YWCA Minneapolis

Early childhood education (ece): high-quality nationally accredited early childhood education was provided at five Ywca children's centers across the twin cities. In 2021-2022, 657 children ages six weeks to 11 years old were served. Experienced professional teachers partnered with families to prepare children to excel in school and life. Our unique play-based, anti-bias curriculum incorporates values of diversity and conflict resolution skills. Learning opportunities incorporated into every part of the day promote social and emotional development, language and literacy development, creativity and the arts, cognitive development and physical and motor skills. With the ever-changing landscape presented by the pandemic, we continued to tailor our programs and services to meet families' needs. Educational outcomes: for children in care for six or more months in 2021-2022, 85 percent demonstrated age-appropriate developmental progress, and 93 percent of preschoolers met rigorous early learning standards indicating school readiness. Early childhood education workforce development: this program provides access to comprehensive training and support for participants to complete a child development associate (cda), a foundational post-secondary credential for pursuing a career in early childhood education and all the more needed given the teacher shortage resulting from the pandemic. This training opportunity provided a professional career pathway for 117 enrollees, 86 of whom graduated with 63 obtaining a cda in early childhood education. All enrollees live in low-income households, 70 percent identify as people of color (as we engaged more out-of-state participants), most will be working to enter or re-enter the workforce and many are single mothers.

Girls & youth: five Ywca Minneapolis out-of-school-time and summer programs equip twin cities youth with the skills and experience to nurture their confidence, relationships and power to be leaders in their lives and communities. Our programs advance systemic change in schools and communities by promoting the value of youths' lived experiences, ethnic and racial identities, and diverse perspectives. Culturally-responsive high-quality programs use research-based curricula focused on academic success, positive social/emotional development, leadership skills and physical health. In 2021-2022, 716 youth were served in afterschool programs at 17 Minneapolis public and charter schools and two Ywca locations. Through continued disruptions due to covid-19, we adapted programming to remain a consistent presence in participants' lives. Proven results: in 2021-2022, 93 percent of youth reported having a positive relationship with a caring adult, and 98 percent reported having positive peer relationships.

Health & wellness: three Minneapolis locations provided state-of-the-art fitness facilities, swimming pools, group fitness classes and fitness coaching for 12,000+ members in 2021-2022. The ongoing covid-19 pandemic changed where and how people exercised and impacted revenue and operations. We continued to offer virtual and in-person programs and services to best meet members' needs, supporting them on their wellness journey, all while working to eliminate health disparities. A welcoming, inclusive environment supports the participation of people across cultures, income levels and age. Health & fitness scholarships: Ywca Minneapolis makes fitness accessible by offering fee-based scholarships to youth, adults and families who cannot afford the full cost of a membership. In 2021-2022, 391 scholarships were awarded to support community members' fitness memberships. In august, 2021 over 450 individuals registered for the inaugural race against racism 5k run/walk, an in-person, socially-distanced race to raise awareness of racism as a public health crisis and promote racial justice and health equity.

Racial justice and public policy: the racial justice and public policy program engages, connects and leads the community in eliminating racism. Creating space for meaningful and open dialogue about racism and privilege is the critical first step to building an equitable and inclusive community. In 2021-2022, we motivated and empowered over 2,200 people to understand racism and privilege and take action to end racism in their communities, where they work and live through public forums, community dialogues, workshops and trainings, including annual events it's time to talk: forums on race and it's time to act! Forum series. Through inc.lude equity and inclusion consulting, we serviced over 40 clients, assessed more than 350 individuals through the intercultural development inventory and facilitated 64 workshops. Legislative priorities: our legislative agenda is aligned with our mission. In 2021-2022, priority agendas included: racial and gender equity in our systems and institutions, gender-based violence, health disparities, equitable workplaces and long-term stabilization of the childcare sector, out-of-school-time girls and youth programming, and inclusive and accessible civic engagement.