GENERAL MILLS 2006 COMMUNITIES OF COLOR GRANT RECIPIENTS |
1. Girls In Action™ACHIEVE! Minneapolis The ACHIEVE! Minneapolis “Girls in Action” program works with young women in high school on personal power, leadership skills, service-learning and career coaching to help decrease violence among ninth- through 12th-graders. The girls focus on these four development areas through hands-on and integrative programming with a trained consultant for the entire school year. Positive female role models and mentors from the community, career coaches and collaborations with community organizations help strengthen the program. Last year’s inaugural program at a local high school resulted in a dramatic 50 percent decrease in school violence, suspensions and destructive behavior among girls. 2. First Nations Composer InitiativeAmerican Composers Forum
As part of the First Nations Composer Initiative, Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaahaa’ Tate will compose a guitar concerto for the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis and for classical guitarist Jason Vieaux that will incorporate American Indian themes and highlight Tate’s work to mainstream classical audiences. The initiative will bring increased visibility to American Indian composers and musicians and build more diverse audiences for Twin Cities’ classical music performances. The project takes Tate and Civic Orchestra members to local schools, including a residency with students at Four Directions School in Minneapolis and Minneapolis South High School’s All Nations program. The performance of the concerto provides educational outreach to American Indian students, helping bring together American Indian and traditional classical audiences. It also provides instructions in classical music and composition to American Indian students. 3. Youth CenterAmerican Indian Family Center
The American Indian Family Center is a holistic center that promotes the health and well-being of families in the St. Paul American Indian community. The center’s youth programs include mentoring and support for young girls, summer youth sports camps and a culturally specific pregnancy prevention program. The programs seek to provide supportive environments that will lead to increased self-confidence and knowledge about healthy choices. 4. Multicultural Outreach ProgramAmerican Red Cross Twin Cities Area Chapter
The Multicultural Outreach Program of the American Red Cross Twin Cities Area Chapter aims to keep culturally diverse communities safe by offering tailored health and safety awareness and promotion programs. Culturally sensitive presentations provide education and training to the area’s growing multicultural populations. Presentations include education on fire safety, water safety, chemical and poison prevention as well as on first aid and CPR. 5. Bridge to the FutureAthletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES)
Through the Bridge to the Future program, ACES seeks to increase by 6 percent the percentage of volunteers of color in its program. ACES plans to recruit and train a larger number of diverse volunteers who will serve the growing number of inner-city students of color and help more accurately reflect ACES student population. The newly recruited volunteers will serve as mentors and role models for students. 6. Reaching More Communities of ColorBridging Inc.
Bridging Inc. provides free household furnishing to people and families in transition - more than 80 percent of whom are people of color. Bridging has expanded to a new facility in Roseville and will reach even more low-income families of color in the metro area. Four full-time staff and numerous volunteers help provide free furniture and household items to families in the new facility who are working or attending school to improve their lives. 7. Northside Child Development CenterCatholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis
The Northside Child Development Center serves over 100 children ranging from 6 weeks to 12-years-old on the near north side of Minneapolis, where many families struggle with generational poverty, violence, chemical dependency and other issues. The center is designed to help improve the overall development of children with a focus on school readiness, strengthening families and building a healthier community. 8. Youth Enrichment ProgramCenter for Africans New to America The Youth Enrichment Program called Promoting Academic Student Success (PASS) provides academic and other services through after-school programs and ongoing mentoring services to more than 200 students of color in St. Paul. Through intensive reading, math and writing activities in the classroom along with mentoring programs, this program provides a nurturing relationship that encourages youth to “dare to dream” beyond oppressive conditions in life. The Center for Africans New to America assists in the development of self-determination, self-sufficiency and independent living for people, regardless of their cultural background. 9. Youth Development ProgramCentro
Centro’s Youth Development Program provides immigrant Latino teens a mix of cultural, educational, health, leadership and family activities. Results show that the program has helped increase school attendance and performance, decrease criminal behavior, increase cultural connectedness as well as communications between parents and teens. Earlier this year, Centro expanded youth programming from one to three days a week at Edison High School in northeast Minneapolis, where 25 percent of the student body is Latino. 10. Cheerful Givers Birthday BagsCheerful Givers
Cheerful Givers helps parents living in shelters or relying on food shelves recognize their children’s birthday by providing them with toy-filled gift bags. Parents are able to personally deliver the prepared bags to their children. The program impacts the self-esteem of the parents, who can offer their child a gift, as well as the children. 11. After School and Summer Enrichment ProgramThe City, Inc.
