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Request for Recommendations for Commission Report

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The Minnesota Out-of-School Time Partnership is a network of public and private organizations dedicated to the belief that all Minnesota communities should have options for children and youth to learn, develop, and contribute during non-school hours. Partnership members meet quarterly. Their work is targeted to ensure the systems and resources are in place during non-school hours that guarantee communities can provide the supports and opportunities children and youth need to succeed.
Contact: Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn, Executive Director
Phone: 612-626-3513 Email: lal@umn.edu
270B McNamara Alumni Center
200 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-2022

Partner Members

Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)
improves educational achievement by establishing clear standards, measuring performance, assisting educators, and increasing opportunities for lifelong learning. MDE programs supporting out-of-school time opportunities include Community education and the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers Initiative.
Contact: Carol Thomas
Phone: 651-582-8453 Email: carol.thomas@state.mn.us

Minnesota Department of Human Services
working with many others, helps people meet their basic needs so they can live in dignity and achieve their highest potential. The Minnesota School-Age Care Program provides school-based/linked programs to serve youth in kindergarten through 6th grade during out-of-school time and while their parents work. It is estimated that 150,000 children and youth participate. Eligible families may access child care subsidy funds to participate in these programs. School districts that offer school-age care programs are authorized to levy locally for funds to integrate children with disabilities into the school-age care programs.
Contact: Catharine Cuddeback
Phone: 651-296-7046 Email: catharine.cuddeback@state.m

Minnesota Department of Public Safety - Office of Justice Programs
provides leadership and resources to reduce crime and juvenile delinquency in Minnesota. OJP works to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system and assist crime victims. Programs available through OJP include the federal OJJDP and Byrne programs as well as crime victims programs. OJP recognize that positive, constructive and enriching activities for youth at risk can prevent their involvement in the juvenile justice system in Minnesota.

Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
protects, maintains and improves the health of all Minnesotans through a variety of state and federal initiatives. MDH's Adolescent Health unit is represented on the Partnership Group to link to the Department's adolescent health initiatives in the areas of physical activity, tobacco use prevention, pregnancy prevention, and other risk behaviors.

Center for 4-H Youth Development,
part of the University of Minnesota Extension Service, serves as a resource, catalyst and advocate for youth development. Our goal is to make a measurable difference in the quality, availability, and impact of out-of-school time opportunities for Minnesota's children and youth. The Center is the proud home of the Minnesota 4-H Program statewide (with over 168,000 youth touched by quality opportunities) and the Minnesota Youth Work Institute which supports youth workers around the state. The Center also supports community youth development efforts through its public and policy education efforts. This work is exemplified by the Center's active participation in the OST Parnership and its leadership of the Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time, an action part of the University's Presidential Initiative on Children, Youth and Families. The Center is headed by Associate Dean and Director Dr. Dale A. Blyth.

Concordia University
offers degree programs for people who work in programs that serve children and youth during non-school hours. Adult students work on certificates, BA or MA degrees

Council for Civic Parent Leadership
facilitates dialogue across cultures and generations and provides leadership training and technical assistance to parents, professionals and others for the common good. The Council supports after school programming as leading to quality of life improvements for children and their families.

The Depot Coffee House
The Depot is dedicated to enhancing community unity and creating a student experience in a chemically-free environment, fostering a bridge between students and the greater community.
Contact: Fran Hesch
Phone: 952-936-0205, Email: javalamp@yahoo.com

Destination 2010
is a student achievement and scholarship program of the Minneapolis Foundation that serves approximately 300 selected students in the Minneapolis and St. Paul public schools. Destination 2010 is a dynamic combination of direct support, parental involvement, community partnerships, and scholarship incentives designed to improve student achievement, increase high school graduation rates, and advance educational reform within the Minneapolis and St. Paul public school districts.
Contact: Lisa Simer
Phone: (612) 672-3876 Email: lsimer@mplsfoundation.org
or
Contact: Kathleen O'Donnell
Phone: (612) 672-3862 Email: kodennell@mplsfoundation.org

