Director of Youth Operations
Phone: 612-673-3457
LaToya Balogun is the Director of Youth Operations, after serving as Youth Development Specialist for the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board. Balogun’s work with young people began as a lead teacher for We Win Institute at South High School, Andersen Elementary and Sanford Middle School, as well as We Win’s after‐school program. Looking to enhance both knowledge of young adults and her personal skill‐set Balogun enrolled in the Urban Teacher Program at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, where she volunteered as a Public Achievement coach at FAIR School, while working as a community educator at Elizabeth Hall Elementary. She transferred with Deans List honors to Metropolitan State University, graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in English with a community organizing/development minor.
Balogun has served as an ESL tutor with Project SHINE at Centro Guadalupano and published two articles for the Minneapolis Spokesman‐Recorder, and has been an advisory board member for the McKnight Foundation. With dedication and compassion, Balogun continuously seeks out ways to be an advocate to and for young people.
In addition to Balogun’s advocacy she is also a trained facilitator in the MN Technology of Participation Facilitation methods and processes. Her work as a facilitator with community organizations, program and action planning have enabled Balogun to gain the wisdom of many diverse and comprehensive audiences aimed at engaging youth and adults and organizations together.
Balogun’s contributions as a youth worker, leader and facilitator have been acknowledged through several awards: Public Health Hero for his leadership with the Minneapolis Youth Congress in 2012, the Police Chief Harteau’s Merit Award for her work and coordination for the Youth Coordinating Board’s Downtown Youthworker Team in 2013 and the MN Technology of Participation ToP Facilitator Champion in 2013.