The Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) is proud to partner on this new financial literacy program for local youth.  Dollars and $ense is funded by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education through the College Access Challenge Grant Program (a federal program that seeks to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education).

Funded projects included:

• Transition program for 8th grade low-income, minority, or first-generation college-bound students as they transition to the high school.  This project focuses on a series of events aimed at increasing the comfort of students as they enter high school and will help them develop the skills necessary for a successful freshman year.  Sessions will cover career exploration, academic course offerings, graduation and college entrance requirements, the importance of Grade Point Average (GPA), and related testing.  This project, run by the Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) program, will also include a family event to acquaint parents with the possible access routes to education and the support that is available.

• High School students in the Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes (TORCH) program will attend summer sessions on college campuses.  This program will introduce students who are at risk of not continuing their education to an experience that makes the goal of a college education a true possibility.  Participating students will spend between 1 and 8 weeks on a college campus this summer.

• College campus visits to Dakota County Technical College and to the University of Wisconsin – River Falls.  Approximately 35-40 8th grade students from the Northfield Middle School English as a Second Language class and middle school ALC program will make the field trip to both college campuses.  These campus visits will expose students to two different types of post-secondary programs as a starting point for discussion about the cost and types of training/educational opportunities available.  Most students selected for the campus visits are potential first-generation college students who have had limited or no exposure to the steps and processes that are a part of going to college or visiting college campuses.  These campus visits will stress the importance of graduation from high school and will highlight how additional education and training can improve employment opportunities.

• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) Experience.  Students from the Northfield Area Learning Center are planning and preparing for a trip to the BWCAW.  Students will use asset- and character-building skills and potentially earn additional school credit for the experience.

• Support for programming of the Northfield Union of Youth (NUY), located at the Key in Northfield.  The Key provides free, quality programming to Northfield youth during at-risk times of the day (after school to curfew).  Students develop and maintain relationships with positive, caring adults during their time at the Key.  Youth involved in Key programming have a history of increased school attendance.  The Key currently has seven weekly programs, including Book Club, Physical Activities Club, Writing Workshop, Family Game Night, Art Night, Movie Night, and Cooking Class.

“In a nation where 7,000 students drop out of high school every day, we hope Northfield’s initiatives inspire other communities across the nation to take action to solve the challenges facing their young people,” said Marguerite W. Kondracke, America’s Promise Alliance president and CEO.  “Northfield is especially deserving of this recognition due to their efforts to ensure that their young people graduate high school and go on to lead healthy, productive lives. Northfield refuses to let the challenges they face determine the future for their young people. Instead, they are helping their youth prosper and become contributing members of society.”

The Northfield application was organized and written by high school juniors and seniors in the Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC).  The MYC is a City Council-appointed commission charged with assuring a youth voice in community decision-making.

This year, more than 300 communities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were nominated for the 100 Best distinction.  Winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of 20 judges that included: Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League, Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Michelle Shearer, Chemistry Teacher, Urbana High School, 2011 National Teacher of the Year.

As a “100 Best” winner, Northfield will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America’s Promise Alliance’s community development resources.

Congratulations — and thank you –  to everyone who works to help make Northfield a great place for local youth!

TORCH and the other nine programs were recognized by MMEP at its annual meeting last week in St. Paul.  TORCH presented its college access model to elected officials and community leaders from across the state.

Now in its 6th year, TORCH works to increase the high school graduation and college attendance rates of Northfield’s low-income and minority students, as well as students who would be first-generation college attendees.  More than 250 Northfield youth in grades 6-12 participate in TORCH, plus over 100 high school graduates.

Congratulations to the TORCH project on their trailblazing efforts!  TORCH is supported by funding from the Northfield Area United Way, Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Blandin Foundation, Women In Northfield Giving Support, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation, and the Xcel Energy Foundation.

Available positions include:

• Growing Up Healthy — College Health Corps VISTA (Northfield & Faribault)
• Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes – College Access & Alumni Specialist (Northfield)
• Northfield HCI and Growing Up Healthy – Resource Connector & Community Organizer (Northfield)
• So How are the Children – Kids Connection School Success Program (Faribault)
• Carleton College Academic Civic Engagement – Science & Higher Education Access Program (Northfield & Faribault)

To learn more about these positions and to apply, click on the VISTA Recruitment Flyer.

Spread the word to those you think might be interested in these exciting positions!

Currently, TORCH serves over 190 Northfield students in grades 6-12.  They are Latino, English Language Learners, low-income students, and youth whose parents did not attend college.  TORCH provides academic and social support, mentoring, career exploration, and connections with postsecondary education opportunities.

Over the past four years, TORCH has helped to increase the graduation rate of Northfield Latino students from 36% to over 90%.  Of the 27 TORCH students who graduated in spring 2009, 22 are planning to pursue postsecondary education next year.

The funding from Great Lakes will support the continuation of the high school portion of TORCH throughout the 2009-10 school year.  The grant will fund the TORCH High School Coordinator position, the AmeriCorps Promise Fellow at Northfield High School, and an educational assistant to work with TORCH students, as well as trips to college campuses.

“TORCH is a remarkable collaborative initiative that makes a real difference in the lives of many Northfield youth,” said Marnie Thompson, Northfield High School Assistant Principal and TORCH Project Director.  “We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Great Lakes.  This grant will assure the continuation of this important program at the high school level that helps our students graduate and pursue their dreams of higher education.”

TORCH is a collaborative among Northfield Public Schools, Familias en Accion, Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges, Mentoring Coalition, Centro Campesino, and the Minnesota Alliance with Youth’s Promise Fellows initiative.

For more information on TORCH, please contact Marnie Thompson at 507-645-3450 or Marnie.Thompson@nfld.k12.mn.us