The After School and Summer Enrichment Program provides a safe and nurturing environment where children can engage in fun learning activities after school or during the summer months. Offering an alternative to the street or staying home alone, the program provides children snacks and beverages, arts and crafts programs, alcohol and tobacco awareness, team sports and various field trips. 12. Parent and Children Together (PACT) ModelEast Side Learning Center The PACT Model is a tutoring program designed to help at-risk elementary school children on St. Paul’s east side, who are reading below grade-level. The program helps students reach their appropriate reading levels and empowers them to be successful in school. Parents are actively involved in the program and are trained how to help improve their child’s reading skills both through the program and at home. 13) Focus on the Future IntergenerationallyEast Side Neighborhood Services, Inc.
The East Side Neighborhood Services’ Somali Women in Minneapolis (SWIM) works with immigrant families struggling to honor their cultural roots as they build new lives within an urban American culture. SWIM will help women build their self-esteem while affirming their Somali heritage. The year-long initiative will offer a series of eight major events in an intergenerational program setting that focuses on examining and discussing self-esteem as it relates to culture. 14. Parent Enrichment CenterThe Family Place
The Family Place, in collaboration with community partners, is establishing and supporting a Parent Enrichment Center. The center, staffed by an early childhood education specialist, will house a computer lab and a resource library. Parents will be able to increase their parenting skills through workshops and consultations, use of the Internet and the resource library. 15. Next Phase Youth ServicesGenesis II for Families, Inc. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Genesis II for Families has expanded services by offering the Next Phase Youth Services programs. The programs feature several successful initiatives including a teen mother mentoring program, Bright Beginnings, and an independent living skills training program for teens with home placement issues. Genesis II also offers a new in-home parent education program that brings Next Phase Youth’s parent education programming directly into client homes. The program serves nearly 200 people from diverse backgrounds in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. 16. Hmong Girl Scout InitiativeGirl Scout Council of Greater Minnesota
The Hmong Girl Scout Initiative combines Girl Scout tradition with quality, culturally relevant programming that helps Hmong girls become confident and caring leaders. The Girl Scout Council of Greater Minneapolis uses programming created by Hmong National Development, the Hmong Women’s Circle and the Girl Scouts of the USA to teach girls about Hmong culture, what it means to be a Hmong woman and how to deal with relevant issues such as gang violence and teen pregnancy. The initiative serves Hmong girls in north and northeast Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park and Champlin, Minn. 17. Ready. Set. Action! A Partnership for Healthy YouthIllusion Theater and School, Inc.
Illusion Theater will partner with the University of Minnesota Department of Epidemiology to develop an innovative model program to reduce obesity and foster healthy fitness and nutrition habits among young adolescents. The program targets fifth-and sixth-graders at four East St. Paul elementary schools, all of which have large majorities of immigrant and minority youth as well as low-income students. Over the course of the current school year, Illusion artists and educators will help students produce a play, which will be presented to their peers. Students will also engage in activities designed to encourage healthy living techniques. The program will include 100 elementary students and their families. 18. Grandparent’s CircleIndian Family Services, Inc.
The member-run Grandparent’s Circle provides an array of support for the growing number of American Indian senior citizens who are raising their grandchildren. The group offers support, case management, advocacy and other resources to seniors and grandchildren in the program. The program addresses challenges such as poverty, health issues related to advanced age, minimal education and lack of transportation. 19. Speaking of Home: A Public ArtworkIntermedia Arts of Minnesota, Inc.
