St Paul Urban Tennis Program

WE STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY BY EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING YOUTH TO REALIZE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

TENNIS - OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS RECOVERED A LITTLE BIT IN 2021. FROM THE 800 PARTICIPANTS THAT WE HAD DURING 2020, WE MORE THAN DOUBLED THAT TO OVER 1700 YOUTH ACROSS OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, THAT NUMBER IS STILL BELOW OUR USUAL 2000-2500 YOUTH THAT WE SERVE EACH YEAR. WE DID HIRE OVER 80 COACHES (ABOUT 50% OF THE 80 COACHES ARE FORMER PARTICIPANTS OF OUR PROGRAMS) ALTOGETHER IN OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS, WHICH IS A GREAT TARGET FOR US. WE LIKE TO ENSURE YOUTH IN OUR LESSONS SEE OUR PROGRAMS AS PATHWAYS FOR THEM TO GROW AND LEARN IN BY EVENTUALLY BECOMING A YOUTH COACH IN OUR SUMMER LESSONS. WE RAN PROGRAMS FOR 6 WEEKS IN THE SUMMER TIME WITH OVER 18 SITES IN SAINT PAUL. IN ADDITION, WE WORKED WITH 10 COMMUNITY OUTREACH SITES/PARTNERS. IN THE SPRING AND FALL, WE PROVIDE PROGRAMMING DURING THE WEEKDAYS FOR 6 WEEKS EACH SESSION AS WELL AND SERVE ABOUT 250 KIDS BETWEEN THE TWO SESSIONS. WE'VE ALSO GROWN OUR ADULT PROGRAM OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. OUR GOAL IS TO USE OUR ADULT PROGRAM AS A WAY TO ENGAGE POTENTIAL NEW VOLUTNEERS OR SUPPORTERS FOR OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. WE SERVE ABOUT 75 ADULTS EACH YEAR BETWEEN OUR SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL SESSIONS.

WARRIOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - IN 2021 OUR WARRIOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY SAW SOME GOOD GROWTH ON THE TENNIS COURT AND IN OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. WE PROVIDED PROGRAMMING TO 60 YOUTH WITH 80% OF THOSE BEING YOUTH OF COLOR AND 65% IDENTIFYING AS FREE-OR-REDUCED LUNCH PARTICIPANTS. OUR PROGRAM RAN FOR 17 WEEKS FROM NOVEMBER (2020) TO MARCH (2021). SPUT PROVIDED OVER 130 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING ON AND OFF THE TENNIS COURT. THE OFF-COURT PROGRAM CONSISTED OF RESUME BUILDING, MENTORING, CAREER NETWORKING, 94% OF THESE YOUTH SAID THEY HAD POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WITH THE DISCOVER U MENTORING PROGRAM THAT IS A PART OF THIS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. 93% SAID THEY FELT THEY HAVE A BETTER SENESE OF DIRECTION IN LIFE AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM.

EMPLOYMENT PLUS - IN 2021 WE INCREASED OUR EMPLOYMENT PLUS PROGRAM OFFERINGS TO 16 YOUTH FROM OUR USUAL 10-12. THESE YOUTH ARE ALL YOUTH OF COLOR AND RESIDE ON THE EASTSIDE OF SAINT PAUL. THE MAJORITY OF THESE YOUTH ARE YOUTH THAT ARE TENNIS PLAYERS IN OUR PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, WE MAKE EXCEPTIONS FOR YOUTH THAT WANT TO LEARN TENNIS AND HAVE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE AS WELL. THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO COMBAT THE LACK OF EMPLOYMENT OPPPORTUNITIES LOW-INCOME YOUTH OF COLOR RECEIVE ON THE EASTSIDE OF SAINT PAUL. THESE YOUTH WORK WITH OUR FULL TIME STAFF TO SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE WORK FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THEY ARE TRAINED AND COACH IN OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS, AND ENGAGED IN CAREER/COLLEGE READINESS ACTIVITIES. OUR PROGRAM STAFF PROVIDES MENTORSHIP TO THESE YOUTH AND TRAIN THEM ON THE ESSENTIALS OF WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT WITH VARIOUS SKILL-DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES LIKE DATA ENTRY, COMMUNICATION, PROGRAM AND EVENT PLANNING. THEY ALSO VISIT COLLEGES AND MEET WITH PROFESSIONALS FROM VARIOUS WORKPLACES. IN 2021 WE PROVIDED OVER 2,000 HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT TO 16 YOUTH.

