The Minnesota Internship Center partners with communities and learners to achieve academic, career, and life success.
The Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC) is a public charter high school that is sponsored by Pillsbury United Communities. MNIC opened in 2003 with the goal of providing high-quality educational and career development experiences to learners with multiple challenges or those who have encountered difficulties in traditional public school settings. Today MNIC serves nearly 500 learners at four Minneapolis/St. Paul sites, and employs 70 full and part-time staff.
Things that make MNIC a unique place for students and staff:
Focus on Relationships
MNIC focuses on building strong professional relationships with our students. Students stay with the same one or two teachers all day. This minimizes transitions during the school day which is helpful to our students. All MNIC staff and volunteers play an important role in creating an environment where everyone is valued and understood.
Strong Support
The MNIC school mission speaks to academic, career, and life success for our students. All MNIC staff focuses on this holistic mission, but the Student Support Services Team consists of staff members who focus on non-academic student needs. The Students Support Services Team includes the Director of Student Support Services, school social workers, the Housing Liaison, the Health Coordinator, College and Career Advocates, Sexual Health Mentor, and AmeriCorps Promise Fellows, along with many volunteers and interns.
Safety Team
The MNIC Dean of Students leads the MNIC Safety Team. Safety Team members work at each of the MNIC sites and provide mentorship to students to help ensure safe student behaviors and strong support to students during times of stress and tension during the school day.
Highly Engaged Activities
Many MNIC students have had very interrupted educations, and as a result, have become somewhat disengaged with the learning process. MNIC provides students with highly engaged activities including field trips, speakers, service learning projects, hands on classroom activities and the opportunity to earn credit while working or volunteering in the community. These opportunities are made possible with the help of volunteers and the funding provided by your donations.
Without the help of donations, grants, and volunteers, we would not be able to spearhead initiatives such as our student prom, our School Free Stores, and field trips for our students.