Summit Academy OIC

Our mission

Since 1996, Summit Academy OIC has empowered individuals to break the cycle of poverty through no-cost vocational training, fostering economic participation across all backgrounds. Your support fuels stability and prosperity, enabling families to thrive and contributing to a vibrant community where everyone can achieve their full potential.

Our fundamental belief is the best social service program in the world is a job.  People like you make this happen.

Building strong communities 

As the only accredited, no-cost-to-student Career & Technical Education institution in Minneapolis, Summit Academy OIC provides life-changing opportunities for individuals facing systemic barriers to employment, primarily low-income individuals, and people of color. Thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, over 1,000 students each year receive hands-on training, mentoring, and career support at absolutely no cost or debt to them.

Summit offers 20-week training programs in high-demand fields such as construction, IT, financial services, and healthcare, preparing students for careers as medical administrative assistants, unlicensed dental assistants, and more. We also offer a 10-week GED completion program for adult learners seeking a fresh start. Our graduates leave Summit with industry-recognized credentials and go on to earn an average of over $43,000 annually, a critical step toward economic independence and a pathway to the middle class.

Your gift changes lives! 

Every dollar counts. A donation to Summit Academy OIC of: 

• $145 pays the cost for one student to take the GED exam
• $290 puts essential textbooks in the hands of a Dental Assistant training student
• $530 covers transportation for a class to visit a job site, bridging classroom learning with real-world career opportunities
• $1,065 equips two Electrician training graduates with a tool kit so they're equipped for their first day on the job
• $2,500 helps three students overcome unexpected barriers so they can stay in school, complete their training, and launch a family-sustaining career

Every gift strengthens the sustainability of Summit Academy OIC's no-cost to student workforce development model, ensuring life-changing training without financial barriers.

Your support helps strengthen families and create pathways to prosperity. This Give to the Max Day, your generosity can go even further. Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, gifts from new supporters or those giving again after some time away will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact for Summit students building brighter futures.

Learn more about Summit Academy OIC at saoic.org. 

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