TENNIS - OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS RECOVERED A LITTLE BIT IN 2021. FROM THE 800 PARTICIPANTS THAT WE HAD DURING 2020, WE MORE THAN DOUBLED THAT TO OVER 1700 YOUTH ACROSS OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS. HOWEVER, THAT NUMBER IS STILL BELOW OUR USUAL 2000-2500 YOUTH THAT WE SERVE EACH YEAR. WE DID HIRE OVER 80 COACHES (ABOUT 50% OF THE 80 COACHES ARE FORMER PARTICIPANTS OF OUR PROGRAMS) ALTOGETHER IN OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS, WHICH IS A GREAT TARGET FOR US. WE LIKE TO ENSURE YOUTH IN OUR LESSONS SEE OUR PROGRAMS AS PATHWAYS FOR THEM TO GROW AND LEARN IN BY EVENTUALLY BECOMING A YOUTH COACH IN OUR SUMMER LESSONS. WE RAN PROGRAMS FOR 6 WEEKS IN THE SUMMER TIME WITH OVER 18 SITES IN SAINT PAUL. IN ADDITION, WE WORKED WITH 10 COMMUNITY OUTREACH SITES/PARTNERS. IN THE SPRING AND FALL, WE PROVIDE PROGRAMMING DURING THE WEEKDAYS FOR 6 WEEKS EACH SESSION AS WELL AND SERVE ABOUT 250 KIDS BETWEEN THE TWO SESSIONS. WE'VE ALSO GROWN OUR ADULT PROGRAM OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS. OUR GOAL IS TO USE OUR ADULT PROGRAM AS A WAY TO ENGAGE POTENTIAL NEW VOLUTNEERS OR SUPPORTERS FOR OUR YOUTH PROGRAMS. WE SERVE ABOUT 75 ADULTS EACH YEAR BETWEEN OUR SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL SESSIONS.

WARRIOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY - IN 2021 OUR WARRIOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY SAW SOME GOOD GROWTH ON THE TENNIS COURT AND IN OUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. WE PROVIDED PROGRAMMING TO 60 YOUTH WITH 80% OF THOSE BEING YOUTH OF COLOR AND 65% IDENTIFYING AS FREE-OR-REDUCED LUNCH PARTICIPANTS. OUR PROGRAM RAN FOR 17 WEEKS FROM NOVEMBER (2020) TO MARCH (2021). SPUT PROVIDED OVER 130 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING ON AND OFF THE TENNIS COURT. THE OFF-COURT PROGRAM CONSISTED OF RESUME BUILDING, MENTORING, CAREER NETWORKING, 94% OF THESE YOUTH SAID THEY HAD POSITIVE EXPERIENCES WITH THE DISCOVER U MENTORING PROGRAM THAT IS A PART OF THIS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. 93% SAID THEY FELT THEY HAVE A BETTER SENESE OF DIRECTION IN LIFE AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM.

EMPLOYMENT PLUS - IN 2021 WE INCREASED OUR EMPLOYMENT PLUS PROGRAM OFFERINGS TO 16 YOUTH FROM OUR USUAL 10-12. THESE YOUTH ARE ALL YOUTH OF COLOR AND RESIDE ON THE EASTSIDE OF SAINT PAUL. THE MAJORITY OF THESE YOUTH ARE YOUTH THAT ARE TENNIS PLAYERS IN OUR PROGRAMS, HOWEVER, WE MAKE EXCEPTIONS FOR YOUTH THAT WANT TO LEARN TENNIS AND HAVE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE AS WELL. THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO COMBAT THE LACK OF EMPLOYMENT OPPPORTUNITIES LOW-INCOME YOUTH OF COLOR RECEIVE ON THE EASTSIDE OF SAINT PAUL. THESE YOUTH WORK WITH OUR FULL TIME STAFF TO SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE WORK FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THEY ARE TRAINED AND COACH IN OUR TENNIS PROGRAMS, AND ENGAGED IN CAREER/COLLEGE READINESS ACTIVITIES. OUR PROGRAM STAFF PROVIDES MENTORSHIP TO THESE YOUTH AND TRAIN THEM ON THE ESSENTIALS OF WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT WITH VARIOUS SKILL-DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES LIKE DATA ENTRY, COMMUNICATION, PROGRAM AND EVENT PLANNING. THEY ALSO VISIT COLLEGES AND MEET WITH PROFESSIONALS FROM VARIOUS WORKPLACES. IN 2021 WE PROVIDED OVER 2,000 HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT TO 16 YOUTH.