Research Report 2013

Research Report: Local Educational Support for At-Risk Youth 2013

Next Steps

"Equal access to education is the civil rights issue of today and it's something that needs to be addressed across all borders. Education is the equalizer."- Rep. Bruce V. Morris, Connecticut

Local Educational Support for At-Risk Youth Experts

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N	Renee Anderson Director of Education and Training Minnesota Alliance With Youth See Bio As Director of Education and Training, Anderson oversees AmeriCorps Promise Fellow hiring, training, and member support. She also acts as a resource on curriculum development and helps the Promise Fellows plan civic engagement and service-learning activities at their school-community sites. Additionally, she leads the Alliance’s Global Youth Service Day celebration in April.

F	Stephanie Andrews Senior Manager, Educational Achievement Bush Foundation See Bio Stephanie joined the Bush Foundation in April 2010 and is now the senior manager for Educational Achievement. She came to this position after more than 16 years in Minnesota state government, much of it in the state’s budget office, where she focused on K-12 and higher education and statewide infrastructure, performance and technology issues. As deputy commissioner, she led several cross-agency initiatives, including the merger of three state agencies and divisions culminating in the development of Minnesota Management & Budget, and authorization of the long overdue replacement of the state’s antiquated financial system. These initiatives gave Stephanie an appreciation for both the promise and the pain of large-scale organizational change. That understanding comes in handy as she helps the partners on the educational initiatives realize their goals. Stephanie received her master’s in public policy, with a concentration in education policy, from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota. A stint at Abt Associates, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, taught Stephanie a great deal about using the program evaluation skills she’d acquired in graduate school and also drove home her inclination towards practical application of those skills. Her experience at a Washington, D.C., law firm wrangling approval for frozen pizza packaging was less formative but more fun to talk about.

F	Susan Ault Senior Director Casey Family Programs See Bio

N	Nicholas Banovetz Deputy Director MinnCAN See Bio Nicholas most recently served as a senior account executive in investor relations and corporate communications in the Minneapolis office of communications firm Padilla Speer Beardsley. There, he managed integrated campaigns for companies ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500s. Previously, Nicholas cofounded and served as director of the annual American Classic 5K – Race for Humanity in Washington, D.C., which raises money for Habitat for Humanity. He also conducted marketing for the American University Library while earning his master’s degree in public communication. There, he played a key role in developing the library’s nationally award-winning marketing campaign, which has since been published to aid other libraries with community engagement. Nicholas earned his Bachelor’s from American University in communications, legal institutions, economics and government. He interned with the office of Minnesota U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, The Center for Public Integrity, The Council for Excellence in Government and the New South Wales Chamber of Commerce in Australia. The Minnesota Jaycees named Nicholas one of “Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans” in 2011.

N	Beth Becker Grants Manager Urban Ventures See Bio

R	Kara Bixby Manager of Research & Evaluation Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation See Bio Kara manages the Foundation's evaluation and research efforts with the goal of improving the quality of tutoring in Saint Paul. She helps programs use data to more effectively serve their students. Kara has a Master of Public Policy from the Humphrey School and a Bachelor of Arts in International Political Economy and German from Fordham University. In addition, Kara completed a Fulbright research project on education policy in Hamburg, Germany, which inspired her passion for work in education.

N	Gina Blayney President & CEO Junior Achievement of The Upper Midwest, Inc See Bio Gina Blayney is the President and CEO of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. The organization’s goal is to empower students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world. Before entering the field of educational support for youth, Gina studied journalism at Iowa State University.

R	Dale Blyth Director, Youth Work Institute University of Minnesota See Bio Dale Blyth provides leadership for applied research in youth development at the intersection of Extension and the College of Education and Human Development. These efforts are focused on understanding whether and how the field makes measurable differences in the quality, availability, and impact of non-formal community learning opportunities. He also uses his diverse background in university, non-profit, and policy work to connect practitioners, researchers, funders, and policy makers to improve the generation and use of research in youth development. He is currently examining new pathways to improve the impact of youth programs through aligning different types of data and accountability. He has written about different perspectives and implications of extending learning time versus expanding learning approaches, the role of intermediary organizations in transforming community approaches to the quality, accessibility and impact of community learning opportunities and the role of larger policy frameworks and tools for effective, long-term changes in children and youth outcomes. From 1998 to 2011, Dale served as the associate dean for Youth Development and the director of the Extension Center for Youth Development where he helped create the Youth Work Institute that reached more than 4000 youth workers with exceptional non-credit educational experiences and a series of symposia and webinars that bridged research, practice, programs, policy, and public understanding. In 2004-2005 Dale served as chief of staff for the university president's Minnesota Commission on Out of School Time and its report "Journeys into Community: Transforming Youth Opportunities for Learning and Development". Working in collaboration with four legislative co-chairs, he helped found and support the bipartisan, bicameral Children and Youth Legislative Caucus. Dale served as the founding executive secretary for the Society for Research on Adolescence for 10 years. He is also a founding member of the national Next Generation Youth Work Coalition, which is dedicated to developing the workforce of youth workers. In his career he has helped start several journals in the field and served on multiple editorial boards including New Directions for Youth Development, Journal of Research on Adolescence, Journal of Youth development, Journal of early Adolescence, and Applied Developmental Science. His community work includes: * The Twin Cities Strive’s Goal and Measures Design Team * Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak's Youth Violence Prevention Executive Committee * St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's Sprockets Leadership Team * The Greater Twin Cities United Way Education Committee * A former member of the Board of Youthprise (a new regional intermediary in the Twin Cities) * The Hennepin County A GRAD Oversight Committee * The Twin Cities Strive Working Group He is a frequent public speaker and occasional consultant for initiatives designed to enhance young people’s community learning opportunities. In his career Dr. Blyth has co-written two books including a classic study of adolescent transitions, written more than 60 journal articles and book chapters, multiple research and evaluation reports, edited multiple special issues of journals, and delivered more than 100 presentations to scientific, professional, and popular audiences.

