Achieve Twin Cities

SEE SCHEDULE O

CAREER & COLLEGE INITIATIVES PROGRAMS - SEE SCHEDULE OCAREER & COLLEGE INIATIVES PROGRAMS: CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS (CCR) SERVICES: AT THE HEART OF ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES' WORK ARE ITS CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS SERVICES, WHICH ARE EMBEDDED IN 26 MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SAINT PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOLS. THE CCR TEAM PROVIDES A WIDE RANGE OF EQUITY-FOCUSED CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS GUIDANCE AND PROGRAMS, WORKING ONE-ON-ONE WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TO BUILD THE KIND OF TRUSTING, LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR CREATING POST-GRADUATION PLANS AND CAREER SUCCESS. STAFFED BY CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS PROFESSIONALS THAT INCLUDE LICENSED COUNSELORS, TEACHERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS, ACHIEVE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL 18,000 STUDENTS EACH YEAR IN EACH DISTRICT WITH PERSONALIZED CAREER EXPLORATION ADVISING, CAREER EVENTS WITH LOCAL PROFESSIONALS, COLLEGE FAIRS AND TOURS, COLLEGE REP VISITS, ASSISTANCE WITH FAFSA, FINANCIAL AID AND COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, ADVICE ON RESUME WRITING AND JOB INTERVIEWING, CONNECTIONS WITH INTERNSHIP AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AND LINKS TO OTHER COLLEGE ACCESS PROVIDERS. ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES CAREER EXPLORATION PROGRAMMING - FULLY INTEGRATED INTO THESE HIGH SCHOOL SERVICES - CONNECTS STUDENTS WITH A VARIETY OF CAREER AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THAT HELP THEM PREPARE TO ACCESS FAMILY-SUPPORTING, HIGH-DEMAND AND HIGH-GROWTH CAREERS MORE QUICKLY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES ALSO BRINGS EMPLOYERS INTO HIGH SCHOOLS TO MEET WITH STUDENTS VIA CAREER SPEAKER EVENTS AND TAKES STUDENTS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERACTIVE WORKSITE TOURS. PROGRAM DATA SHOWS THAT 95% OF STUDENTS WHO UTILIZE ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES SCHOOL-BASED SERVICES GRADUATE WITH A CAREER PATHWAY PLAN. BIPOC STUDENTS WHO UTILIZE THESE SERVICES ENROLL IN POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS AT 69% HIGHER RATES THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT, AND LOWER INCOME STUDENTS ENROLL AT 79% HIGHER RATES. THAT MEANS WITH ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES SUPPORT, MORE STUDENTS ARE PURSUING THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING THEY NEED FOR MEANINGFUL CAREERS AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE. INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS STEP UP YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM: STEP UP PREPARES TODAY'S YOUTH FOR TOMORROW'S CAREERS BY RECRUITING, TRAINING AND PLACING HUNDREDS OF MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH (AGES 14-21) IN PAID INTERNSHIPS EACH YEAR WITH OVER 200 REGIONAL EMPLOYERS, FROM FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO PUBLIC AGENCIES AND NONPROFITS. A PARTNERSHIP OF THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS, ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES, CAREERFORCE MINNEAPOLIS AND PROJECT FOR PRIDE IN LIVING, STEP UP IS ONE OF THE NATION'S LEADING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS AND LEVERAGES A COLLECTIVE THAT SPANS 15 INDUSTRIES AND MULTIPLE SECTORS. STEP UP SUPPORTS HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED YOUTH IN MINNEAPOLIS WHO ARE READY TO NAVIGATE THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD. IT ALSO HELPS ORGANIZATIONS DIVERSIFY THEIR WORKFORCE AND BUILD A BASE OF YOUNG, SKILLED WORKERS FOR THE ENTIRE REGION. STEP UP HAS PROVIDED OVER 31,000 INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES SINCE 2003, YIELDING A COMPETITIVE TALENT PIPELINE, A STRONGER ECONOMY AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN WAGES FOR STEP UP INTERNS. IT ALSO COLLABORATES WITH CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERS TO PROVIDE SECTOR-SPECIFIC TRAININGS, NETWORKING EVENTS AND INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS THROUGH FOUR CAREER PIPELINES IN STEM, HEALTHCARE, DESIGN AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. INTERNS COLLECTIVELY EARN OVER $2 MILLION IN WAGES EACH SUMMER FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES. ACHIEVE COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS: LAUNCHED IN 2020, THE NEW ACHIEVE COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS PROGRAM PROVIDES CAREER-BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLEGE JUNIORS - INCLUDING STEP UP ALUMS, MINNEAPOLIS AND SAINT PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRADUATES, WALLIN SCHOLARS AND MINNESOTA PRIVATE COLLEGE FUND BLACK MEN'S SUCCESS INITIATIVE SCHOLARS - WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN TWIN CITIES COMPANIES AND LOCAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS. ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES HAS PARTNERED WITH 60 GLOBAL BUSINESSES, LOCAL COMPANIES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIPS, MENTORS AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING FOR OVER 100 STUDENTS FROM 20 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THE PROGRAM ALSO HELPS EMPLOYERS STRENGTHEN THEIR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF TALENTED, DIVERSE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO LAUNCH THEIR CAREERS IN THE TWIN CITIES.VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS: TWIN CITIES COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES FROM LOCAL COMPANIES VOLUNTEER WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY INTRODUCING THEM TO NEW CAREERS AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, HOSTING COMPANY WORKSITE TOURS, PARTICIPATING IN STEP UP MOCK INTERVIEWS AND ACHIEVE COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, AND PROVIDING OTHER CAREER EXPLORATION SUPPORT. CAREER EXPLORATION EVENTS CONNECT VOLUNTEERS WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR CAREER JOURNEYS AND INSIGHTS ON A WIDE RANGE OF CAREER AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. THROUGH IN-SCHOOL CAREER SPEAKER EVENTS AND OFF-SITE WORKSITE TOURS, STUDENTS EXPLORE NEW CAREER FIELDS, MEET LOCAL PROFESSIONALS, SEE WORKERS IN ACTION AT THEIR COMPANIES AND LEARN THE STEPS THEY NEED TO TAKE TOWARD SPECIFIC FIELDS AND INDUSTRIES. IN THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR, 130 INDIVIDUALS FROM 90 TWIN CITIES COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS SERVED AS CAREER VOLUNTEERS. EACH YEAR, HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL STEP UP MOCK INTERVIEWS, INTERVIEWING AND COACHING STEP UP YOUTH PARTICIPANTS ONE-ON-ONE IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR SUMMER INTERNSHIP INTERVIEWS. THE MOCK INTERVIEWS ARE PART OF STEP UP WORK READINESS TRAINING, WHICH EACH INTERN MUST COMPLETE BEFORE THEY ARE MATCHED WITH THEIR SUMMER EMPLOYER. IN 2022, DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS, WE HOSTED THE STEP UP MOCK INTERVIEWS VIRTUALLY, WITH 186 VOLUNTEERS WHO INTERVIEWED AND COACHED STEP UP PARTICIPANTS. LOCAL BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS ALSO VOLUNTEER WITH ACHIEVE COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS PARTICIPANTS THROUGH OUR "JOB WINNER" EVENTS. THIS YEAR, 23 TALENT ACQUISITION PROFESSIONALS SHARED THEIR CAREER AND INDUSTRY INSIGHTS WITH COLLEGE INTERNS, FOLLOWED BY ONE-ON-ONE MOCK JOB INTERVIEWS TO HELP THEM PRACTICE AND GET FEEDBACK ON THEIR INTERVIEW AND PRESENTATION SKILLS IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE JOB INTERVIEWS. IN ADDITION TO THESE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, EMPLOYEES FROM ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES PARTNER COMPANIES ALSO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME WITH STEP UP AND ACHIEVE COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS PARTICIPANTS AS WORK READINESS TRAINERS, CAREER EXPOSURE EVENT LEADERS AND FINANCIAL LITERACY AND CAREER SKILLS EVENT FACILITATORS. MANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES WERE HELD VIRTUALLY IN 2022 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP - SEE SCHEDULE OMINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS (MPS) PARTNERSHIP: IN ADDITION TO BEING A STRONG PROGRAM PARTNER THROUGH CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS SERVICES FOR 20 MPS HIGH SCHOOLS, ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES ALSO SERVES AS THE NONPROFIT FOUNDATION FOR MPS. IN THIS ROLE IT ASSISTS THE DISTRICT IN RAISING MILLIONS IN CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION GRANTS FOR KEY DISTRICT PRIORITIES SUCH AS STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH), GIRLS IN ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE (GEMS) AND GUYS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (GISE) AND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PROGRAMS. ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES ALSO PROCESSES OVER $1 MILLION EACH YEAR IN PRIVATE DONATIONS TO MPS SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS AND DISTRIBUTES FUNDS TO SUPPORT A VARIETY OF MPS ACTIVITIES, RANGING FROM CLASSROOM SUPPLIES TO ARTISTS AND FIELD TRIPS. ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES ALSO ADMINISTERS 75-100 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MPS GRADUATES EACH YEAR AND AWARDS SMALL GRANTS FOR CLASSROOMS, STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND FIELD TRIPS.