<p> Last year, MPS students visited Career and College Centers over 67,000 times for assistance with college searches, financial aid, and career opportunities. CCC Coordinators helped admission representatives from over 150 institutions make 431 visits to MPS high schools, and helped organize 49 college visits for MPS students.<p> STEP-UP Achieve recruited, trained, and placed 712 young people in paid summer jobs with over 130 employers, including Wells Fargo, U.S Bank, Best Buy, Cargill, Health Partners, Piper Jaffray, the Minnesota Twins, and the office of Mayor R.T. Rybak.<p> We advanced a key component of our new Community Engagement strategy by formalizing a plan with Boston Scientific to roll out a pilot Career Pipeline focused on STEM education at Patrick Henry High School in 2011. In addition AchieveMpls helped more than 300 volunteers give over 4,000 hours of service to MPS students.<p> AchieveMpls facilitated relationships between MPS and some of the region’s most influential leaders. When Cargill, General Mills and Medtronic executives announced a $7 million grant to MPS, they praised the work of AchieveMpls in convening the collaborative and identifying a common strategic vision for investments. In a May 8 editorial, the editors of the Star-Tribune wrote that this investment will not only directly improve outcomes for students but “help leverage other contributions and encourage even greater levels of community support.”

<p> Last year, our leadership refocused the organization on one core mission: engaging all sectors of the community to promote students' academic and economic success. This year we will continue making the case that the success of our region depends on the success of our students, and we will build new and expanded pathways for businesses, organizations, and individuals to respond to our message and invest their time, talents, and dollars in Minneapolis youth. These will include:<p> CAREER PIPELINES -- AchieveMpls collaborates with a regional employer, a public high school, and a local college to offer year-round mentoring, technical training, and work experience<p> GRADUATION COACHES --Diverse professionals serve as career mentors to students<p> GOALSHOPS -- Teams of business volunteers, often from corporate affinity networks, come into schools to facilitate series of workshops on subjects like career readiness and financial literacy<p> PARENT COACHES -- Community volunteers assist first-generation college parents<p> YOUNG ALUMNI NETWORK -- By leveraging our deep database of successful MPS graduates, we engage and mobilize a network of alumni to create a critical mass of young professionals who can help guide the next generation through the transition from high school into the world of college and work<p> PRINCIPAL PARTNERS -- Each year, 30-35 community members gain nearly unlimited access to every aspect of managing a school, fostering long-term relationships that support student achievement

Students in the Minneapolis Public Schools

Minneapolis