N	Jaimee Bohning Education Director Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) See Bio Jaimee Bohning has a master’s of education from the University of Minnesota. She works as an Education Director at Northside Achievement Zone, a non-profit that is building a culture of achievement so that Northside children graduate ready for college.

N	Constance Bowers-Capen Deputy Director YWCA St. Paul See Bio

N	Crystal Brakke Executive Director, Twin Cities Teach For America See Bio Crystal Brakke, a Minnesota native, began her career with Teach For America in 1999 as a corps member in Eastern North Carolina where she taught 8th grade language arts. View More » Her motivation to become a teacher stemmed from her experiences in public schools throughout the Twin Cities, as a student and volunteer, and she is thrilled to be working in her home town to ensure all children in the Twin Cities have the opportunities and education they deserve. As a teacher, her students earned the highest reading comprehension results of any class in the county. Determined to ensure students like hers continued to have excellent teachers, she has led recruitment and training programs across the organization. Most recently, she was a vice president of teacher preparation, support, and development, and was responsible for the summer training for more than 2,000 teachers per year. Crystal is a 1999 graduate of Colby College and received an Ed. M. in education policy and management in 2006 from Harvard University, where she was awarded one of two Leadership in Education awards.

F	Monica Bryand Senior Program Officer Headwaters Foundation for Justice See Bio Monica served five years on the Social Change Fund grants committee and was a member of the board for two years before joining the staff in 1999. She worked at the St. Paul Companies for 17 years, the last four as employee involvement manager in Community Affairs. She is a member of the board of directors of TakeAction Minnesota, serves on the city of St. Paul’s Capital Improvement Budget Committee and volunteers with the West Side Citizens Organization Environment Committee and OutFront Minnesota.

N	Jenny Collins Beacons Director YMCA Twin Cities See Bio

N	Pam Costain President and CEO AchieveMpls See Bio Pam assumed leadership of AchieveMpls in 2010 after four years as an elected member of the Minneapolis Board of Education. She served on the executive committee of the successful Strong Schools Strong City referendum campaign in 2008, and was the first state director for Parents United for Public Schools. For 14 years Pam was executive director of the Resource Center of the Americas, an international human rights organization. In 2003 she helped found Wellstone Action, an organization dedicated to promoting civic engagement, where she served as director of education and training. Pam has extensive experience in public education reform, school and community partnerships, parent engagement, and school finance. She has a B.A. from Carleton College and an M.A. in education from the University of Minnesota.

N	Tamara Downs Schwei Executive Director Community Design Center of Minnesota See Bio

N	Lara Dreier Program Director College Possible See Bio Lara grew up in Appleton, Wis., and graduated from the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in sociology-law, criminology and deviance. Prior to joining the College Possible team, she spent several years working as an organizer for a variety of non-profit organizations in Madison, Wis., leading an internship program, directing summer canvasses and helping run voter registration drives throughout Wisconsin. The issues she tackled as an organizer ranged from hunger and homelessness to environmental sustainability, but the issue she was most passionate about was access to higher education. Upon moving back to the Twin Cities, Lara joined College Possible, first as a Program Coordinator, supporting high school coaches at various high schools over three years, and then as the High School Program Manager, where she worked with the high school program team to maintain high quality programming and impressive results for College Possible students. In her current role of Program Director, Lara oversees all high school and college programming, as well as the Idealistic Mentors program.

O	Jane Eastwood Education Director City of Saint Paul See Bio Jane Eastwood works as an Education Director at City of Saint Paul. She has rich experience in policy initiatives for better access to education and community engagement. She holds a B.A. in psychology.

N	Nadine Fairbanks Young Women's Mentoring Program Coordinator - Little Earth YouthCARE See Bio Nadine works with the Little Earth Community located in South Minneapolis through the Young Women's Mentoring Program. She has worked with American Indian youth for 10 years in a variety of venues. She has worked at the Division of Indian Works for the Youth Leadership Development Program. In addition, she has spent the majority of her youth work career working at Ain Dah Yung Shelter for American Indian Youth. One of her dreams is to see the youth that she has worked with be successful in their lives as well as be an active member in their communities. Nadine is Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Ojibwe from the Red Lake Nation. She enjoys beading, going to pow-wows and being around her family and friends.

