“It’s not just that we know this neighborhood has some of the hardest working individuals in the city,” says Jess Coykendall, Director of Lake Street Works, “It’s also that this neighborhood has a greater need for a program like ours. A program that can help teenagers build a future worth working for.”
We’re excited to share some key findings from a recent study that highlights the effectiveness of Urban Ventures’ Pathway to New Beginnings program. This research confirms what we’ve seen firsthand: individuals who participate in the program are significantly less likely to reoffend, especially compared to those who don’t have access to these kinds of support.
For those interested in the details, the full research paper available for download here. It provides an in-depth look at the outcomes and the unique elements that make Pathway so impactful.
The study followed participants over a two-year period and found that those who completed the Pathway program were 70% less likely to be convicted of a new crime compared to a similar group of individuals who didn’t participate. This stark difference in recidivism rates, particularly for violent or weapons-related crimes, demonstrates the program’s ability to help people break free from the cycle of reoffending.
Pathway to New Beginnings isn’t just about avoiding charges—it’s about offering meaningful support to help participants turn their lives around. Several key components make this program different from traditional criminal justice approaches:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Participants receive CBT, which focuses on changing the thought patterns and behaviors that often lead to negative actions. This is especially helpful in managing emotions and improving decision-making, which reduces the likelihood of future offenses.
Trauma-Informed Care & Trauma-responsive: Many of the individuals in our program have experienced significant trauma, and the Pathway program takes that into account. Through trauma-informed care and trauma-responsive care, participants learn how to recognize and heal from past traumas, while developing healthier coping mechanisms.
Group Support and Peer Mentoring: Weekly group sessions provide a supportive space for participants to share their experiences and learn together. Led by peer mentors with lived experience, these sessions create a sense of connection and trust, which is essential for personal growth.
Individualized Case Management: Each participant works with a case manager who helps them navigate their unique challenges, whether it’s finding a job, accessing mental health services, or meeting program requirements. This one-on-one support helps ensure that participants have the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Holistic Support Services: Beyond addressing the immediate legal issue, Pathway helps participants access employment support, mental health services, and substance use counseling as needed. This comprehensive approach tackles not only the legal consequences but also the underlying factors that may contribute to criminal behavior.
The study also revealed the importance of completing the program. While nearly 70% of participants successfully graduated and saw significant reductions in recidivism, those who didn’t complete the program had higher rates of reoffending, sometimes even higher than those who never participated. This shows that the program’s structure and continued engagement are key to its success.
Pathway to New Beginnings is also addressing racial disparities in our criminal justice system. A large proportion of participants are Black men, a group that has been disproportionately affected by gun possession charges. By providing an alternative to traditional prosecution, Pathway offers a chance to avoid incarceration and the long-term impacts of a criminal record.
None of these successes would be possible without the generous support of our donors. Your contributions allow us to offer these comprehensive services that empower participants to make lasting changes in their lives. The lower recidivism rates and positive outcomes we’re seeing are a direct reflection of your belief in our work and your commitment to the well-being of our community.
As we continue this important work, we’re hopeful about the future. The results from this research show that Pathway to New Beginnings is making a meaningful difference. That difference has been noticed. This year, Urban Ventures launched a similar role for the city of Saint Paul.
If you’d like to learn more about the program and its impact, we invite you to download the full research paper here. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making Minneapolis a safer, stronger community for everyone.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Building Better Futures: Urban Ventures Announces Grand Opening of Innovative Lake Street Works Vocational Training Center
Minneapolis, MN – 2/20/24 – Urban Ventures is pleased to announce the grand opening of the newly renovated Lake Street Works training center at 3017 4th Ave S. The training center is a pioneering vocational education facility designed to empower underserved communities of Minneapolis. The event on Tuesday, March 5 at 5 pm, will highlight the essential role skilled trades play in providing high-paying and fulfilling career paths.
The Lake Street Works training center recently underwent an extensive renovation and now boasts enhanced accessibility, modern life skills training areas, and a workshop equipped with industry-standard tools and workbenches. These vital updates ensure students gain firsthand experience in carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, and a variety of finishing trades, closely mirroring the real-world industry settings they will encounter.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, vocational careers often lead to median annual wages significantly above the national average, offering a viable alternative to the four-year college route and underscoring the value of trade skills in today's economy.
