Dinomights

The organization served 557 youth ages 5-18 with a minimum of 7-10 hours of programming per week, our most ever participants. The overall goal of the program is encompassed in the mission statement: "to equip our urban youth to develop physical, academic, social, and spiritual excellence." Physical excellence: the ice hockey program is where students develop their potential for physical strength, agility, and coordination. It incorporates practices and games during hockey season (skating 2-4 hours/week from october through march); hockey camps (1-2 weeks in june/july and 1-2 weeks in august. About 20 hours programming each), street hockey, and other physical activities in the summer. Dinomights is part of the minneapolis park and recreation league as well as usa hockey and Minnesota hockey. The hockey program is also recognized by the nhl as one of only ahandful of hockey is for everyone programs in north america. Hockey players are given skills evaluations at the beginning and end of the hockey season. Academic excellence: the elementary tutoring program meets once a week at cristo rey jesuit high school during the school year (tuesdays, october through april). Individualized lessons are prepared for every tutoring student. Reading instruction is provided for youth who are reading at or below grade level. Homework help and supplemental academic activities are provided after the reading lesson. Middle school and high school tutoring meets for 2 hours each week for the entire school year from september through june. Middle school tutoring is focused on homework completion, writing, study skills and character building. High school tutoring is focused on creating a culture of achievement, homework completion, post high school planning, and goal setting. Power camp is an intensive weeklong academic program during the summer built around a discovery theme. Youth have the opportunity to participate in discovery time, drop-everything-and-read (dear) time, and computer time. Last year power camp focused on toy design. Community service is encouraged and required for participants. Each year, we offer the "greg carroll learn 2 skate" program. Students volunteer in partnership with richard green elementary school, hope academy, hiawatha leadership academy, and riverview, maxfield, and adam's school of st. paul to teach first graders to ice skate. In addition, groups have served at feed my starving children, packing over 40,000 meals for developing countries. Middle school teams have served overnight at simpson homeless shelter. Alumni students are encouraged to develop strong leadership skills by serving as tutors, camp counselors, and coaches. Mentoring, coaching, and peer relationships encourage spiritual development. Positive adult volunteers and staff, motivated by their own personal faith, understand and model positive behaviors in all program activities and life situations. In addition, youth have the choice to attend other optional opportunities such as summer camps and/or bible studies. Accomplishments: o 100% of the Dinomights class of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 graduated from high school on time. O 100% per year of tutoring students increased their reading grade level. O 95% respond positively when asked if Dinomights has helped them make friends that are different from them and helped them to motivate others. One student wrote, "i have made a lot of friends on the dinomight team and it has helped me motivate others like when we taught richard green elementary school first graders to skate." O when asked what they value most about Dinomights many students speak of the strong relationships with positive mentoring adults. One student says, "i've probably valued the relationships with some friends and coaches the most; even with some very different diverse people."