riverview Economic Development Association are also coordinating the celebration.

10. The Other Family: How Gangs Impact Latino Families and Communities

Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment Through Research (HACER)
Minneapolis, Minn.

Addressing the growing concern about the recruitment of young boys and girls into gangs, this project will document how gang activity affects Latino families and communities. The project focuses on how to identify a gang, why children join gangs, how gang activities affect families and neighborhoods and what can be done to prevent kids from joining a gang. The Other Family project will be used as a tool for public awareness and action, and will disseminate information in English and Spanish to Latino parents. It will include a bilingual publication on the topic as well as numerous small-scale discussion groups held throughout the community.

11. Hmong Community and Family Wellness Initiative

Hmong American Partnership
St. Paul, Minn.

The goal of this project is to improve the mental and physical health of the Hmong community. The Hmong American Partnership will host the third annual “Walk and Talk 5K” Health Fair at Lake Phalen in St. Paul and will sponsor four fitness clubs that promote walking and other exercise. To reach a broader audience, the group will also use a local Hmong radio program to feature health and fitness speakers as well as to promote social health and emotional well-being. In addition, Talking Circle activities for women and young people will be held to help strengthen family support systems and reduce incidents of violence. To increase the availability of mental health services, the Hmong American Partnership will also serve as the clinical supervisor for family services. The organization will also hold community retreats and provide cross-cultural case consultations to area professionals serving Hmong clients.

12. Centro Guadalupano

Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Minneapolis, Minn.

Centro Guadalupano provides an array of social services to more than 600 Spanish-speaking immigrants in Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood. The program will retain a bilingual social worker to help address the immediate and long-term needs of Latino immigrants including housing, health care, education and employment. The program also provides outreach efforts such as food and clothing donations, support groups and workshops as well as agency referrals.

13. A New Play Inspired By Ping Chong’s “Undesirable Elements”

Illusion Theater
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Illusion Theater will develop and produce a new play on diversity issues based on “Undesirable Elements” by internationally known theater artist Ping Chong. Chong’s play, created at the Illusion in 1994, provides a vehicle for communities to examine what it means to be the “other” in society. The new work, which is currently untitled, will be tailored for the Twin Cities and will feature eight residents from different ethnic backgrounds including Hmong, Russian Jewish, Hispanic, Filipino, Somali, African American, Native American and European American. The play will debut during the winter/spring 2005 season. Partnering with other organizations, the Illusion will also develop and perform another version of the play for young people featuring eight children from immigrant communities in the Twin Cities. In addition to the performances, the Illusion will lead public discussions on diversity issues in the Twin Cities.

14. Summer/Fall 2004 Music Concert Series

Indian Music Society of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minn.

The Indian Music Society of Minnesota will sponsor three chamber concerts and one festival of Asian-Indian classical music featuring internationally known visiting artists and Twin Cities artists during the summer/fall 2004 season. The series will include both South Indian (Carnatic) and North Indian (Hinudstani) music styles. Performances will feature the percussion ensemble Rhythmscape at the Cedar Cultural Center, A Musical Odyssey in Rhythm Fantasies at the University of Minnesota and a North Indian (Hindustani) Vocal Concert with Harmonium and Tabla Accompaniment, also held at the University of Minnesota. In addition, local musicians will perform in August at the annual Aradhana Community Music Festival at the University of Minnesota’s Coffman Union.

15. Queen of the Remote Control

Mixed Blood Theatre
Minneapolis, Minn.

Mixed Blood will present “Queen of the Remote Control” by Los Angeles Playwright Sujata Bhatt during the winter 2005 season. The dramatic comedy addresses a variety of issues for Asian Indians, Indian American immigrants and the next generation of U.S.- born Indian Americans. The play uses a sitcom format to examine the schism between Hindu and Muslim Indians as well as Asian Indians and over-achieving, affluent and highly educated Indian Americans. Originally produced in Los Angeles, “Queen of the Remote Control” has been revised, with help from the Mixed Blood. Local actor, director and writer Aditi Kapil will direct the production.

16. Toward an African-American Aesthetic: Penumbra Summer Institute

Penumbra Theatre Company
St. Paul, Minn.

Penumbra provides a six-week summer arts program for high school students, offering participants the opportunity to explore the wealth of African American contributions to the theater. The eclectic curriculum includes African movement, creative writing, literature, history, acting and performance. Using the ensemble process, the students create art based on a knowledge and understanding of the American-American cultural perspective. Classes are held at the University of Minnesota and at Penumbra Theatre. The program culminates in a performance piece written and performed by students.

17. Chicago Avenue Project

Pillsbury House Theatre, Pillsbury United Communities
Minneapolis, Minn.

