YCB Staff Work Plan

Northside Youth Collaborative June 11, 2013 meeting notes

Present: Merci Rocha (World Vision); Rick Maas (MPD), Latrell Beamon (Parks); Julie Austin; Akuro Imbu; April Graves (Juxta); Oliviah Walker, Wendell Johnson, D’Ana Tijerina (MPH); Zoe Hollomon, Lataijah Powell (Appetite for Change); Teresa Harrold (METP), Jocelyn Beard (MPS); Caroline Descher, Paul Lee (Avenues); Pastor Kelly Chatman, Angela Bonfiglio (Redeemer); Barbara Johnson, Dana Kuehn (McKinley); Alicia Uzarek (West Broadway Business & Area Coalition); Amy Shanafelt (U of M Center for Health Equity); Sam Grant (Afro Eco); Michael Chaney (Project Sweetie Pie); Nardal Stroud (NRRC); Jo Haberman (YCB).

Latrell started the meeting with welcome, introductions, agenda review, and announcements:

Oliviah – handed out agenda for BUILD training on youth gang prevention and intervention, coming up on Friday, June 14th for Northside youth workers. Oliviah and Wendell will be doing at least nine BUILD trainings around Minneapolis.

D’Ana – introduced herself, new Minneapolis Public Health staff - she will be inviting young people to participate and have a voice in the work she does. MHD Healthy Living Team looking to engage youth The Minneapolis Health Department’s Healthy Living Team is looking to engage youth and support youth leadership in changing their community environment within the areas of: healthy eating, physical activity, smoke-free living. Currently, we are looking for organizations and programs that engage youth to learn more about youth engagement within Minneapolis and explore possible collaborations or partnership. If you would like to set up a meeting- please contact D’Ana Tijerina at D’[email protected]. The Healthy Living Team supports initiatives to make places where we live, work and play healthy and safe. Projects focus on policy and systems change in the areas of healthy eating, physical activity and smoke-free living. Recent examples include: increasing accessibility to fresh produce through the corner stores program, Safe Routes to Schools, and smoke-free policies in multi-unit housing. D’Ana Tijerina CDC Public Health Associate Minneapolis Health Department 250 South 4th Street, Room 510 Minneapolis, MN 55415-1384 612-673-3928 D’[email protected] Meeting Notes

This meeting agenda was split between Youth and Jobs, and Healthy Food (Jobs and Youth, and Health Food, are two of the six key issues identified by Northside youth at the January 2013 Youth Forum organized by Appetite for Change and adopted by Northside Youth Collaborative.)

Merci facilitated the discussions.

Youth and Jobs Merci asked everyone to share information about the jobs they offer youth.

Juxtaposition Arts – trains youth in art & design. First step is 8-12 week training, and building a portfolio. Connections with jobs in community. Step-Up program connection. Freewall apprenticeships - $7.25/hr. Spring/summer/fall availability; 20-25 total youth - including 12 – 15 new youth plus 12 – 15 returning apprentices.

METP – Minneapolis Employment and Training Program – 1,900 youth participate in summer Step-Up/Achieve jobs - $7.25/hr - Tammy Dickenson is METP staff contact. 42 youth participate in Achieve Minneapolis year-round jobs placements. - $7.25/hr.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program provides for 402 youth openings – including options for 60 youth with disabilities; six community organizations are in the WIA partnership, including HIRED, Workforce Centers, etc.

PARTNERS for Youth annual conference for Minneapolis youth workers is organized by METP staff Pat Behrend and other community partners.

Annual Teen Job Fair also staffed by METP and other community partners.

Minneapolis Police Department – Juvenile Diversion - Crime Prevention Internship Program - summer program, looking for funding to go year-round, including leadership development for older youth; 16 Step-Up youth, 10 -15 other youth. Youth receive a stipend, lump sum. Interns learn about police and what they do. Also help with community events and tutoring at summer school locations on Northside, Southside, and Cedar-Riverside. Team of youth will be giving out resource information to other youth in downtown - at downtown farmer’s market. Redeemer Lutheran Church – Venture North is a new bike shop with youth apprenticeships - paying $7.25/hr. Six total youth positions, including coffee-shop -- two youth currently; five Step-Up youth openings. Afterschool program has 2-4 youth interns. Garden program has two youth.

Appetite for Change – Youth Advisory Board helping to develop employment program. Food programs – gardens, corner store initiative, etc. – have four Step-Up youth. Youth leadership opportunities - two young people right now - pay $8-13 per hour, based on experience.

AfroEco/Project Sweetie Pie – 16 Step-Up youth; 32 openings over-all; summer with potential for year-round; $3.85/hr.

Healthy Food Overview of what’s being worked on in North Minneapolis re: the local healthy food movement.

Afro-Eco - Sam Grant gave information about the vision of Afro-Eco and partner organizations – a coordinated, sustainable food system rooted in community-based economic development models that can lead North Minneapolis toward a future of both health and wealth. Plan for providing fresh local food to all Minneapolis schools; growing, warehousing & processing, and delivering -- using community cooperatives business models. Partners include: Project Sweetie Pie, Community Table Cooperative. Northside Fresh, Appetite for Change – Fresh Corners Project, Plymouth Avenue Green Team (NRRC), and others.

Everyone is invited - Monday, June 24th, 1:30 – 4:30pm at St. Olaf Church (2900 Fremont Ave. N.) - the second Social Innovation Lab on Sustainable Food in North Minneapolis. (first lab in March - 175 people)

Project Sweetie-Pie – Michael Chaney gave an update – 20 gardens in North Minneapolis, 10 gardens in South Minneapolis. S Mpls gardens are working with Gandhi Mahal Restaurant to supply fresh local foods to that business.

McKinley CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) - Dana Kuehn – the CSA has 70 members; there are mini-markets on Saturdays; 15 youth in the program, ages 9-14, participate in Thursday markets during July and August. Plymouth Avenue Green Team (NRRC) – Nardal Stroud gave an update re: youth employment and entrepreneur opportunities, and college internships;  three different community garden locations  total of 32 plots with seeds available for FREE to the committee community members in need of fresh produce;  five single parents or struggling families the opportunity to have a raised bed garden built in their back yard, free of charge. Those participating in the program will receive seeds, gardening classes, and support of others from the gardening community;  anyone participating in the program helps to support our two large food shelf plots, so we can help support those who may not be able to get their hands dirty in the garden

Appetite for Change - Zoe Hollomon & Lataijah Powell gave an update – Youth Advisory Board connects youth with food justice issues - including issues such as keeping profits and healthy food in the community, and policies for healthy food access; Youth Teams are forming and gardens are starting; Community Cooks classes teach about eating healthy; Fresh Start garden – food for pre-schoolers and families; Fresh Corners – fresh food at corner stores. Two Step-Up youth starting soon.

FYI: Twin Cities Urban Agriculture Connection: www.tcurbanag.com/list-of-urban-ag-related-groupsprojects-in-minnesota