R	Adrienne Falcon Director of Academic Civic Engagement/Sociology Instructor Carleton College See Bio Adrienne, a Visiting Lecturer (University of Chicago, ABD), focuses on urban sociology, sociology of youth and community organizations, environmental sociology and ethnography of Latin America. She has conducted research on a diverse immigrant community in Chicago and on youth and education in Cuba and Ecuador. Her current work focuses on questions of power and social change through community organizing. She teaches courses in introductory sociology, urban sociology and ethnography of Latin America.

N	Al Fan Executive Director Charter School Partners See Bio After 16 years at General Mills working in brand management, consumer research, and sales, Al launched a new career focused on bringing his strategic planning and results-driven collaborative approach to the area of social philanthropy, with a special interest in working with high-performing charter schools in Minnesota. Al’s work included leadership positions with Social Venture Partners, a venture philanthropy organization; Cookie Cart, a North Minneapolis non-profit providing employment skills training for youth; Hiawatha Leadership Academy; and KIPP Minnesota. He received his B.A. and M.B.A. from UC Berkeley and is currently in the administrative licensure program at the University of Minnesota.

O	Sarah Goodspeed Legislative and Community Relation Manager Chicano Latino Affairs Council See Bio The newest addition to CLAC, Sarah arrives from a long background in community outreach and policy research. She is well prepared to extend information and resources throughout the state, and to bring community voices back to the lawmakers in order to promote effective policies that support Minnesota's latino community. WIth a passion for civic engagement developed over many years working with the Minnesota Secretary of State, she is aware of the capacity for state agencies to facilitate positive change, and is committed to connecting with latinos to increase participation in the democratic process. Through advocacy for nonprofits throughout the state and earlier congressional work, Sarah has gained strong experience in lobbying and collaborating with lawmakers and other leaders to create and support sound legislation. A native of Richfield, Minnesota, Sarah grew up to value her rapidly changing community. She has studied at Scripps College in southern California, and at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, where she researched sustainable systems, STEM education, and agriculture and rural communities. Sarah lived for two years in Ecuador as a Peace Corps Volunteer developing agricultural markets, an experience that continues to drive her support of immigrant communities. Outside of CLAC, she works for environmental justice and education through a number of organizations, and retreats to a multicultural household in central Minneapolis. She is very proud to conduct her work with the Chicano Latino Affairs Council to support the latino community and address its needs through state government.

N	Julie Green Program Director of the Ginew/Golden Eagle Youth Program Minneapolis American Indian Center(MAIC) See Bio

F	Aretha Green-Rupert Program Officer Otto Bremer Foundation See Bio Aretha Green-Rupert works as a Program Officer for the Otto Bremer Foundation. Prior to this position, she was a Chief Development Officer with Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys. She graduated from Mississippi State University.

N	Tim Gusk Director of Youth Development Northwest Youth & Family Services See Bio

N	Betty Halvorson Youth Program Coordinator Inter County Community Council See Bio

F	MayKao Hang President and CEO Amherst H. Wilder Foundation See Bio MayKao Y. Hang is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, named to the position in 2010. She provides leadership, oversight, and management of the foundation's overall work in direct services, research and community building.

N	Brooke Hanson College Program Manager College Possible See Bio As the College Program Manager, Brooke oversees and supports the implementation of the College Program at each of the sites. From writing curriculum to collecting and analyzing data, she makes sure that College Possible is doing everything it can to support its students as they earn their college degrees! Brooke’s passion for equity in education and social justice are what drew her to College Possible in 2004 when she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA, working with College Possible's then 360 college students. A brief stint organic farming in Ireland, and she was back to another year of AmeriCorps VISTA, this time with Minnesota Campus Compact, where she worked with their college access and success initiative. She came back to College Possible in 2007 as a Program Coordinator in the Twin Cities site. Brooke was named Catalytic Leader of the Year in 2011 by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for her work in creating and expanding the College Program that she now spearheads from the National office. Brooke holds a Bachelor's degree in both sociocultural studies and Spanish from Bethel University. She is an avid St. Paul supporter but enjoys all that Twin Cities has to offer – from great restaurants to the bike trails – and enjoys spending time with friends and family. When Brooke isn’t at work she’s probably out for a run—having now completed three marathons and no plans on stopping

N	Andrea Hanson Vice President Educational Programs BestPrep See Bio

F	Trista Harris Executive Director Headwaters Foundation for Justice See Bio Trista Harris is the Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice. Headwaters is a community foundation with a mission to act as a catalyst for social, racial, economic and environmental justice. She oversees the Foundation’s grantmaking, communications, fund development and investment management activities. As spokesperson, she is responsible for developing collaborative relationships with all sectors and segments of the community, as well as with other organizations nationwide. Trista came to the Headwaters Foundation from The Saint Paul Foundation, where she was a program officer and provided leadership on the Foundation’s initiatives related to civic engagement and philanthropy, as well as managed both scholarship funds and a grantmaking portfolio that reflected the Foundation’s interest in comprehensive solutions to community issues. Prior to her work at the Saint Paul Foundation, Trista was the Advancement Director for Portico Healthnet, an innovative nonprofit that provides health coverage and education to uninsured Minnesotans. A native Minnesotan, Trista received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Howard University and her Master’s in Public Policy degree, with a focus on philanthropy and nonprofit effectiveness, from the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota. Trista is nationally known as a passionate advocate for new leaders in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She is a leading voice for Generations X and Y and seeks to create professional development opportunities throughout the sector. She writes about generational change in the foundation field in her blog, New Voices Of Philanthropy and is an international speaker on working across generations to create social change.

