FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – October 6, 2022 — A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Wednesday, October 12, to celebrate the grand opening of Urban Ventures’ Cornwell Early Learning Center in South Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez, Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley, and other local leaders including principals, business leaders, and families, will be in attendance to recognize the important addition to the South Minneapolis Community.
Urban Ventures is a faith-based non-profit that has served the Philips, Central, and surrounding neighborhoods in south Minneapolis for nearly 30 years. Urban Ventures offers “cradle-to-career” programming to support children and families at every stage of life, with the goal of sending every child in the neighborhood to college or another form of postsecondary education. The Cornwell Early Learning Center is one of the most significant expansions of UV’s “pipeline of support.”
“Most kids in our neighborhood arrive at kindergarten without the basic skills they need,” said David Hawn, President and CEO of Urban Ventures. “Kids who start behind often stay behind. This center is another way of demonstrating our commitment to helping prepare kids in our neighborhood to succeed.”
Located in the Colin Powell Center, Urban Ventures main building and community center, the Cornwell Early Learning Center (CELC) is a state-of-the-art early childhood education hub. The CELC can serve up to 84 students and their families. Children’s ages range from six weeks old through preschool. The center began accepting students last fall, earning a four-star Parent Aware rating in its first year of operation.
The center specializes in helping low-income families gain access to high-quality childcare. Research shows that children who experience the greatest gains from quality, stable early childhood education – lower income and BIPOC children – also experience the most barriers to affording and accessing that care. Urban Ventures mitigates these barriers by helping families navigate the complicated process of applying for county aid and offering scholarships to make enrollment affordable. The entire family benefits from this model.
MaryBeth Stotts, Director of the CELC, extolled the benefits of having a center within Urban Ventures. “We know that to serve kids well we need to serve their families well. Because we are a part of Urban Ventures, we can offer programs to parents and older siblings that most centers don’t have. It’s not just that your child is getting important developmental support, but you can also join a class on parenting or financial literacy. Your older kids can take music lessons, receive intensive reading support, or get after-school homework help. We’re able to come alongside the entire family.”
The final piece of construction, an outdoor play area, was added in front of the Urban Ventures building this summer. The space provides a safe and secure place for children to play outdoors. Key to the design was leaving the existing trees intact. “It’s unique to have a small, wooded area for kids to play in the city. And after all that’s happened in our community these last few years,” shared Hawn, “it’s a joy to see kids playing outside near Lake Street.”
The ribbon-cutting celebration will take place on Wednesday, October 12, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Colin Powell Center (2924 Fourth Ave South). The event will include remarks from local officials, a story time and song by the children, and a testimonial from a parent of children in the center.