"We're excited about the potential this remodeled training center brings to our community," said Dave Hawn, President of Urban Ventures. "Offering an alternative to the traditional educational path, Lake Street Works equips students with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to pursue fulfilling careers in the trades, contributing to the economic vitality of our neighborhood."
The program’s director, Jess Coykendall, adds, “Exposure is one of the biggest challenges that local youth face with getting a foot in the doorway to a career in construction.”
The Lake Street Works program has a track record of success, with numerous participants receiving scholarships to trade schools and securing positions in the trades upon completion. This underscores the program's efficacy in not only teaching practical skills but also in nurturing personal growth and professional development.
“The majority of our students graduate the program having already engaged in their career plan, giving them a head-start over most other high school graduates.” Coykendall shares, “We want to give youth the means to break the generational cycle of minimum wage job hopping. Construction is a well-paying career that doesn’t require a traditional 4-year degree or $100,000 worth of debt. There are a million different strong avenues within the construction industry that a student could choose to pursue.”
Victor Cortes Smith, a graduate of Lake Street Works, explained how the program changed the trajectory of his life. “We learned hard skills downstairs and soft skills upstairs. The different projects we built, the team building activities we did, the field trips we took, all helped me get to a position I never thought I would be in.” Victor is now studying at Dunwoody College of Technology on a scholarship obtained through his time at Lake Street Works.
The grand opening event offers an opportunity for the community to explore the new facilities, meet with educators, coaches, and students, and discover the positive impact of Lake Street Works.
For more information about the Lake Street Works program and the grand opening event, please visit lakestreetworks.org. Join us as we celebrate this milestone in vocational education and community development.
About Urban Ventures:
Urban Ventures is a non-profit organization focused on breaking the cycle of poverty in South Minneapolis through education, family support, and community building initiatives. With a holistic approach, Urban Ventures offers programs for every age and every stage of a child’s development, from cradle to career.
About Lake Street Works:
Lake Street Works is an after-school workforce development program serving young men and women, high school seniors from the lowest income communities of Minneapolis. Students develop both trade skills and life skills through program counseling, instruction, activities, mentoring, and hands-on learning.
Contact:
Photos and videos from the training center and student projects are available upon request.
Luke Trouten, Director of Development
Urban Ventures
Email: media@urbanventures.org
Phone: 612.545.9874
The other men exit the room as Nathan settles down in his chair, next to the plaque he just received. Class finished a few minutes ago. For most of the others, they’ll be back in a month to continue. But today is graduation day for Nathan, he has officially completed the Pathway to New Beginnings program at Urban Ventures.
The Pathway program began as a pilot with the Minneapolis Department of Justice. The impressive results have made it a template for cities around the nation looking for a different approach to nonviolent firearm arrests.
Nathan's journey to the program mirrors that of others — by choice, albeit a constrained one. "I didn't want to be here," Nathan admits, "but it was either this or jail. So, I figured I'd endure the stupid program."
Pathway offers an alternative for individuals arrested for unlawful firearm possession, often discovered during unrelated activities. Nathan, like many, was apprehended during a traffic stop. "I was on my way to my mom's house," he explains. "Someone had broken into her garage, and I was going to help secure it." Instead, he found himself in front of a judge.
Previously, such charges meant jail time and/or a fine. Minneapolis recognized this punishment did little to deter residents from carrying unregistered weapons, as most were rearrested within a year. For many, a criminal record meant lost work opportunities and social support, fostering desperation and likely leading to further crime. It was a feedback loop where the intended solution only amplified the issue.
Pathway adopts a different stance. Looking back, he laughs about his initial attitude. “I was 100% the rebellious teenager. I assumed it was all part of a system to punish me. I didn’t like the idea of it.” However, he began to sense that something was different about this approach.
The program was conceived by Priscilla Brown, a trained therapist profoundly affected by gun violence — her son was killed by an unregistered firearm. Her grief catalyzed a quest to understand the prevalence of gun violence and potential deterrents.
