Great Gains at Summer Ventures

Each summer, Urban Ventures provides daily programming for local students. The days are a mix of academic support, concentrated literacy initiatives, and various enrichment field trips.

The program is designed to fight against the “summer slide,” where students academically regress during the summer months, losing gains they’ve made during the school year. This year the program was more important than ever. Studies are showing that the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected students of color and  increased the achievement gap1.

Summer Ventures included a special focus on literacy training. Improved reading ability raises overall academic performance. Every subject in school requires reading, so when students are better at reading comprehension it removes barriers to becoming better at every other subject as well.

We are very happy to report that every student improved their reading scores over the summer. Not only did they avoid the summer slide, but they made gains over the summer break and will be better prepared as they head to the classroom this fall, and less likely to fall behind.

Students also participated in an at-home “read-a-thon” where they were encouraged to read in the evenings with family. Students tracked their time, racking up 46,267 minutes of on-their-own reading! That’s over 12 hours of reading per kid!

Beyond academic support, students also had the opportunity to choose from different electives. Activities included robotics with Create MPLS in our new Innovation Center, pottery at Northern Clay Center, tennis with Inner City Tennis, watersports with Inner City Surf, and trips to Mall of America, Valleyfair, the 3M Open, and Twins games. We’re grateful for the many partners who made the enrichment activities possible.

It was a great combination of work and play, and we’re eager to see how our students do this fall as they return to the classroom. We logged over 15,000 interaction hours with our Summer Ventures students. With 100% making academic gains over the summer, it was well worth it. And it wouldn’t be possible without donors and volunteers, people like you, who continue to support, encourage, and selflessly give to the people in our neighborhood. Thank you!

---

Work like this is only possible through donations from people like you. Make a donation today to keep programs like Summer Ventures going.

Statement Regarding Shooting Incident Near Urban Ventures

Yesterday evening (May 24) there was a shooting incident near the Urban Ventures soccer fields during soccer practice. While thankfully no players were hurt, one of our beloved coaches suffered a minor injury from a stray bullet. We are grateful that his injury did not require further medical attention.

The shooting took place on the corner of 5th Avenue and 29th Street. Two vehicles stopped near each other and exchanged gunfire. Coaches worked to quickly encourage students to seek cover. Some of the shooters ran away on foot while others drove away. The police arrived and are investigating the shooting. Urban Ventures has provided security footage and will work to help the investigation in any way possible.

Although this incident did not take place on Urban Ventures property—nor were UVA programs targeted—it is nonetheless a terrifying incident that was far too close to our students.

Due to the traumatic nature of this event, we have cancelled all soccer activities for Tuesday, May 25. On Wednesday, May 26 at 6pm, we are inviting soccer players and their families to meet in the Colin Powell Center auditorium to discuss this incident. In addition to the coaching staff and members of the Urban Ventures management team, we are working to have trauma counselors and members of the Minneapolis Police Department on hand to meet with players and parents.

As we remember the life of George Floyd, exactly one year after his life was taken in such a horrific way, I am reminded of how strong and resilient this community is—and how, even in the most difficult times, we support each other.

We will remain steadfast in our efforts to protect children when participating in Urban Ventures programming.

We thank God that nobody was seriously injured tonight, and we hope you will join us in praying for lasting peace in our city.

Sincerely,

Dave Hawn
President & CEO

Students react to becoming Act Six 2021 scholarship recipients

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 50+ 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 step in our cradle-to-career pipeline.

You make moments like this possible when you donate to Urban Ventures.

5 Beliefs That Drive Our Work

Why do you do what you do? What are the underlying beliefs that drive how you live?

At Urban Ventures, our driving mission is to end urban poverty. It’s what gets us up in the morning, and fuels us throughout the day—and we’re not alone.

Over 1.5 million nonprofits are registered in the United States and many address poverty like we do. So with countless organizations out there, who do you stand behind? Who do you trust?

Here are five key beliefs that drive our work:

---

1. We believe in living out our faith.

Urban Ventures is proud to be a faith-based organization. With the principles and teachings of Jesus at the center, we are led to serve all people and treat everyone with love and respect regardless of their beliefs.

Our faith compels us to action.

We strive to make our neighborhood one that reflects the justice and love that characterize God’s dream for the world. We trust in the power of God to use the seeds we plant in the hearts of those in our community to produce fruitful, long-term change.

2. We believe place matters.

Nearly 30 years ago, we moved into the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis and have been rooted there ever since. Seeing the beauty and potential of what others then called “Crack Alley,” we made the corner of 4th and Lake St. our home.

Today, we remain hyper-local—focused on a 25-block area that is bordered by 35W to the west, East 26th St. to the north, Portland Ave. S. to the east, and East 35th St. to the south.

Our neighborhood has changed over the years, but one thing remains the same: our commitment to love and be present in this community.  

Three decades later we are more committed than ever to seeing our neighborhood thrive and each of our neighbors reach their full potential.

3. We believe relationships come first.

The ongoing process of transformation happens through relationships, so we strive to prioritize relationships in all we do—whether with our supporters, neighbors, program participants, or partner organizations.

Relationships are the lifeblood of Urban Ventures.

Plus, urban poverty is a complex issue that we can’t possibly solve alone. Addressing poverty requires the ingenuity, creativity, and generosity of a diverse community. So while relationships catalyze the process of transformation, they also foster a more effective, dynamic approach to fighting poverty.

4. We believe education changes everything.

The majority of adults in our neighborhood grew up in poverty, and data shows that their children are likely to remain in poverty, too. 

While we continue to be committed to a holistic approach, we have ramped up our focus on education. Why? Because research shows that a high-quality education is the single greatest mechanism for breaking the cycle of generational poverty.

With this in mind, Urban Ventures is committed to doing whatever it takes to prepare and send every child in our neighborhood to college, or some form of post-secondary school, by 2040.

And while we strive for that goal, we’ll continue to serve parents, caregivers, and our community as a whole to ensure that kids have the supportive environment they need to succeed.

5. We believe in finding creative ways to make donations go further.

We aim to maximize the impact of every dollar given to Urban Ventures. To do that, we strive for financial sustainability through launching and growing social enterprises. 

Over the years, we’ve sold coffee, honey, kombucha, lip balm, soap, t-shirts, mugs, and more. We’ve started a Mobile Farmers’ Market, a CSA, and a café on the Midtown Greenway.

While the enterprises evolve, our goal remains to create job opportunities and generate revenue to fund Urban Ventures programs.

In fact, last year, 20 percent of our revenue came from sustainable sources! That means your donation to Urban Ventures goes even further.

These core beliefs guide us at Urban Ventures.

They are part of our DNA. So while we work to educate kids, strengthen their families, and create a healthier community, we are doing it from a place-based, people-first, faith-inspired perspective.

We prioritize education while holistically supporting families. And we strive to sustain it all, and maximize the impact of your financial support, by developing innovative social enterprises.

If this is your heart too, then welcome to the team.

Urban poverty is a complicated issue, and despite progress, half of the kids in our neighborhood still live in poverty. We know how to change those numbers and break the cycle of poverty for good, but we can’t do it alone. We need a community of supporters and advocates. We need you.

It’s not about what or how much you give. It’s about all of us pursuing a better world together. 

So, will you join us?