FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2021
St. Paul Youth Services Receives $30,000 “A Community Thrives” Grants From USA TODAY NETWORK and The Gannett Foundation
St. Paul Youth Services will receive $25,000 National Merit Grant and $5,000 Local Operating Grant for YouthPowerMN
October 5, 2021 (Saint Paul, MN) – St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) was announced a grant recipient of A Community Thrives, a grantmaking and crowd-funding program from the USA TODAY NETWORK and a part of the Gannett Foundation, today. SPYS will receive a $25,000 National Merit Grant and a $5,000 Local Operating Grant for YouthPowerMN.
A Community Thrives supports non-profit organizations with projects focused on community building and has helped to contribute more than $17 million since 2017. This year, A Community Thrives engaged participants in 45 states.
SPYS’ mission is to improve our community’s collective ability to engage and support Black youth by pioneering practices, creating tools, and sharing resources. We reach an average of 400 youth a year through our YouthPowerMN physical and digital organizing hubs, in-school Behavior Intervention Program, Pre-Charge Diversion program providing an alternative to court for first-time offenses, and partner workshops. The A Community Thrives grants will support our YouthPowerMN programs, online and in-person after school programs that partner with Black youth to bring them into the process of creating solutions to community challenges. Through the programs, youth demonstrate increased confidence and a positive sense of self, identify and articulate personal goals, develop infrastructure for sustainable, youth-led systems change, connect with peer networks, and earn a living wage.
In YouthPowerMN we believe in Kids Changing Systems vs. Systems Changing KidsSM.
“We are proud of the work SPYS has done to enhance Saint Paul. At Gannett, we take pride in supporting the organizations that make a positive impact in their communities. Through A Community Thrives, we lend financial support to that purpose as well as rally the whole community to champion a good and meaningful cause,” said CEO and Chairman Mike Reed.
About A Community Thrives: A Community Thrives is a grantmaking and crowd-funding program from the USA TODAY NETWORK and is part of the Gannett Foundation. A Community Thrives supports non-profit organizations with projects focused on community building and has helped to contributed more than $17 million since 2017.
About USA TODAY NETWORK: USA TODAY NETWORK, part of Gannett Co, Inc. (NYSE: GCI), is the largest local-to-national media organization in the country, powered by our award-winning newsrooms and marketing solutions business. With deep roots in local communities spanning the U.S. with more than 250 local media brands, plus USA TODAY, we engage more than 140 million people every month through a diverse portfolio of multi-platform content offerings and experiences. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.
For Media Inquiries, Contact:
Dr. Tracine Asberry, Executive Director
tasberry@spys.org, 612-481-6501