Speaking of Home celebrates Minneapolis’ flourishing diversity through a public artwork display in the downtown skyway bridge connecting the Minneapolis IDS Center and Macy’s. The project will illuminate the growing diversity of Minneapolis with 13’ x 10’ photographs of people who represent the more than 81 languages spoken in the city today. In the first public artwork project conceived with the Minneapolis skyways in mind, Speaking of Home promises to be an educational, public history and art project that celebrates communities of color while preserving Minnesota’s legacy of immigration and its impact on the state’s cultural landscape. 20. See Us Hear UsLittle Canada School
See Us, Hear Us brings together students from the Little Canada Elementary School and the American Indian Magnet School for a digitally photographed and narrated reflection of suburban and urban life. Loosely based on local and national student photography projects, students will document their own personal realities and perspectives. The final project will be displayed in photo essays and creative writing presentations for the school and community, with the goal of encouraging better understanding of racial and socioeconomic issues. 21. Little Earth Youth Development CenterLittle Earth Residents Association
The Little Earth Youth Development Center reaches up to 100 students daily by providing computers, Internet access, digital recording supplies and educational software to students living in the Little Earth community in Minneapolis. The center offers a safe alternative for American Indian youth and is supported by the Little Earth Residents Association. 22. Family FocusComunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES)
The Family Focus program is designed to prevent child abuse and neglect among Latino families in Hennepin County. The program offers individualized, home-based education, parenting support, case management and access to community resources. The program helps Latino parents improve their ability to support their children’s needs and provide them with healthy home environments. 23. Liberate Inner City NeighborhoodsMinneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS
The Liberate Inner City Neighborhoods program will continue its grassroots work with street patrols designed to help reduce crime and reclaim neighborhoods in low-income areas of north and south Minneapolis. MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder) is a national response to the growing problem of drugs, gangs, violence and apathy in communities. MAD DADS uses strategies that engage men in the intervention and prevention of community problems with the intention of reducing crime, providing positive role models, promoting male leadership, increasing neighborhood safety, and reducing negative behaviors in African-American males. MAD DADS serves more than 8,000 people of diverse backgrounds in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. 24. Mpower: Empowering Urban Girls Through MathematicsMetropolitan State University Foundation
Metropolitan State University Foundation supports a five-day math camp called Mpower that seeks to stimulate an interest in math among adolescent girls. Some 50 middle school girls representing diverse backgrounds will attend a week-long math camp designed to generate awareness of careers in which mathematics play a central role, and build confidence and interest in the subject. Activities include exploring the role of mathematics in daily life, music, careers and visual art. 25. Grandparent Support GroupMinneapolis Parent Information Centers, Inc.
The Grandparent Support Group is a 36-week pilot project that supports the growing number of African-American grandparents in Minneapolis who are the primary care givers of their grandchildren. The program seeks to build confidence among the participants and enhance their grandchildren’s chances of academic success. The program provides a culturally sensitive peer support group with access to information, advocacy, and encouragement that enhances their ability to understand their school-aged grandchildren and navigate the public school system. 26. Ape Winyan (Women’s Hour)Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center
The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center’s Ape Winyan (Women’s Hour) is an intergenerational American Indian project designed to use traditional teachings and interactive discussion to educate and inform young women. Based on an American Indian tradition among women, the project offers information to help young women make positive choices when faced with peer pressure to become involved with drugs, gangs and other negative influences. Ape Winyan seeks to provide women the skills to make positive life decisions with support from female mentors, family and friendships they establish in the group. 27. Healthy Lifestyles ProjectMinnesota Thunder Partnering for Leadership
& Urban Success The mission of the Minnesota Thunder Partnering for Leadership & Urban Success (MNTP) program is to build strong kids – and healthy communities – through the power of soccer. MNTP’s new Healthy Lifestyles project incorporates nutrition and fitness lessons into programming that promotes the physical and emotional benefits of healthy eating, changes misconceptions about making healthy food choices and helps youth with their decision-making skills. During each session of the program, young people participate in an exercise program and eat a healthy snack and beverage. 28. World premiere production of MESSY UTOPIAMixed Blood Theatre Company The Mixed Blood Theatre Company will present the spring premiere of “MESSY UPTOPIA.” The production, written by five biracial playwrights, explores the question perpetually asked of people of multiple races: “What are you?” The cast will feature biracial actors. The new work furthers Mixed Blood Theatre’s commitment to cultural pluralism and will expand on its current network of community members and organizations to bring out a significant number of new biracial and multiracial audience members. 29. Big River JourneyNational Park Foundation/Mississippi River Fund
The Big River Journey is a national, award-winning science-based program for students and teachers. Focusing on the Mississippi River, the program teaches interdisciplinary learning experiences in the classroom, in local communities and on the river. The program culminates in a riverboat excursion that features hands-on learning stations. The Big River Journey includes more than 4,000 teachers and students from the Minneapolis and St. Paul school districts, many of whom receive scholarships to participate in the program. The program targets under served groups and provides scholarships to support participation. 30. Reading Tutorial ProgramNetwork for the Development of Children of African
Descent The Network for the Development of Children of African Descent’s Reading Tutorial Program (NdCAD) uses scientific, research-based methods to help children improve reading skills, test scores and learn to love reading. NdCAD strengthens connections within the community and supports the academic achievement and social development of children. The Reading Tutorial Program teaches low-income children of African descent to understand, appreciate and use the power of reading, while providing teachers, parents and the community the opportunity to help children in the learning process. 31. Exploding LanguageObsidian Arts Inc.