Ganey Consulting
is a private business providing technical assistance to non-profit and community- based organizations. The mission of Ganey Consulting is to build strong community-based organizations with access to critical resource

Hennepin County
was incorporated in 1852. Its largest city is Minneapolis, the county seat. Hennepin has the largest population of Minnesota's 87 counties with about 23% of the state's population. It has the highest average household income in the state and a broad-based economy with strong trade, service, and manufacturing sectors. Employment is relatively stable, and the unemployment rate is consistently below the state and national averages. The Hennepin County government staff provides hundreds of services to its 1 million residents in Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities.

Knopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health
The Konopka Institute works with community organizations, service providers, policy makers, and other citizens to adopt and/or adapt public interventions, policies and systems that show the greatest promise of supporting healthy youth development.
Contact: Paul Snyder
Phone: 612-626-8412 Email: psnyder@umn.edu

La Escuelita
La Escuelita is a youth development agency empowering Latino youth ages 12-18 through after-school tutoring, leadership and service-learning experiences.
The mission is to Develop and Implement Youth Development Strategies that Increase Latino youth Academic Success In Minneapolis.

Lakeville Area Schools - Kid Zone Program
is committed to increasing the capacity for youth development during out-of-school time hours. Lakeville, once a rural community, is now part of the rapidly expanding metropolitan area surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul.

McKnight Foundation
is a private, grant-making organization that supports children, youth, and families. The Foundation fulfills a dual role as a responsive grantmaker that supports grassroots action, and a strategic grantmaker that encourages system and policy reform.
Contact: Christine Ganzlin
Phone: 612-333-4220 Email: cganzlin@mcknight.org

Minneapolis Beacons Project
is a collaborative, community-based initiative between schools, community, and families to improve academic, social, and lifework development of youth in low-income communities. Beacons builds on the resources and infrastructures that already exist within a community and give each student an experience that builds self esteem and supports academic achievement. The Project leverages the strengths and resources of its collaborative partners which include the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis, YWCA of Minneapolis, the Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis Public Schools Community Education and the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board. Programs are provided year- round and free of charge to youth and their families.

The Minneapolis Foundation (TMF)
believes that the well being of each citizen is connected to that of every other and that the vitality of any community is determined by the quality of those relationships. TMF's purpose is to join with others to strengthen our community in measurable and sustainable ways for the benefit of all citizens, especially those who are disadvantaged. TMF donors and funding partners contribute more than $30 million each year from their funds to local and national nonprofit organizations.
Contact: Lisa Simer
Phone: (612) 672-3876 Email: lsimer@mplsfoundation.org
or
Contact: Kathleen O'Donnell
Phone: (612) 672-3862 Email: kodennell@mplsfoundation.org

Minnesota Community Education Association (MCEA)
represents over 1300 community educators and provides leadership in the creation of communities in which citizen involvement and lifelong learning are essential. Youth services include youth development and youth service, enrichment, summer programs, childcare, prevention and intervention programs and recreation.
Contact: Robert Meyer, Manager of Operations
Phone: 651-257-0752 Email: rmeyer@chisagolakes.k12.mn.us

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
is committed to building stronger communities by continually informing, involving, strengthening, and increasing the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofits and the nonprofit sector in Minnesota.

Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association
is a statewide member organization representing over 800 recreation and parks professionals to advance the values and ideals of public recreation and provides leadership in communities to provide quality leisure services and opportunities for citizens of all ages. Recreation programs for youth include: summer programs, after school recreation, music, arts and crafts, dance, sports, and enrichment.

