The Saint Paul Children’s Collaborative believes that community is best situated to understanding community needs and which program responses are most likely to serve children, youth, and families. As in past years, the Board approved granting out 100% of our Local Collaborative Time Study funding to community-based organizations. The Saint Paul Children’s Collaborative selected 19 grantees for the 2024-2025 grant cycle, through an RFP that closed in July, 2023.
At this point we anticipate having another grant cycle opening in the summer of 2025. Please sign up below to be notified of the next Request for Proposals.
To sign up for our Community of Care list, which we use to notify partners of upcoming events and future Requests for Proposals, please complete the following form:
CURRENT GRANTEES
We are pleased to support the following projects in our 2024 -2025. These grants focus on supports for Saint Paul young people who are native-born Africans and African Americans; American Indians; Southeast Asians; and Hispanic/Latino/a/e groups; including some young people who are English language learners.
Hallie Q Brown: ($100,000) This project furthers the goal of providing kindergarten readiness support to the Hallie Q. Brown Early Learning Center participants. Funds will be used to hire a full-time teacher solely dedicated to working with pre-k aged participants and through providing participants’ parents/guardians with tools to support their child’s proficiency in reading/writing and numeracy/mathematics.
Breakthrough Twin Cities: ($80,000) Breakthrough Twin Cities’ rigorous, tuition-free, six-year college preparatory program serves committed, low-income students of color who face barriers to college success. Programs include a six-week summer program for rising 7th-9th graders and monthly school year sessions for grades 7-12. Students receive ongoing academic monitoring and mentorship, individualized college counseling, and career exploration.
Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES): ($60,000)
Youth in Action (YA!) is a holistic and culturally relevant youth program, empowering Latinx youth from low-income households to grow into strong leaders, graduate high school, and become successful adults. This two- generation approach engages parents and community members as mentors through one-on-one sessions, leadership development, and college access services.
Face to Face: ($150,000) Face to Face will provide mental health therapy and comprehensive wraparound services for young people who are experiencing mental health challenges and socioeconomic barriers. They support young people ages 11-18 so that they can pursue their goals and aspirations despite the obstacles they face.
Family Values for Life: ($100,000) In partnership with local schools, the U-Turn Reading Academy provides free before/after-school and summer reading instruction for Saint Paul elementary and middle school students who are behind grade level in reading. Jump Start provides parent mental health support and helps parents grow as educational advocates.
Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul: ($180,000) American Indian Youth Enrichment is the only culturally responsive after-school and summer program serving American Indian elementary and middle school students in Saint Paul. American Indian history, culture, and traditions shape the curriculum. Academic support is interwoven with cultural activities build core competencies, increase cultural knowledge, and strengthen self-esteem. AIYE is a part of Interfaith Action’s Department of Indian Work (DIW).
Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM): ($150,000) KOM’s bicultural staff lead after-school tutoring, leadership development, and cultural activities for 90 BIPOC, immigrant, refugee, or first-generation backgrounds youth ages 11-18. KOM’s staff work alongside Saint Paul Public School staff to engage and involve parents in school activities and workshops, aiming to enhance parent-child relationships.
Minnesota African Women’s Assocation (MAWA): ($110,000) Saint Paul African Girls Leadership and Empowerment, also known as Saint Paul AGILE, works with Saint Paul African girls at high risk for high school incompletion and living in poverty as adults. The project provides a comprehensive culturally specific program proven to give African girls knowledge, skills, confidence, parent and community support to consistently finish high school, go to college, and pursue fulfilling careers.
Montessori American Indian Child Care
Montessori American Indian Child Care (MAICC): ($74,800) Montessori American Indian Child Care provides direct service to American Indian families with children ages 3-6 years. This Children’s House is designed to deliver an Indigenous Montessori early learning and care environment for children. In addition, the Prenatal to Three (P23) program engages the parent and child through Workshops, On Site Playgroups, Lending Library, Home Visits, and One-on-One visits.
New Vision Foundation (NVF): ($200,000) New Vision Foundation will provide school-based computer coding and digital literacy programs for disadvantaged Saint Paul middle and high school students. They provide welcoming spaces for students to develop digital skills and earn industry-recognized certifications and supportive adult mentors who motivate them to succeed in school, graduate on time, and pursue higher education.
Project for Pride in Living (PPL): ($75,000) PPL’s Youth and Parenting Services use a trauma-informed, culturally responsive approach to engage two generations in developing an ecosystem of support for each child, birth-18. They help Saint Paul children learn, grow, and thrive through case management, parenting support, and youth enrichment that nurture the well-being of the whole child.
Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood Freedom School: ($215,000). The Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood’s Education Initiatives funded through this grant include Thrive by Five, an evidence-based home-visiting program supporting parents and children up to 5 years old and the CDF Freedom School, a 6-week summer program that helps reduce summer learning loss for students in grades K-8 through culturally appropriate programming, resources, books, lessons, and staffing.
The JK Movement: ($110,000) The Movement provides quality, transformative learning modules and activities to underserved youth through research based curriculum. They do this in creative and relevant ways to engage the youth for better understanding and lesson retention.
Minnesota Urban Debate League: ($75,000). The Minnesota Urban Debate League, a project of Augsburg University, will grow its debate teams at Johnson Senior High School, Como Park Senior High School, and Washington Technology Magnet School by launching a collaborative coaching model and creating new parent engagement strategies. Participants will gain crucial academic and personal development and access scholarships to Augsburg University.
Keystone Community Services: ($120,000) Students in grades K-10 access literacy tutoring and homework help, enrich their opportunities in the arts and STEM, build strong social-emotional skills, participate in youth leadership and paid employment opportunities, and create positive and lasting relationships with caring adults, older youth, and peers.
Reading Partners Twin Cities: ($40,000) Reading Partners works to empower students in grades K-5 to reach their full potential by ensuring they have the foundational reading skills necessary for academic, professional, and life success. Reading Partners supports Saint Paul students through school-based and afterschool partnership with American Indian Youth Enrichment by providing high-dosage, individualized literacy instruction.
The Man Up Club: ($115,000) The Man Up Club Mentorship Program is an immersive community that inspires inner-city youth to realize their potential. Their mission is to motivate boys to become holistic young men of character. Through mentorship, educational activities, and community engagement, they instill life skills, academic discipline, and self-respect crucial for high school graduation.
YMCA of the North: ($125,000): YMCA Beacons School Success serves youth in grades K-5 at the Bruce F. Vento Elementary and Maxfield Elementary schools in Saint Paul. Their out-of-school time activities are strengths-based, year-round, and feature literacy, enrichment, and family support services to advance equity and reduce disparities.
Portico Healthnet ($120,000) Portico will provide two MNsure Certified Navigators to help enroll the increasing number of Saint Paul youth and families eligible for public health insurance.
