LearnmoreMN Blog

College prep program helps young women of color

By Shvonne Johnson, August guest blogger

First Step is a six-day/five-night college preparatory experience for high school women of color who are serious about pursuing higher education. During the week-long journey at St. Catherine University, the young women build community with one another, explore college majors that would lead to fulfilling careers, and learn how to best prepare for college while still in high school. They are also introduced to various women of influence in the community that unapologetically share their stories of resilience to serve as "visions" of possibility for the girls.

While St. Kate’s has had summer programs for girls of color for over 30 years, in the last 10 years, First Step has served hundreds of students. While we hope that these students choose St. Catherine University, and many have, our larger goal is to get them to pursue any college or university that is the best fit for them.

This summer, the First Step staff and St. Kate’s community had the honor of serving 50 young women from as far away as Texas and Georgia. As one student said, "Yes, it really teaches women of color to have confidence and be themselves. It gives you a lot of college insight, gives you the courage to make a lot of new friends and meet some really great people. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I think everyone should have the chance to do this. It’s an enriching experience unlike any other."

First Step truly impacts young women of color so they’re motivated and confident in their abilities to achieve success in higher education.

I’d love to hear more examples of the impact of access programs like First Step. What are you doing or what have you seen that’s working?

Seeking educational equity in our state

By Kathleen O'Donnell, guest blogger

As education reform catches fire and gains focus in the Minnesota philanthropic community (see In tough economy, nonprofits refocus and Giving Forum), where is innovation being nurtured? What are the essentials to getting and maintaining educational equity in our state?

The 2009 season of The Minneapolis Foundation’s Minnesota Meeting public affairs forum focused on equity in education. Dozens of corporate and foundation sponsors helped us convene three events to foster constructive dialogue on different aspects of the issue. View a summary of a few of the recommendations generated throughout the series. Visit Minnesota Meeting.com to view all three events, download fact sheets, and read event summaries. The statistics in Minnesota speak for themselves. What do you think?

The Minneapolis Foundation’s new strategic plan (over and above donor-directed grantmaking) includes a focus on promoting social, economic, and racial equity in our community. One of the key areas towards which the Foundation will target resources to help achieve equity is through grantmaking, partnership, and leadership activities that help transform education. Learn more about The Minneapolis Foundation’s strategic plan, in particular the focus on transforming education.

What do you think the next steps should be? Where are the greatest opportunities? How should Minnesotans embrace the charge to do “whatever it takes” to ensure the success of all of our children — and thereby our future economy?