Yesterday, Youthprise’s Erin Martin, Policy and System Transformation Director, testified in support of SF 2197—the Drive to Thrive pilot program—at the Capitol. Drive to Thrive supports Driver’s License Education Academies for Opportunity Youth—young people ages 14 to 24 who are not in school and not working—by helping them overcome fees and legal barriers to licensure. Without a driver’s license, these young people often face an impossible choice: risk legal consequences to get to school, work, or appointments, or remain disconnected from employment, education, and housing opportunities. Ultimately, this is a public safety and workforce development issue. If Drive to Thrive is fully funded, Youthprise will launch a 2.5-year pilot in four communities—urban, rural, suburban, and tribal. This smart, targeted investment will support 800 youth in becoming legal, licensed drivers. Photo (L to R): Dominique George, Darius Duffie, and Rav’on Hill from World Youth Connect; Erin Maritin from Youthprise; and Kristi Cobbs from Ramsey County #DriveToThrive #OpportunityYouth #WorkforceDevelopment #PublicSafety (fb)

Youthprise plans to award grants of up to $70,000 to 10-15 qualifying organizations through our Culturally Grounded Wellness Grant Opportunity. Funding will support non-clinical, culturally centered, and community-based healing programs for youth in the Twin Cities region. This opportunity targets organizations providing various non-clinical supports, such as peer support groups, hotlines, wellness activities, creative arts therapies, and other activities. Funding emphasizes support for organizations with budgets under $750,000. As part of this opportunity, Youthprise is working in partnership with the Minnesota Institute for Trauma-Informed Education (MITIE) to facilitate a learning community for grantees. The deadline for applications is May 9th, 11:59 PM CT. More info is available at https://bit.ly/3JPI33n. #youthmentalhealth #mentalhealth #youthdevelopment #twincities #twincitiesmetro #OST (fb)