Northfield Healthy Community Initiative

Continue a nationally recognized communitywide collective impact Initiative (Northfield promise: every child. Cradle to career.) To support the Healthy development and academic success of all Northfield youth. Effort was named by strivetogether as one of 12 "proof point" communities (first in Minnesota) for systems changes achieved and improving outcomes for children. Connect more than 150 children with high-quality early childhood programs. Provided internet access to nearly 500 youth to ensure online schooling during pandemic. Led school/community partnership to improve 3rd grade literacy scores.

Rice county chemical and mental health coalition: build and support a countywide coalition to address chemical and mental health. Provided training to over 550 Community members last year on identifying & responding to mental health concerns. Lead countywide opiate response network.

Build networks of collaboration between youth-serving partners in the Community to expand access to out-of-school-time programming (primetime network in Northfield and faribault youthconnect! In faribault, collectively providing after school and summer programming to over 2,000 youth last year). Improve academic outcomes for low-income youth and students of color in grades 6 - 12 (torch, serving over 375 local youth in Northfield; rise, serving over 125 youth in faribault). Assist with the development of three Community schools in rice county, serving over 1,500 youth. Support local Community college courses and pathways for careers in the Community for 95 graduates of color and young adults from low-income households.

Help connect more than 500 low-income Community members and newcomers to Community resources and build social capital within these groups through work in local mobile home parks and apartment complexes. Lead evidence-based home visiting program (parentchild+) with over 60 families in rice county.grow "youth first," a multi-pronged Initiative to promote youth engagement (more than 90 youth serving on local boards and commissions), youth philanthropy (hosting youthbanks, where high school-age youth develop requests for proposals and fund youth-led projects), youth health (working to reduce youth drug and alcohol abuse and promote mental well-being), and youth future (promoting career exploration and career pathway opportunities), as well as resources for opportunity youth (more than 100 youth per year). Expanded all of these efforts to countywide (serving Northfield and faribault).