R	Mark Haugen Extension Educator, Youth Development University of Minnesota See Bio Mark Haugen works as an Extension educator for regional 4-H programs and is based at the St. Cloud Regional Office. Mark believes that authentic community engagement is the most effective way to identify and address community priorities. He leads county staff through processes of goal setting, visioning and strategic planning with local stakeholders to shape specific goals and strategies from their dreams. In the past decade, Mark has led county and regional youth development programs, state-wide events such as the National Science Experiment, created science-based 4-H clubs and led various other local events and programs.

F	Sandy Heidemann Classroom coordinator, Numbers Work! Saint Paul Foundation See Bio Sandy is concerned about the disparities that plague Minnesota’s education system. So, she uses her experience to help teachers tackle the state’s achievement gap. As the classroom coordinator of the Numbers Work! early math initiative, she provides preschool teachers with educational strategies and encouragement. Designed for preschoolers at high risk for academic failure, the Numbers Work! initiative prepares these students for success in math and life. Sandy joined Minnesota Philanthropy Partners in 2002. She brought many years of experience with families and early childhood education. She has worked as a trainer, director, author, teacher and consultant. She holds a master’s in early education special education from Wheelock College. She is also a licensed early childhood special education teacher.

O	Trenton Henspeter Youth Job Corps Director City of Saint Paul See Bio

F	Amy Hertel Director of Impact Strategy Minneapolis Foundation See Bio Amy Hertel is a graduate of Stanford University Law School. She has been the Director of Impact Strategy at The Minneapolis Foundation since 2011. The Minneapolis Foundation helps to make a difference in the community. The Foundation partners with thousands of individuals, families, and businesses who each make a lasting difference in their own unique way.

N	Heather Huseby Executive Director YouthLink See Bio Heather has served as YouthLink’s executive director since October 2004. Heather came to YouthLink after more than 30 years of leadership in nonprofit management. This includes serving as executive director of Institutional Advancement, as well as executive director of the Normandale Community College Foundation; executive director of the Metro Alliance Council of Presidents (Two Year Colleges) together with private consultation in strategic partnership development between public-private entities. Her experience in strategic planning and organizational alignment has helped YouthLink strengthen its effectiveness internally and externally. Heather has a proven experience and expertise in building community relationships designed to strengthen organizational accountability and capacity. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Hennepin Youth Advisory Group, and also co-leads one of the Heading Home Hennepin youth benchmark subgroups. She has previously served on various civic groups, including serving as an officer and board member of Rotary and Phi Delta Kappa.

N	Katie Johnson Community Outreach Editor ThreeSixty Journalism, University of St. Thomas See Bio Katie Johnson has been coordinating literacy programs and teaching youth in the Twin Cities for the past ten years. She most recently comes to ThreeSixty from the Minnesota Literacy Council where she built strong partnerships among adolescent literacy projects across the state through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Katie is thrilled to get back into the classroom where she can help students grow their stories into works of art. As a 2003 graduate of Environmental Studies and Social Justice at Hamline University, Katie spent many years in creative teaching adventures with teenagers. Her work included leading gardening programs at the Community Design Center, teaching creative writing and public speaking at LearningWorks at Blake (now Breakthrough), and coordinating after-school programs at Project for Pride in Living. She then moved into more administrative positions, creating tools and resources to better equip Minnesota nonprofits to develop stronger reading and writing programs for kids. Outside of her work as Community Outreach Editor, Katie will be teaching yoga, baking cinnamon rolls for a local B&B;, and practicing her swing dancing moves. If you come to the office on the right day, she just might have a chewy dark chocolate ginger cookie for you to sample.

N	Sundraya Kase Director of Community Initiative Minnesota's Private Colleges See Bio Sunny works to help member institutions increase participation and success of students of color, as well as to improve links with ethnic business leaders and groups. She spent three years as a development officer for the Minnesota Private College Fund and she has also worked for the Minnesota Council of Foundations as coordinator of the Education Access Funders Network and as director of development at Minnesota Minority Education Partnership.

N	Suzanne Koepplinger Executive Director Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center See Bio Suzanne Koepplinger, M.A., is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center. She has a background in international project development, domestic violence advocacy, and fundraising. Suzanne serves on Boards for the American Indian Community Development Corporation Board, ArtSpace, and the Minneapolis Foundation. Civic activities include serving on the Steering Committee of the Sheila Wellstone Institute and the FBI Civil Rights Advisory Group. Suzanne is of European and Canadian Mohawk ancestry and holds a Master’s degree in the Art of Leadership from Augsburg College. She is the recipient of several awards, including the Minneapolis FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, and the 2008 Sheila Wellstone Gold Watch Award, and is an experienced public speaker and trainer.

