Project Success

Since 1994, Project Success has focused on offering students the opportunity to explore educational and professional options – including tours to various post-secondary education institutions and discussions about the possibilities for their futures. When students approached us seeking an even deeper dive into the skills that will take them through the rest of their lives, we responded by launching the Project Success Institute in 2018. 

The Project Success Institute, located in the heart of Minneapolis at our headquarters, is a warm, inviting flexible classroom space providing enriching learning opportunities and a supportive learning community. Through our 10-week certificate programs, students dedicate time outside of school hours to explore potential career paths and build skills that will allow them to refine their goals, build self-assurance and prepare for the workforce. They culminate in a certification from Project Success which students can use to boost their college and job applications.

90% of high school students report that Project Success helps them create a plan for after graduation.

Over the last 3 ½ years, more than 500 students have earned 830 certificates.  

The PS Institute is open to ALL Minneapolis Public Schools high school students – nearly 9,000. More than half of our students live in households that qualify for free/reduced lunch and nearly a fifth have learning differences that benefit from individual support. As with all Project Success programming, we work diligently to break down barriers to access for PS Institute students through free registration and transportation, accessible and inclusive spaces, and learner-centered, culturally responsive instruction.  

Currently, our four courses in Coding, Cooking, Personal Finance and Bike Tech enroll at an average of 25 students each for a total of 100 students each week, 2 hours a course, for 30 weeks of the year and demand continues to grow. PS is seeking to expand resources to increase our certificate options for students, including adding multiple levels in courses such as coding and bike tech, and expand our offerings to include subjects such as entrepreneurship, media arts, cybersecurity, and real estate through community partnerships. 

Our goal is to raise a total of $25,000 on Give to the Max Day to keep the PS Institute open and thriving for students who need it today and in the future.

“Project Success helped me develop new skills and life tools like communication, making connections and networking. I am the positive, outgoing, challenge-ready individual I am today because of the traits and lessons PS instilled in me.”

-Temi, PS Alumna