Youth & Family Circle Inc

"Please join me in supporting Youth and Family Circle. You'll be glad you did" - St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter

Give to the Max Day 2022 is finally here for Youth and Family Circle!

We have grown in the past year, but the need has expanded even greater. We have been blessed with a grant from St. Paul Public Schools, but we need more help!

For over ten years, Youth and Family Circle has been providing holistic services to BIPOC community in the Greater St. Paul Area. Due to Covid-19 pandemic and other economic factors, we have only seen the need in the community grow due to inequities in our economic system. 

Would you consider giving to help us reach our $10,000 goal?

Due to shifting needs in our communities, our focus in 2022 has been dual-pronged in both our After School Enrichment Program & Annual Summer Camp.

1) Our mainstay - Annual Summer Camp

We have conducted a yearly summer camp since 2011 that has positively impacted hundreds of local families. 

2) After-School Enrichment Program

In 2020, birthed out of need during the pandemic. We opened up Saint Paul's first distance learning center. Many of those in our community are low-income and work retail-type jobs. Ones where parents were not able to work from home and watch children during school hours.

In 2022, our focus is now on tutoring, which we actively do and have a long wait list for. 

Our two main goals are:

1. Get students caught up on what has been missing during virtual learning
2. Advance students to the next grade level

Overall - Here are the nine reasons we exist!

1. Academic support is of the utmost importance because participants success rate, whether it be getting a job, pursuing post-secondary training or education, or avoiding at-risk behaviors relies  in large part upon remaining enrolled in school. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, many youth  have fallen behind in their studies and need assistance to catch up and pass their courses. 
2. Educational events will include information which is pertinent to the whole family unit. These seminars focus on prevention tools to inspire positive outcomes in the areas of drugs and  alcohol, internet usage, and other at-risk behaviors, as well as promoting the development of  soft skills such as security, friendship, and respect. Budgeting and cost forecasting and  anticipation are taught in the financial literacy seminars, so participants realize the cost of  education as well as living expenses. 
3. Mentorship partners participants with a caring, understanding adult who will be straightforward with them, but who is also there to listen to participants’ needs, fears, and  desires and to guide them with problem-solving techniques and resources. 
4. College tours allow participants a glimpse of what their future may hold if they work hard and stay the course. It also offers participants the opportunity to evaluate what career or vocation  they are interested in pursuing. 
5. Job shadowing gives participants a firsthand view of what different careers or occupations involve. 
6. Support groups allow participants to share experiences and interests in a safe and secure setting. 
7. Community engagement reinforces the value of contributing to society, developing new relationships, and serving others. 
8. Career Day provides participants with information on and requirements of various occupations and professions, as well as job market and industry statistics and metrics. This helps  participants explore their vocational interests and the corresponding opportunities. 
9. Summer camp allows participants to enjoy and learn from the outdoors and to develop team building skills as well as trying new activities.

ABOUT: Youth and Family Circle aspires to positively impact the community by providing programs to children and families, including summer camps, support groups, seminars, and educational events. Our focus is on immigrants who are newer to Minnesota and the United States, mainly East African migrants who may be low-income and below the poverty level. We have a physical location in Ramsey County and provide programs and activities in our facility and elsewhere in the community.