Ideas at work
Find initiatives and collaborations addressing the needs of young children and learn about proven strategies for action.
initiatives and collaborations
Afterschool Alliance
The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met.
America's Promise
Founded in 1997 with General Colin Powell as Chairman and chaired today by Alma Powell, America’s Promise Alliance is a cross-sector partnership of 400+ corporations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and advocacy groups that are passionate about improving lives and changing outcomes for children.
Bridge to Benefits, Children's Defense Fund
Bridge to Benefits is a multi-state project by Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota to improve the well-being of families and individuals by linking them to public work support programs and tax credits.
Center for Youth Development
A part of the University of Minnesota Extension to ensure high-quality, out-of-school time learning opportunities for Minnesota youth.
Child Welfare resources
The Child Welfare Information Gateway connects child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. It features data and resources on topics from prevention to permanency, including child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption. Includes child welfare-related laws and policies, adoption agencies, support groups, and other information for each state.
Children, Youth & Family Consortium
The Children, Youth and Family Consortium (CYFC) works to improve the lives of children, youth, and families by supporting and creating new knowledge and encouraging the use of evidence-based knowledge in public and private policy development and family related professions.
Juvenile Justice Coalition of Minnesota
The Juvenile Justice Coalition of Minnesota (JJC) is a systems change and advocacy based state-wide organization that promotes state level juvenile justice reform in Minnesota. The JJC is an unincorporated association of juvenile justice related professional organizations, state agencies, leader, and stakeholders.
Minneapolis Youth Congress
The Minneapolis Youth Congress is a representative body of youth that has authentic power and influence in decisions and policies relevant to youth. The Minneapolis Youth Congress works in collaboration with elected officials focusing on a common understanding of the welfare of the youth in the City of Minneapolis.
Minnesota Alliance With Youth
The Minnesota Alliance With Youth is the leading convener, collaborator and capacity-builder for youth development in Minnesota. They work with and for youth to ensure that all young people have access to fundamental resources proven to ensure that youth succeed.
Minnesota Operation: Military Kids
The Minnesota Operation: Military Kids state team includes partners from the University of Minnesota Extension, the National Guard and Family Assistance Centers, the American Legion, Minnesota 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Army Reserves, and the Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network. This team works together to provide support and resources throughout the state for youth from military families.
Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting
MOAPPP is the statewide leader in promoting adolescent sexual health, preventing adolescent pregnancy and gaining support for adolescent parents. They work to develop, strengthen and advance science-based policies and programs.
Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association
YIPA's mission is to provide training and professional development opportunities for youth service professionals; program development opportunities and educational products for youth serving agencies; collaboration, networking, and advocacy for early intervention youth service organizations in Minnesota; and a voice for the youth of Minnesota.
PeaceJam
The mission of the PeaceJam Foundation is to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Laureates who pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody.
Project C3
Project C3: Connecting Youth to Communities and Careers is a partnership among several Minnesota state agencies and PACER, a Parent Training and Information center serving Minnesota families of children and youth with disabilities. Partners include the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Vocational Rehabilitation program and the Minnesota Department of Education to provide internships to help local youth learn, earn, and participate in community activities.
Ready by 21
The Ready by 21 Challenge is a call to leaders to use bigger goals, bolder strategies, better data, and broader partnerships to improve programs for children and young people.
Saint Paul Second Shift Youth Commission
The Saint Paul Second Shift Youth Commission is the place for young people in Saint Paul to have a voice at City Hall. Youth Commissioners practice youth adult partnership with other Saint Paul youth, city officials, and community organizations. Youth Commissioners do this by leading community action projects. The Youth Commission is made up of 22 youth from neighborhoods across Saint Paul.
School Readiness Funders Coalition
The School Readiness Funders Coalition is a collaboration of philanthropic organizations in Minnesota that believe every child must be ready for kindergarten. The coalition supports a collective policy agenda that strengthens accountability, provides new, focused leadership, and starts the larger conversation on adequately funding early childhood education.
Search Institute, Developmental Assets
The Developmental Assets are 40 common sense, positive experiences and qualities that help influence choices young people make and help them become caring, responsible adults.
Shared Vision for Youth
Minnesota is part of a national effort to coordinate local, state, and federal programs to better serve disadvantaged youth. The state’s own “Shared Vision” has become a national model in bringing together public and private organizations in creating a strategy to help the nation’s neediest youth.The goal of the effort is to serve children of incarcerated parents and youth that are court-involved, at-risk, homeless, runaway, migrant or Native American.
Spark Action
Brings together the latest news, research, trends and stories from across the child and youth field to inform and encourage action on the issues that matter most.
Youthprise
Youthprise was created in 2011 by the McKnight Foundation to increase access, quality, sustainability and innovation in learning beyond the classroom. The Minnesota Afterschool Network (formerly YCC) is now housed at Youthprise.
Evidence based strategies
These websites identify proven strategies to address this topic area. Keep in mind that each source differs in their definition of what is "evidence-based" or "proven."
Best Evidence Encyclopedia - Presents reviews of research-proven education programs in math, reading, science, early childhood, and comprehensive school reform. From Johns Hopkins University's Center for Research and Reform in Education.
The Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews - Systematic reviews on the effects of social interventions on education, crime and justice, and social welfare.
FindYouthInfo - Evidence-based programs that prevent and/or reduce delinquency or other problem behaviors in young people.
Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully (LINKS) - A reference for effective child and youth programs. It organizes the programs by outcome, age, and developmental stage.
National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) - Searchable registry of interventions supporting mental health promotion, substance abuse prevention, and mental health and substance abuse treatment. From the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Partnership for Results - School-based and after school programs for children and families.
Promising Practices Network - Features summaries of programs and practices that are proven to improve outcomes for children.
Social Programs that Work - Includes information about social program interventions across an array of topics, including early childhood through postsecondary education, housing, employment, crime, and health and mental health. Sponsored by the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy.
What Works Clearinghouse - Central source for identifying education programs that work. From the Institute of Education Sciences.
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