Pathway aims to address the root causes of firearm offenses. Many, like Nathan, feel compelled to carry a weapon for protection. "You experience things very young, and they become your norm." He hadn’t even reached middle school before his first experience with gun violence.
Around 10 years old, while outside a local market, older kids started ushering them around the corner. Behind him, Nathan heard yelling, and then gunshots. Not long after that he was talking to a friend about defending himself. Like most teenage boys he was convinced he could win a fight. His friend paused before making a sobering statement, “Man, people don’t fight anymore.”
“It’s so rooted in the community,” Nathan reveals. “You end up having to brace yourself all the time. Everything is so volatile. It can go from me and you having a conversation to shots fired.” Nathan shares stories that, sadly, are too common where he grew up: being robbed at gunpoint, kids dying from stray bullets, a family member who was murdered due to mistaken identity.
“You realize that nobody is going to come save you. But a Black man with a gun is considered a criminal. I just want to make it home. But it’s not seen as wanting to defend ourselves, it’s not considered our right as citizens.”
It can feel like there is no alternative path. The feedback loop intensifies. It’s a literal arms race between those who cause harm and those trying to avoid it. “We’re taught conflict. We’re taught disconnection. We’re not taught the resolution and reconciliation piece of life. We only know what we see, and that’s a lot of trauma.”
Asked what makes Pathway different, Nathan doesn’t hesitate. To him, it’s obvious. “This is not a gun diversion program. This is group therapy. And it’s needed.”
“This is not a gun diversion program. This is group therapy. And it’s needed.”
The program involves classes and exercises focused less on firearms and more on creating the life participants desire.. As Nathan explains, “As I got older it wasn’t the life I wanted for myself. But it was the life that was given to me.”
This feeling of being trapped creates a difficult tension. Nathan continues, “The most important term I learned in this class was ‘cognitive dissonance.’ I feel that, I was taught this life from an early age. I knew how to operate the gun before I knew the laws around it. You know it’s wrong, you know that your way of thinking is wrong, but you justify it.”
The program allowed Nathan to reflect on his motivations, distinguishing between reactions (emotionally driven) and responses (rooted in understanding). “Now I have the tools to think in a long-term state of mind, not just short term.”
He explains how the program has helped him strengthen his emotional intelligence. “I don’t need a gun to feel safe,” he says, “and this isn’t worth my life.” Overcoming his past's momentum is challenging, but during the last class, Maurice, one of the directors, reminded the men, “Be who you are, not who somebody else told you you’re going to be.”
Yet, the stigma of a criminal record persists. “People look at me and say, ‘there goes trouble.’ They judge me based on how I look. They don’t know I work in IT, that I’ve worked for Fortune 500 companies. They just see how I look and where I live and think they know me.”
A key Pathway benefit is the eventual expungement of records, which has significantly lowered recidivism rates among graduates. For Nathan, this was a decisive factor.
“We’re not criminals, we’re humans. Humans make mistakes. Mistakes are how we learn. Some of us just bump their heads harder than others.” He sees potential in programs like Pathway, designed with an understanding and kindness often absent in the legal system.
As a graduate, Nathan now focuses on reemployment and financial improvement. “It’s tough, there are so many barriers. I understand why guys say, ‘I might as well go back to what I know.’” But with newfound self-awareness, he remains hopeful. Maurice echoes the sentiment, “I have never seen someone get what we’re trying to do here as much as he does. He is the perfect example of what can happen in this program. Who knows, maybe in a few years Nate will be running this place.”
Our big goal is to send every child in our neighborhood to college or another form of postsecondary education. One of the greatest barriers to a college education is cost. Through the Act Six program, students receive full-need, full-tuition scholarships to one of our six parter colleges and universities.
One of the highlights of our year is sharing the news with applicants that they have emerged from hundreds of applicants to become one of the 40 scholars chosen to receive the scholarship.
In addition to financial support, each of these young leaders will receive leadership development training and academic support through Urban Ventures during their college career. It is a crucial part of our cradle-to-career structure of support and an pivotal moment in the lives of these students, their families, and our community.
You can make moments like this possible when you donate to Urban Ventures. Will you donate today and help continue expanding access to education and creating more moments like this?
