A recent article in the Star Tribune featured students of the Destination 2010 project, an example of a successful private/public partnership in the state of Minnesota.
Destination 2010 began in 2001 when The Minneapolis Foundation partnered with 7 local schools to provide special programming for the entire 3rd grade class at each school for the next 9 years.
The goal was to see if a combination of programming and the use of liaisons who worked side-by-side with kids — to help them and advocate on their behalf within schools — would significantly improve the odds that these children would eventually graduate from high school and pursue a post- secondary degree.
The incentive for these youngsters to participate? If they maintained good grades, and remained in either the Saint Paul or Minneapolis school districts, they would receive a $10,000 scholarship for college or $5,000 for vocational training. Not too shabby.
Of the original group of students only 135 students remain scattered across 42 schools in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. For those who remain it’s clear that the program has made a huge impact on their lives.
In the Star Tribune article participant DeShaun Banks reported,
“It definitely made me work harder in school, knowing that Destination 2010 was the backbone right behind me. It’s like a support group for teenagers to stay in school and get where you want to be.”
Destination 2010 is just one example of the many public/private partnerships that grantmakers across the state of Minnesota have undertaken. MCF will be reporting on the power of partnerships in our next issue of Giving Forum, our quarterly newspaper on grantmaking in Minnesota, which will be released next week. Click here to sign up to receive this free, quarterly newspaper.
Chris Murakami Noonan reported on Destination 2010 and other educational initiatives undertaken by MCF members in the Summer 2009 issue of Giving Forum. If you’d like to learn more about Destination 2010 specifically, read the article in the Star Tribune, or visit The Minneapolis Foundation website.
-Cary Lenore Walski, MCF web communications associate