R	Jane Kretzmann Senior Fellow University of Minnesota See Bio Jane Kretzmann is a senior fellow in the College of Education and Development (CEHD) and is the director of the Project for Babies at the Center for Early Education and Development (CEED). The project aims to raise the importance of infants and toddlers in state policy in Minnesota, and to integrate current knowledge about child development into programs, practice, and systems change. The Project for Babies was a special initiative of the Minnesota Community Foundation, supported by a grant from the Bush Foundation. The Project moved to the University of Minnesota CEHD in 2011.

O	Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn Principal LaCroix-Dalluhn Consulting See Bio Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn is the Principal of LaCroix Dalluhn Consulting. She holds an M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota.

F	Kathy Lentz Education Liaison Greater Twin Cities United Way See Bio Today, Kathy Lentz is the Education Liaison of the Greater Twin Cities United Way. Before she represented the organization as the Director in the Education Impact Area for fourteen years. Kathy holds a master of arts in organizational leadership from College of St. Catherine.

N	Craig Luedemann Executive Director YouthCARE See Bio Craig was a co-founder of the organization in 1974 and has been the Executive Director since 1975. He also served as the Camp Sunrise Director from 1976-1995. Craig has longtime interests in the nonprofit sector, racial justice, inter-cultural relations, youth development, youth employment and serving the needs and aspirations of urban youth. Craig has served on a wide variety of nonprofit boards including the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (Board Chair from 2008-10), Community Shares Minnesota (current), Second Harvest Food Bank (former Board Chair) and the American Camping Association.

N	JP Mason Hawthorne Program Director Youth Farm & Market Project See Bio JP began working with YFMP in August 2011 after serving as an AmeriCorps Vista at Nellie Stone Johnson Community School and initiated an expansive farm collaboration between YFMP, Beacons Minneapolis and Nellie Stone Johnson. Prior to his work at YFMP, JP served as an AmeriCorps member at NSJ for 2 years, where he developed a student-led, school-wide recycling and composting program, coordinated the planting of 38 trees and shrubs with the Minnesota Tree Trust, and facilitated the planting of 3 native prairie gardens with Metro Blooms. Before working in North Minneapolis, he was involved in a variety of social justice/leadership activities and spent time working in the Dominican Republic tutoring youth. Outside of YFMP, JP is an artisan bread baker and avid cook. Originally from North Carolina, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech University with both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Sociology.

F	Denise Mayotte Executive Director Sheltering Arms Foundation See Bio Denise Mayotte, a resident of Minneapolis, is the Executive Director of Sheltering Arms Foundation, and a past program officer for the arts at McKnight Foundation. She has served as a consultant in the arts and the general manager of KFAI, Fresh Air Radio. She is also the past executive director of the Neighborhood Resource Center in St. Paul and the cultural program organizer at Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc. Mayotte co-hosted a weekly arts interview program on KFAI radio, and was a committee member of the ArtStop youth arts program in the Powderhorn neighborhood of Minneapolis. She is currently serving as an advisor to the development committee. Denise has served on the board of directors since 2005. Denise is pictured below with her daughter Anna Salerno.

N	Lynda McDonnell Executive Director ThreeSixty Journalism, University of St. Thomas See Bio Lynda McDonnell has been a journalist in Minnesota for more than 30 years, covering everything from politics to poverty, labor unions to honey queens. She spent 20 years as a reporter and editor for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, most recently as the political editor. Before that, she was a reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune. She has been a Nieman fellow at Harvard and a Bush leadership fellow at the University of Minnesota, where she earned an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a Master’s degree in English, with an emphasis in creative writing. McDonnell has been the executive director of ThreeSixty at the University of St. Thomas since 2002. McDonnell and her journalist husband live in Minneapolis and have two wonderful adult sons, two terrific daughters-in-law and a beautiful grandson. She is an essayist and short story writer who loves hiking the Ice Age Trail in western Wisconsin. She claims her messy desk is a sign of rampant creativity.

F	Beth Menninga Project Coordinator, Numbers Work! Saint Paul Foundation See Bio Beth’s work is narrowing the achievement gap that plagues Minnesota schools. As the Numbers Work! project coordinator, Beth collaborates with early childhood teachers to create enriched mathematics instruction and learning environments. Targeted to preschoolers at high risk for academic failure, the Numbers Work! program prepares these students for future success. Beth joined Minnesota Philanthropy Partners in 1999. She brought a wealth of prior experience in the field of early education, having worked as a teacher, program director and consultant. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Michigan. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education at Hamline University.

O	Shannan Menya Youth Council Chair Dakota-Scott Youth Council See Bio

N	Paul Meunier Director of Services Youth Intervention Programs Association (YIPA) See Bio Paul Meunier is the Youth Intervention Programs Association's Director of Services. Paul served on YIPA's Board of Directors for 8 years prior to joining YIPA staff two years ago. Paul, a former mayor has been responsible for developing the association’s technology capacity to help meet YIPA’s legislative goals and has devised simple strategies that enable everyone to be an advocate for Minnesota youth.

