The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) works with the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools, and Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board to develop cross-jurisdictional goals, strategies, policies and action for the well-being of Minneapolis children and young people. YCB engages young people, in part through YCB's Minneapolis Youth Congress, as well as community organizations, funders, community leaders, and the general public to realize our collective vision and goals for Minneapolis children and young people.
GOAL 1: All Minneapolis Children Enter Kindergarten Ready to be Successful in School.
GOAL 2: All Minneapolis Young People Graduate from High School on time.
GOAL 3: All Minneapolis Young People have Access to Safe, Quality Opportunities to Learn Outside of the Classroom.
GOAL4: All Minneapolis children and young people will build the grit, curiosity and character to contributing citizens and residents engaged in furthering their education, career and civic life.
World Children's Day was November 20, 2022. We thought it was a good time to reflect on what "World Children's Day" could mean, especially as Minneapolis works with UNICEF USA on their Child Friendly Cities Initiative. With all that in mind, our Executive Director (Ann DeGroot) wrote down her thoughts and encourages us all to make Minneapolis a city in which our children can thrive. Please read our full letter to the Minneapolis community and share your thoughts with us. We cannot accomplish the dreams of our children without everyone involved. Thank you for all that you do!
On March 18th, 2020 the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board gave a presentation on the YCB's history, structure and some of the work we do. The presentation was delivered to our board and closest partners. It was originally planned as an in-person meeting, but was changed to a Skype presentation due to COVID-19 concerns.
Since enactment by state legislation in 1985 the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) has been leading a movement to actively and strategically engage the collaborative efforts of the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, community organizations and leaders, young people and the general public in realizing our collective vision for Minneapolis children and young people.
Our Vision: Minneapolis is a richly diverse city where every child is cherished, every talent nurtured, and every voice respected; where no child or youth is hungry, homeless, hurting or afraid; where children, youth and families are celebrated and supported; where youth and adults treasure what they offer to one another; and where young people grow to enrich their community now and into the future.
Our Mission: To champion the health, safety, education and development of Minneapolis’ children and young people through collective action and policy alignment.
Our Goals:
Together, we will make Minneapolis the best city for children, young people and families.
Youth Coordinating Board's 25th Anniversary Mural (2010)
Founded in 1985 through the leadership of Mayor Don Fraser at the urging of Superintendent Richard Greene, the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board (YCB) continues to remain a unique intergovernmental model that convenes and connects organizations in Minneapolis, across jurisdictions with the goal of implementing and coordinating policies, opportunities and services that benefit Minneapolis children and youth.
In 1987, the YCB embarked on City's Children: 2007, which would be the first of many successful YCB initiatives, including We Want You Back community-wide effort to re-enroll and help students finish high school, Way to GROW for early childhood development and the Step-Up program for summer youth employment (now both administered by independent agencies).
Nearly 30 years later the YCB implemented the Call to Action in 2012; a plan laying out the 4 goals needed to be achieved in order that Minneapolis become the best city in the United States for children and young people. An interjurisdictional team determined the primary focus areas for each of the goals which form the basis for the YCB’s work today and will into the future.
In 2014, the YCB launched the Minneapolis Afterschool Network ensuring that all Minneapolis young people have access to safe, quality opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. In addition to professional development opportunities for youth work professionals and a data base of information about the impact of afterschool activities on student success, it has its own website dedicated to connecting youth to afterschool programs and activities in Minneapolis called What's Up 612!
In the fall of 2015, the YCB released YCB Reports in conjunction with the Minneapolis Health Department. This report lays out critical demographic data about Minneapolis’ children and young people. The addition of Voices of Our Generation gives a very good picture of the City of Minneapolis in the voice of the young people of Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Youth Congress is one of its most successful and important accomplishments of the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board. Established through a Youth Coordinating Board resolution followed by Minneapolis City Council, Hennepin County Commission, Minneapolis Public School Board and Minneapolis Park Board resolutions in 2006, the MYC is unique to the Youth Coordinating Board. The Minneapolis Youth Congress is constituted of fifty-five members, eighth through twelfth grade, from across the City giving them the opportunity to help ensure that, when the public jurisdictions consider policy and regulations impacting youth, there will be “no decision about us, without us” and has proven invaluable to elected officials and city leaders.