Minnesota School Age Care Alliance (MNSACA)
is the largest professional organization for people who work with children and youth in Minnesota. With close to 800 members, this group sponsors state-wide training and collaborates on building the professional development skills for individuals who work with children and youth. MNSACA's mission is to promote quality out-of-school time programs and support the leadership and development of out-of-school time professionals.
Contact: Brian Siverson-Hall, Executive Director
Phone: 612-709-7157 Email: brians@mnsaca.org
Contact: Annette Sallman, MNSACA Board President
Phone: 651-351-8450

Minnesota Youth Work Institute
supports the education, training, and professional development of adults who work with and on behalf of young people.
Contact: Elee Wood
Phone: 612-624-1972 Email: woodx053@umn.edu

Northland Foundation through KIDS PLUS Program
has engaged approximately 3,500 young people ages 10-18 and 3,500 adults in the process of identifying the needs of children and their families in a seven county area in northeastern Minnesota. Twenty-six communities have developed 230 programs for children and youth over the past 11 years engaging over 20,000 young people.

Perpich Center for Arts Education
is a state agency devoted to student achievement. Its mission is innovative public education, centered in the arts. With over 13 years of effective leadership, the Center is held up nationwide as an example of what is possible in the field of arts and education.

The Sheltering Arms Foundation
mission is to enhance the lives of children and help them reach their full potential, especially those experiencing barriers to success. Through its direct service grantmaking program, it supports school-aged youth who have limited access to afterschool or non-school hour enrichment activities that enhance their academic and social skills development. The Foundation supports programs that build the skills and capacities of children in ways that expand their life options and offer them greater hope for the future. It also supports activities that raise the level of public awareness and commitment to the well-being of children.

St. Paul Public Library Homework Centers
provide a safe, out-of-school time learning environment with academic support for students, in a public library setting. St. Paul Public Library Homework Centers provide resources to a diverse group of children and youth living St. Paul, one of Minnesota's Twin Cities.

Twin Cities Youth Work Coalition (TCYC)
is a guild organized to engage over 2400 community-based youth workers in networking, training and policy issues in youth development education.
Contact: Marika Pfefferkorn
Phone: 612-625-3633 Email: marikap@umn.edu

University of Minnesota
offers many related degree programs at the undergraduate (e.g. Youth Studies, Recreation and Leisure Studies) and graduate levels (e.g. Youth Development Leadership M.Ed.) as well as continuing education, special training and professional studies for the development of youth workers and other leaders.

University of Minnesota Extension Service
has six community youth development regional educators with the specific responsibility to mobilize community support for strengthening the quality, quantity, access and impact of out-of-school time programs. Statewide, 49 professionals, more than 60 program coordinators and thousands of volunteers promote positive youth development programs through 4-H and through educational programs.

YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis'
mission to build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities drives its youth and family development programming. The YMCA provides a wide array of non-school hours and afterschool enrichment programming for children and youth focusing on building leadership skills, academic enrichment, and service-learning opportunities.

Youth Express
provides youth with opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and personal integrity necessary for success as young adults and for an active role in the St. Paul communities where they live. Programming is available to ages 7 to 18 and happens after-school, during school holiday/breaks, and during summer hours. Activities are designed to improve academic achievement, nurture social and emotional growth, promote multicultural respect and understanding, and build youth leadership skills.
Contact: Molly Kieser
Phone: 651-659-0613 ext. 1,
Email: mollymarquardt@mcleodusa.net

YWCA of St. Paul
The YWCA of St. Paul is a 93-year old, not-for-profit, service organization committed to improving the quality of life of the people in its community. A mission-driven organization, the YWCA advocates for social change by combating racism, sexism and economic inequities; promoting self-determination and leadership skills; enhancing physical and emotional well being; and supporting volunteers in fulfilling community needs. The YWCA of St. Paul's Youth Development Programs are committed to excellence—and to positively impacting the lives of children, youth, and their families by fostering their healthy development and providing safe, nurturing developmental programs.
Contact: Linda Garrett-Johnson
Phone: 651-265-0724 Email: lgjohnson@ywcaofstpaul.org