This youth-mentoring program pairs inner-city young people with professional playwrights, actors and directors who together create original theatre productions. The students learn theater, writing, communication and leadership skills through the program. In addition, the Chicago Avenue Project uses the arts as a tool to develop personal strengths, skills, initiative, esteem and confidence in young people. The program features classes in acting and playwriting as well as a writing retreat and two productions. The 2004 productions are “Breakfast of Champions” and “You Snooze-You Lose.”

18. Kwanzaa Rites of Passage

Pilot City Health Center
Minneapolis, Minn.

Kwanzaa Rites of Passage is a leadership development program that targets 12-18-year old girls of color in North Minneapolis. Using the principles of Kwanzaa, the program helps girls develop a positive self-image, focus on wellness and develop positive relationships with others. In programs offered during the summer or after-school, girls demonstrate leadership skills through communication assignments, community service, dramatizations and other artistic projects. They participate in small group discussions, keep journals, interact with community elders, and complete art projects and homework assignments.

19. Sethu (Bridge)

Ragamala Music and Dance Theater
Minneapolis, Minn.

Ragamala Music and Dance Theater will create and present “Sethu” (Bridge), a groundbreaking cross-cultural collaborative work that combines South Indian Bharatanatyam dance and Kecak, the powerful vocal tradition of Bali in this presentation of the Indian epic Ramayana. The free presentation of “Sethu” will be held Sept. 11-12, in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The performances will feature 10 Ragamala dancers, a South Indian (Carnatic) classical music ensemble, the 25-member Twin Cities Gamelan Ensemble and a 70-member Kecak chorus. In the traditional Bali performance, the chorus forms a horseshoe shape. Accompanied by a Gamelan orchestra, the chorus chants a series of powerful, rhythmic vocalizations while performing choreographed movements. While inside the horseshoe shape, dancers perform the Ramayana, which is a cultural epic common in Bali and India.

20. Academic Enrichment Project for Children of Recent Immigrants

Twin Cities Housing Development Corporation
St. Paul, Minn.

The Academic Enrichment Project is designed to help overcome educational barriers facing many of the children and families living in Liberty Plaza, an affordable housing development in St. Paul’s Summit-University Neighborhood. The development houses many African immigrants/refugees as well as Hmong and other Southeast Asians. The immigrant population of the property is expected to increase when a new wave of Hmong people arrive in the Twin Cities from refugee camps in Thailand. The short-term goal of the program is to improve science, math and reading skills for students in grades K-8 who live in the development. The project is a collaboration between Twin Cities Housing Development Corporation and Concordia University.

21. North Star: African American History in Minnesota

Twin Cities Public Television
St. Paul, Minn.

This multi-faceted educational project includes a two-part documentary series for public TV, classroom and community use. The project also features curriculum and educational outreach for teachers and students in grades 4-12, professional development workshops for teachers, new media and Website applications, and community partnerships. North Star will examine little-known aspects of African-American history in the state and will help the community put current issues of race and culture into context.

22. UCAM Youth Programs

United Cambodian Association of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minn.

The program will provide a wide variety of services for 350 low-income, high-risk Cambodian youths (ages 5-19) and their families in the Twin Cities metro area. Services include crime prevention and intervention, academic support, teen pregnancy services and, cultural and developmental activities. The goal of the program is to improve academic achievement, increase a sense of community and cultural pride, promote nonviolent behavior and involve Cambodian parents in their children’s academic and social lives.

23. Teen Construction Opportunity

Urban Homeworks, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minn.

This new program will provide teens from urban communities with carpentry and remodeling skills. The students will receive hands on experience as well as spend time in the classroom learning relevant math skills, safety and the proper use of tools and other job-specific skills. Each student will also be paid for their on-site work. Through training, the teens will learn not only a trade, but also responsibility and accountability skills. Teen Construction Opportunity targets African-American teenagers in the Hawthorne, Phillips and Powderhorn neighborhoods of Minneapolis.

24. Vietnamese Youth Education and Crime Prevention Program

Vietnamese Social Services of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minn.

Bilingual staff and volunteers provide after-school homework assistance, tutoring, life skills workshops (including career and employment options) and enrichment activities to Vietnamese young people aged 13-21, who are at risk of dropping out of school. In addition, parents receive home visits and support in parenting as well as help in familiarizing them with American schools. The goal of the program is to prepare Vietnamese young people for long-term success in school and beyond.

25. Ys Start Program

YMCA of Greater St. Paul
St. Paul, Minn.

The program targets at-risk, 12-15 year-old African American and Asian young people in East St. Paul. The after-school program uses a curriculum that focuses on education, community service and social development. Ys Start engages teens in the learning process by combining instruction with imaginative hands-on learning and the opportunity to be creative. The program provides the support and encouragement for teens to excel in school and become leaders in their community.