Exploding Language is a public art exhibit in north Minneapolis inspired by the Black Arts Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The project seeks to contribute to the cultural wealth of the community, examine new ideas about African-American visual expression and create opportunities for artists to learn and grow. Organizers of the exhibit will train residents to be guides. They will also create a youth-oriented podcast, support community forums, host community art history workshops and host a community film screening. Twenty African-American visual artists will contribute to the exhibit by creating temporary public art installation projects. 32. NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Inc.Pilot City Health
NorthPoint’s National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health has partnered with women’s health and obesity experts from the University of Minnesota to develop and implement an obesity reduction program for girls and young women of color in north Minneapolis. The program will be culturally appropriate, will use evidence-based curricula and will emphasize self-motivation and lifestyle changes in a fun, active and empowering environment. NorthPoint is a community-based urban health and human service agency serving a diverse range of people, many of whom are low-income, uninsured or underinsured. 33. Northside Youth StandUp!PEACE Foundation
Northside Youth StandUp! is a new, youth-created and directed organization that empowers north Minneapolis young people to voice their concerns, identify ways to improve their community, influence public policy and develop their organizing and leadership abilities. Participants will teach these skills to other young people through peer education. The program is supported by the PEACE (Public Engagement And Community Empowerment) Foundation, an organization dedicated to significantly curbing endemic violence occurring in isolated, local neighborhoods. 34. Independent Living SkillsPerson to Person
Through Person to Person’s Independent Living Skills program, families learn about budgeting, household management, education and career planning, effective and nurturing parenting, resume writing and other life skills. The program helps families overcome barriers to maintaining stable housing by pairing them with trained advocates and volunteers who teach them important self-sufficiency skills. 35. The Women of North MinneapolisPillsbury United Communities
This cultural and artistic project provides the women of north Minneapolis an opportunity to tell their life stories and personal relationships to the north Minneapolis community. Photographer Earcie Allen and the Northside Writers Group will collaborate to display the stories of 50 women of color to the public and provide a perspective of the community not represented in traditional media. 36. Expansion of Services to North MinneapolisRestorative Justice Community Action, Inc.
Restorative Justice Community Action, Inc. operates an innovative, internationally known grass-roots restorative justice program that brings low-level offenders and community members together to resolve crime at the neighborhood level. Expanding the program to north Minneapolis, trained volunteers will facilitate face-to-face small group meetings in local neighborhoods. Community members and offenders discuss the impact of street crime on the community and work out plans to make amends, typically through service projects that operate on the principle of restorative justice – repairing the harm caused by a crime or conflict. 37. Family NightsReuben Lindh Family Services
Reuben Lindh holds six family nights a year to celebrate and honor different cultures. The Family Nights include cultural meals and entertainment that help to break isolation among families, build community, teach positive family interaction and provide a meal at the end of the month for families living in poverty. Reuben Lindh Family Services serves nearly 1,100 families in inner-city Minneapolis with nine programs that foster self-esteem, self-reliance and empowerment in children, parents and the family in the context of their culture. 38. Mississippi Neighborhood BridgesSt. Paul Public Schools
The Mississippi Neighborhood Bridges program connects third-grade students at the Mississippi Creative Arts Magnet School with the Children’s Theatre Company. Theater artists work with students, families and educators during a nine-month storytelling, literature and theater residency. The residency provides a unique learning approach to reach St. Paul’s diverse student population while helping students develop skills in reading, writing, comprehension, performing and community building. The program deepens the level of family involvement through creative drama that celebrates critical and cultural literacy. 39. World Cultures: On StageSaint Paul Public Schools – World Cultures Magnet
The World Cultures Magnet School highlights the strengths of its diverse cultural community and its culturally themed curriculum through a theater arts and music production called “World Cultures: On Stage.” Students at all grade levels engage in stage acting or choral singing to help them with learning, complex thinking skills and self-discipline. The World Cultures Magnet School’s vision is to “prepare children to be confident and productive global citizens.” 40. Dancing in the WingsSt. Peter Claver Catholic School St. Peter Claver Catholic School in St. Paul offers Dancing in the Wings, an engaging dance training program that includes ballet, modern, jazz and African dance. The program emphasizes disciplined lives, sound bodies and focused minds. Students keep journals to enhance their craft and concentrate on learning dance terminology as part of their training that allows them to use reading, writing and spelling skills. St. Peter Claver engages children of color and the community in an appreciation of unique art forms, instilling in children an interest in classical dance and offering a new outlet for expression and enjoyment. 41. Family and Youth ProgramThe Sanctuary Community Development Corporation