F	Caryn Mohr Research Scientist Amherst H. Wilder Foundation See Bio Caryn specializes in education research, studying a variety of programs and initiatives that address achievement and opportunity gaps from PreK to postsecondary. Specific research interests include STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, charter schools, and exploring connections between primary research and social indicators. Caryn enjoys working closely with stakeholders to develop and conduct studies specific to their needs and objectives. Examples of Caryn’s projects include studies of education programs involving quasi-experimental designs, a long-term follow-up study of participants in an elementary STEM program, case studies of charter schools, evaluation planning for a postsecondary institution, and an evaluation of a federal grant initiative operated in partnership by a school district and several community organizations. Caryn is skilled at presenting results in a variety of formats depending on audience needs. She has authored a number of research reports, produced a variety of results summaries, and presented results to local and national audiences. She has also collaborated on projects with Wilder Research’s Minnesota Compass staff and contributed to the American Evaluation Association blog. Caryn holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. Prior to her work at Wilder Research, Caryn held research positions in the public and private sectors.

N	Matt Morrow Youth Specialist - Education Life House See Bio Matt Morrow, Youth Specialist - Education. Born and raised in Duluth, Matt graduated from the University of MN-Morris in 1999 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and in Social Sciences. After interning at the White House Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington D.C., and teaching Conversational English in the Czech Republic, he enrolled in the University’s Secondary Education Program and received his licensure in Secondary Social Studies. Since then, Matt has been teaching in a diverse assortment of locations and schools around the world and working with students from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds; India, rural Minnesota, Bahrain, Nigeria, Albania, Lesotho, and Myanmar. He has also served eight years in the MN Army National Guard and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife Rubinah, who is also an educator.

O	Robert Morse Board Treasurer Northeast Residence See Bio

F	Ann Mulholland Vice President of Grants and Program Minnesota Philanthropy Partners See Bio A longtime advocate for the city of Saint Paul, Ann now serves as vice president of grants and programs for Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. In this role, she works to ensure that MN Partners’ financial resources support nonprofit organizations and community groups that address the state’s most crucial needs. Ann joined MN Partners in 2010. Prior to this, she spent five years falling in love with Saint Paul while serving as the city’s deputy mayor. Additionally, Ann volunteers on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, MinnCAN, The Nature Conservancy and the Minnesota Wild Foundation. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in telecommunications and political science. When Ann is not working toward a better community, she is likely kayaking or relaxing at her cabin in Britt, Minnesota. She lives in the Selby-Dale neighborhood with her husband and four daughters.

O	Bruce Nerland Board President YouthLink See Bio Bruce Nerland is the Senior Vice President & Family Wealth Director at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He also serves as a Chairman on the Board of Directors at YouthLink, a non-profit organization empowering youth to shape their futures by providing a safe, supportive, respectful and responsive community of excellence.

N	Julia O'Brien Director of Development The Link See Bio Julia is responsible for the fundraising, marketing and communications for The Link. She has more than 15 years of experience working in development. Her expertise is in foundations/corporations and major gifts. Julia’s prior experience includes working at AchieveMpls, Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Julia earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her M.B.A. from the University of St. Thomas.

O	Jean O'Connell Board Chair St. Paul Public Schools See Bio Jean O'Connell serves as a Chair of the School Board at Saint Paul Public Schools. She has much experience in leadership and strategic planning.

F	Colleen O'Keefe Executive Director Sauer Children's Renew Foundation See Bio

N	Janae Olinger Program Manager, Minnesota Business Venture BestPrep See Bio Janae Olinger is a Program Manager at BestPrep that prepares Minnesota students with business, career and financial literacy skills through experiential learning programs. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.

N	Barb Olson Executive Director Southside Family Nurturing Center See Bio

N	Sam Olson Youth Development Director Banyan Community See Bio Sam Olson, Youth Development Director (1FTE) has extensive experience designing and implementing youth development programs, serving as a Curriculum Writer for the Bonner Foundation and as a Senior Wilderness Instructor, Trainer and consultant for the Coldwater Foundation for Leadership and Community Development. He also worked in Kampala, Uganda with Compassion International serving youth and young adults. He has a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, with a strong research focus on urban youth and wilderness education, and a B.A. from Wheaton College.

O	Catherine Penkert Youth Development & Evaluation Specialist City of Saint Paul See Bio Catherine Penkert has been working as a Youth Development and Evaluation Specialist at City of Saint Paul for the past five years. She holds an M.P.P. and M.S.W. from the University of Minnesota.

N	Sheila Piippo Executive Director ServeMinnesota Action Network See Bio During her appointment as a School-based Initiatives Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin, Sheila Piippo graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Education. Since 2010 she has been working as the Executive Director at ServeMinnesota Action Network.

O	Roberto Reyes Homeless Education Act & Neglected & Delinquent Area Coordinator Minnesota Department of Education See Bio Roberto Reyes has expertise in youth services and child protection. He currently works as a Homeless Education Act & Neglected & Delinquent Area Coordinator at Minnesota Department of Education.

