Achieve Twin Cities

Career & college initiatives programs - see schedule ocareer & college initiatives programs:career and college readiness (ccr) services at the heart of Achieve Twin Cities' work are its career and college readiness services, which are embedded in 28 minneapolis public schools (mps) and saint paul public schools (spps) high schools. The ccr team provides a wide range of equity-focused career and college readiness guidance and programs, working one-on-one with young people to build the kind of trusting, long-term relationships that are essential for creating post-graduation plans and career success. Staffed by career and college readiness professionals that include licensed counselors, teachers and social workers, Achieve Twin Cities is a universal provider in both mps and spps school districts, with services available to 18,000 students each year. These include personalized career exploration advising, career events with local professionals, college fairs and tours, college rep visits, assistance with fafsa, financial aid and college applications, advice on resume writing and job interviewing, connections with internship and job opportunities, and links to other college access providers. Achieve Twin Cities career exploration programming - fully integrated into these high school services - connects students with a wide variety of career and training opportunities that help them prepare to access family-supporting, high-demand and high-growth careers more quickly after high school. Achieve Twin Cities also brings employers into high schools to meet with students via career speaker events and takes students out into the community to participate in interactive worksite tours. Program data shows that 95% of students who utilize Achieve Twin Cities school-based services graduate with a career pathway plan. Bipoc students who utilize these services enroll in postsecondary programs at 69% higher rates than those who do not, and lower income students enroll at 79% higher rates. That means with Achieve Twin Cities support, more students are pursuing the education and training they need for meaningful careers and financial independence.internship programs step up youth employment program: step up prepares today's youth for tomorrow's careers by recruiting, training and placing hundreds of minneapolis youth (ages 14-21) in paid internships each year with over 100 regional employers, from fortune 500 companies and small businesses to public agencies and nonprofits. A partnership of the city of minneapolis, Achieve Twin Cities, the Minnesota department of employment and economic development, and project for pride in living, step up is one of the nation's leading youth employment programs and leverages a collective that spans 15 industries and multiple sectors. Step up supports historically underrepresented youth in minneapolis who are ready to navigate the professional world. It also helps organizations diversify their workforce and build a base of young, skilled workers for the entire region. Step up has provided over 34,000 internship experiences since 2003, yielding a competitive talent pipeline, a stronger economy and millions of dollars in wages for step up interns. It also collaborates with corporate, government and higher education partners to provide sector-specific trainings, networking events and industry-recognized credentials through four career pipelines in stem, healthcare, design and financial services. Interns collectively earn over $3 million in wages each summer for themselves and their families. Achieve college internships: launched in 2020, the Achieve college internships program provides career-building opportunities for college juniors who are underrepresented in Twin Cities companies and local internship programs. Participants include step up alums, minneapolis and saint paul public school graduates, and Minnesota private college fund black men's success initiative scholars. Achieve Twin Cities has partnered with over 60 global businesses, local companies and community-based organizations to provide high-quality paid summer internships, mentors and professional networking for 150 students from 20 colleges and universities. The program also helps employers strengthen their recruitment and retention of talented, diverse students who want to launch their careers in the Twin cities.volunteer programseach year, over 400 Twin Cities community members and employees from local companies volunteer with high school students by introducing them to new careers, education opportunities and skills through school-based career events, on-site company worksite tours, step up mock interviews, Achieve college internships professional training, and other career exploration support. School-based career exploration events connect volunteers with high school students to share their career journeys and insights on a wide range of career and training opportunities. Through in-school career speaker events and off-site worksite tours, students explore new career fields, meet local professionals, see workers in action at their companies and learn the steps they need to take toward specific fields and industries. In the 2022-23 school year, 222 individuals from 160 Twin Cities companies and organizations served as career volunteers. Each spring, over 100 community volunteers participate in the annual step up mock interviews, interviewing and coaching step up youth participants one-on-one in preparation for their summer internship interviews. The mock interviews are part of step up work readiness training, which each intern must complete before they are matched with their summer employer. In 2023, 148 volunteers participated in these mock interviews. Local business professionals also volunteer with Achieve college internships participants through our "job winner" events. This past year, 39 talent acquisition professionals shared their career and industry insights with college interns, followed by one-on-one mock job interviews to help them practice and get feedback on their interview and presentation skills in preparation for future job interviews. In addition to these volunteer opportunities, employees from Achieve Twin Cities partner companies also volunteer their time with step up and Achieve college internships participants as work readiness trainers, career exposure event leaders and financial literacy and career skills event facilitators. Public engagement events Achieve Twin Cities also hosts public events that inform and spark conversations on a wide range of issues impacting our students and public schools and connect our local community with opportunities to support and advocate for young people. Launched in 2012, Achieve Twin Cities edtalks features compelling short talks and conversations with cutting-edge educators, youth advocates, journalists, artists, researchers, policymakers and others on a wide range of equity-focused issues that impact our young people and public education. Based on the tedtalks model, edtalks raises public awareness of critical topics and strengthens community engagement and advocacy for our young people and public schools. Edtalks events are livestreamed, and its videos and podcasts are available on the Achieve Twin Cities website and youtube channel. In partnership with minneapolis public schools (mps), the annual principal partner day matches Twin Cities business, philanthropy, media and civic leaders one-on-one with mps principals for a half-day of job shadowing at their schools. Participants get a rare behind-the-scenes experience at an mps school, see their principal in action and interact with staff and students. Following their school experience, they gather with other event participants to share insights and explore next steps in response to what they've seen and heard that day. Achieve101 and lunchbreak with Achieve Twin Cities provide opportunities for community members to hear from our career and college readiness (ccr) staff experts, visit our school-based centers and explore ccr and youth workforce issues. Participants hear from Achieve program leaders and other partners in this work, meet young people who utilize our services, and find out how they can support students as internships employers, volunteers, donors and community partners.

Minneapolis public schools partnership - see schedule ominneapolis public schools (mps) partnership: in addition to being a strong program partner through career and college readiness services for 20 mps high schools, Achieve Twin Cities also serves as the nonprofit foundation for mps. In this role it assists the district in securing major grants for stem programs, educator pathway programs and other district priorities. It also manages $5 million in private funds for mps schools and departments, administers college scholarships for mps graduates and awards private mini grants for district staff development and classroom projects.