The Sanctuary Community Development Corporation helps address problems facing north Minneapolis families and youth, offering initiatives targeted at improving academic achievement and providing positive after-school activities for youth. The program also offers an employment and job readiness program as well as a health program that provides medical screenings and wellness information for area residents, many of whom are uninsured. 42. Somali Success Youth ProgramSomali Success School
The Somali Success School Youth Program is an after-school program that provides assistance to eighth-through12th-graders, helping students with homework, preparing them for the Minnesota Basic Standard Tests, helping them increase graduation rates and pursue higher education. The program helps high school students with violence prevention as well as overcoming academic, social and cultural barriers to success. 43. South Asian Youth ServicesSoutheast Asian Refugee Community Home (SEARCH)
Southeast Asian Youth Services is a comprehensive program that diverts Southeast Asian young people from the Hennepin County juvenile justice system. SEARCH works intensively with 100 economically disadvantaged Southeastern Asian youth and parents to repair strained relationships with parents, resolve problematic behaviors, address academic shortfalls and help young people with career development and employment opportunities. 44. Keep the Dream Alive!Southside Family School
The Keep the Dream Alive! civil rights program teaches students first-hand about the Civil Rights Movement through an innovative curriculum, including a 12-day trip through the southern United States. Students also present a Keep the Dream Alive! slide show presentation of their work to colleges and universities, corporations, faith groups, human rights organizations and others, reaching nearly 1,500 people annually. The program provides students with a life-changing experience that builds self-esteem for minority students by introducing them to strong African-American role models, honoring African-American history and achievement, and promoting interracial understanding and respect. 45. Circle Around the Island at the GuthrieTheater Mu, Inc.
In what will be the first local Asian-American theater production at the Guthrie Theater, Mu Performing Arts will perform an updated production of Marcus Quiniones’ “Circle Around the Island.” Through the communion of mystical companions, family guardians and Hawaiian music, movement and legends, “Circle Around the Island” takes the audience deep into Quiniones’ heart and island home of Hawaii. 46. Plymouth Avenue ProjectTree Trust
The goal of the Plymouth Avenue Project is to revitalize blighted areas of north Minneapolis by mobilizing residents to create accessible green spaces for children and families and to restore trees to the urban landscape. The Tree Trust and the Plymouth Avenue Green Team, a neighborhood group, will continue their environmental goals for turning Plymouth Avenue into a family-friendly, pedestrian corridor. Plans for this year include creating an outdoor learning area with trees and shrubs located at an area elementary school, developing tree-lined play areas for preschool children and planting 100 trees on residential, school and commercial lots to fill in gaps in the tree canopy. 47. TCR! Recruitment in African American CommunitiesTwin Cities RISE!
With the recent opening of Awali Place in north Minneapolis, Twin Cities RISE! has expanded its recruiting efforts to reach an increased number of African-American men. Awali Place (Swahili for beginning) provides preliminary job training services to younger male participants, especially African-Americans from 18 to 25 years old with criminal records. The program prepares men to enter another core training program that helps them achieve a higher rate of employment success. Twin Cities RISE! supports low-income adults by providing the skills necessary to achieve long-term self-sufficiency, economic empowerment and living-wage jobs. 48. Strengthening Cambodian Youth and FamiliesUnited Cambodian Association of Minnesota Strengthening Cambodian Youth and Families is the only program in the Twin Cities that addresses the academic needs of Cambodian children, youth and their families. The program focuses on improving academic achievement, increasing a sense of community and pride in their cultural heritage, promoting nonviolent behavior, and involving Cambodian parents in their children’s academic and social lives. Young people participate in a variety of activities including sports events, after-school tutoring, field trips, learning about Cambodian culture and programs that increase awareness about chemical dependency. 49. Support Services for Refugees and New ImmigrantsVietnamese Minnesotans Association Social Service
The Vietnamese Minnesotans Association provides support services for Vietnamese people from New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., who relocated to the Twin Cities following the Gulf Coast hurricanes. The program helps families navigate the local business and education communities, including English as a Second Language classes, resume preparation, job development, job searching and placement, and finding housing and schooling. 50. Girls Getting Ahead for Leadership Mentorship ProgramWomen’s Initiative for Self Empowerment
The Girls Getting Ahead for Leadership Mentorship Program uses mentoring to encourage immigrant girls to overcome career and educational barriers. The program helps low-income immigrant girls from Asian, African and Hispanic communities reach their academic and professional potential through professionally supported one-on-one mentoring relationships. The program provides girls with strong, reliable role models to nurture self-confidence, responsibility and potential in the girls who may be lacking positive reinforcement in their lives. |
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