N	Heather Reynolds Childcare Director Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center See Bio

N	Beth Ringer Frogtown Program Director Youth Farm & Market Project See Bio Beth began working with YFMP in 2010 by doing a year of service through the St. Joseph’s Worker Program, and was hired as the Frogtown Program Director in 2011. She is a skilled Youth Worker with a passion for community centered youth work. Beth currently serves on the Board of Directors of Community Shares of Minnesota. Prior to her work at YFMP, Beth worked in a variety of Youth Programs, as well as the “Campus Kitchens Project” at Augsburg College. Originally from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, she is a honors graduate of Augsburg College with a Bachelors’ Degree in Music.

N	Scott Robinson Program Coordinator Bolder Options See Bio

N	Jessica Rogers Executive Director Connections to Independence See Bio Jessica brings a unique combination of corporate, non profit and independent consulting experience to Connections to Independence. She has positively impacted youth and families in Minneapolis through various community programs she has led over the last 15 years. Jessica is truly passionate about the mission and work of Connections to Independence because she is a product of foster care herself. Jessica is committed to creating a unique culture and environment for C2i youth and staff to feel like this is more than a place to come to work and participate in programming. It’s a safe place where all staff and youth are valued and considered part of a family.

F	Rudy Rousseau Director, Kofi Services Amherst H. Wilder Foundation See Bio

N	Carrie Scheffler Director RESOURCE See Bio

N	Daniel Sellers Executive Director MinnCAN See Bio Daniel has lived in Minnesota almost his entire life. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in sociology and anthropology, Daniel joined Teach For America as a sixth-grade math teacher at Warren County Middle School in North Carolina. While there, he raised his students’ state test scores to the point of closing the achievement gap between them and their wealthier peers, an accomplishment that landed him a spot as a finalist for Teach For America’s 2008 Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. During his second year in the classroom, Daniel was given the “crazy” (his words) opportunity to interview with Teach For America’s Founder and CEO Wendy Kopp to be the Founding Executive Director of Teach For America – Twin Cities. After establishing the foundation for the region in 2008, the first cohort of 40 teachers began in Twin Cities classrooms in 2009, and the organization grew to 100 teachers by 2011. During his tenure with TFA, Daniel led a broad, bipartisan coalition of community stakeholders to push for alternative teacher certification legislation at the state capitol. After three years, one crushing defeat, and countless late nights at the capital, the bill passed in 2011 and Daniel came to MinnCAN partly because that victory—and the fight leading up to it—convinced him of the power of advocacy in ensuring all kids get the education they deserve.

O	Mark Severson Board Member YouthLink See Bio Mark Severson serves on the Board of Directors at YouthLink, a non-profit organization empowering youth to shape their futures by providing a safe, supportive, respectful and responsive community of excellence. Since 1988, Mark has been acquiring extensive expertise in the financial sector at Wells Fargo where he currently holds a Senior Financial Advisor position.

F	Damon Shoholm Senior Community Leadership Manager Amherst H. Wilder Foundation See Bio Damon Shoholm serves on the Board of Minnesota Alliance With Youth. He is also a Community Leadership Manager at Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. His field of expertise encompasses youth development, community engagement, and program development.

R	Erik Skold Learning in Cities Manager Augsburg College See Bio Erik Skold has had several different roles since joining the center, including coordinator of the youth circle at the Jane Addams School for Democracy. His current work is focused on collaborating with several organizational partners to build infrastructure to support community based learning throughout the city of Saint Paul.

N	Joellen Spacek Executive Director Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota See Bio Joellen Gonder-Spacek is the founding executive director of the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota (MPM). Since 1994, she has led the strategic direction of one of the original mentoring partnerships in the United States. Gonder-Spacek has provided leadership to the mentoring movement and brought together a multitude of community leaders around the issue of more mentoring for children, youth, and families in Minnesota. Recognized as national leaders, Gonder-Spacek and her staff, board of directors, and volunteers have recruited 44,000 thousand mentors, generated over $4 million dollars, provided training to over 5,000 mentors and 300 mentor organizations, assembled mentor networks for 400 mentor programs, and developed an award-winning multi-media public education to action campaign. Gonder-Spacek has twenty years of experience in resource development, community mobilization, partnership development, strategic planning, marketing communications, and social entrepreneurism. Gonder-Spacek has a degree in organizational communications from Creighton University and has completed master’s level work in business communication at the University of St. Thomas. In 2009 she was chosen to receive a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship, which gave her the opportunity to earn a master's degree at the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute in Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership. She currently mentors as a basketball coach.

R	Kelli Steggall Director of TRIO/SSS Bemidji State University See Bio

N	Amy Stolpestad Executive Director Breakthrough Saint Paul See Bio Amy Stolpestad, Executive Director, attended her first Visitor’s Day during the summer of 2010 and was amazed by the phenomenal students, dedicated aspiring teachers and the incredibly effective model of students teaching students. She joined Breakthrough as an advisory board member shortly after that memorable Visitor’s Day and has been an enthusiastic supporter ever since. Amy’s passion for educational equity developed as an undergraduate and has been a sustaining element regardless of professional roles. Amy has a Master’s degree in education and over 14 years of experience teaching in both K-12 and teacher preparation – including two years in Baton Rouge, LA with Teach For America. Amy also brings years of work in fundraising to Breakthrough. In her free time, Amy enjoys watching her husband and two sons play soccer, taking the family dog (Roper) for walks, and reading the Sunday paper with a cup of coffee.

