URBAN VENTURES
our mission and values
About Urban Ventures
30 YEARS | FAITH-BASED | EMPOWERMENT | FAMILY | COMMUNITY | HOLISTIC
Urban Ventures works to address opportunity gaps in academics, nutrition, physical activity, parenting resources, and more—all with the overarching goal to prepare and send every youth in our neighborhood to college or postsecondary education.
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ONE BIG GOAL:
To break the cycle of poverty by sending every child in our neighborhood to college.
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THREE THINGS:
Mind, body, and heart. Holistic growth sets Urban Ventures apart.
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FIVE STAGES:
A cradle-to-career model of support for kids and their families.
URBAN VENTURES MISSION STATEMENT
Educating kids, strengthening their families, and building a healthy community.
WE BELIEVE
Every kid deserves a fair chance.
But 1 in 3 youth in our South Minneapolis neighborhood are growing up in poverty—a burden no child deserves to bear.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY CRISIS IN MINNEAPOLIS
In our neighborhood, entire generations of families lack access to economic and social capital.
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Harsh realities affect many in the blocks surrounding our South Minneapolis campus:
OUR VALUES
Here’s how we approach the question
"How do you build a city without poverty?"
Vision
A city without urban poverty.
Mission
Educating children, strengthening their families, and building a healthy community.
Values
Faith, integrity, empowerment, growth, diversity, and sustainability.
Learn More.
What does it mean that Urban Ventures is a faith-based organization?
Urban Ventures is a faith-based organization. Our work is inspired by the example of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Bible. When Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, it wasn’t a suggestion. It was a mandate we fully embrace. Loving our neighbor takes on many shapes, forms, and expressions. But it never takes on the form of exclusion, hostility, or judgment.
We exist to serve with love and compassion, freely given without expectation. We believe that by serving others well we embody the values of joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and composure. Each of these fosters a sense of unity in our neighborhood and positive and lasting growth in our community.
Our faith leads us to action; we strive to make our neighborhood one that reflects the justice and love that characterize God’s design for the world..