N	Charity Tatah Mentan Founder and Executive Director Africa Network for Development, Inc See Bio

O	William Tully VISTA Program Manager City of Saint Paul See Bio Hello -- my name is Willy Tully and I am the Program Manager for the Saint Paul VISTA Program, serving on Mayor Coleman's Education Team. In this capacity, I am responsible for overseeing program operations and the work of our VISTA members on the ground, and aligning the work of members across sites and with the Mayor's education initiatives. I came to the Mayor's Office after four years with Big Brothers Big Sisters, where I developed the college access and teen engagement program as Director of Education and Enrichment. Prior to that, I was fortunate to do two years of AmeriCorps service with the non-profit Admission Possible. I live in and love Saint Paul and feel privileged to work on behalf of the City's residents. Outside of work, you'll find me at the Saint Paul Farmers' Market, in the myriad wonderful restaurants located across the city, or in my kitchen cooking up a storm.

N	Brittany VanHove Associate Director and Volunteer Coordinator Rock Star Supply Co See Bio Brittany VanHove works at Rock Star Supply Co. as an Associate Director. The organization’s mission is to create a community of volunteers who are committed to engaging at-risk high school students in improving their educational experience. Brittany holds a B.S. degree from the University of South Dakota.

N	Kathryn Veryser Pratt Community School Program Manager K-5 East Side Neighborhood Services See Bio Ms. Veryser was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit, MI. Kathryn attended Valparaiso University in Indiana where she studied philosophy and theology and earned a B.A. in 2006. Immediately following her Bachelor’s degree, she taught for two years in under resourced Catholic schools in northwest Indiana and worked on her Master’s in Education. On completion of her MEd, Kathryn returned to Michigan where she substitute taught and tutored with Mercy Education Project, a non-profit serving girls in southwest Detroit. In 2010 she moved to Minneapolis and joined the ESNS team! She began working with us as a Literacy Coordinator with the Luxton Learners, the following year as our licensed teacher and is currently our Program Manager at Pratt Community School. Kathryn’s areas of expertise include literacy instruction, teaching best practices, writing and program management.

N	Wokie Weah President Youthprise See Bio Wokie Weah provides executive leadership and vision, works in partnership with the board of directors and brokers relationships for the betterment of the field. She comes to Youthprise with comprehensive experience in education and youth development. Wokie worked for 18 years at the National Youth Leadership Council; serving most recently as Senior Vice President. In that capacity, she helped shape the organization’s strategic direction, cultivate partnerships, grow the funding base, and develop and manage NYLC’s youth and schools programs, professional development, annual conference, and special events. For part of that time she also worked for UNICEF as an Education Project Officer in Liberia, where she coordinated the Support to War-Affected Youth Project, the Juvenile Justice Initiative, African Girl Education Initiative, and Child Friendly Spaces for internally displaced children. Wokie received her Master’s degree in Education Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and her Bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University in New York. She is an author and widely traveled speaker; she has addressed audiences throughout the United States and Africa and written extensively on service-learning and diversity. She is a native of Liberia, is married and has five children.

N	Maddy Wegner Director of Training and Innovation youthrive See Bio Maddy Wegner has many years of experience working with youth. She holds an M.S.J. from Northwestern University and has published several articles on education policy. She currently works at youthrive.

N	Daniel Wenner Executive Director Rural Minnesota CEP, Inc See Bio Daniel J. Wenner serves as the agency Chief Executive Director, providing successful leadership, management, and direction for RMCEP. In this position, Mr. Wenner guides the consistent achievement of the mission of RMCEP, as well as meeting its financial objectives. Mr. Wenner has served RMCEP for over 25 years.

N	Janine Westlund Program Director, Learning Lab Urban Ventures See Bio Janine Westlund received her higher education at St. Cloud State University. Since 2010 she has been representing Urban Venture as the Learning Lab Director. Urban Ventures is a faith-based non-profit striving to break the cycle of generational poverty in our community one person, one family at a time.

N	Lorraine White Family Stabilization Director Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center See Bio

N	Jocelyn Wiedow Sprockets Network Organizer YWCA St. Paul See Bio As a Sprockets Network Organizer, Jocelyn brings together people and programs from all across St. Paul with the shared goal of helping young people succeed. It’s a perfect fit for someone with more than 15 years of experience in coordinating and directing youth and family programs around the Twin Cities – not to mention the practice she gets at home, guiding and encouraging quality out-of-school experiences for her own two active sons! Jocelyn’s summers at camp as a young person inspired her love for learning in nontraditional settings. Some of her favorite outdoor classroom experiences have been teaching horseback and dirt bike riding. Jocelyn has a Master’s degree in public and non-profit administration. An outdoor enthusiast, Jocelyn enjoys a little time away to go camping and canoeing.

N	Ronald Williams NAZ Connector Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) See Bio

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