The Minneapolis Promise
Fast Facts

STEP-UP

Over 14,000 Minneapolis youth have received summer jobs through the STEP-UP program since 2004.
86% of STEP-UP youth are of color.
93% of STEP-UP interns come from families living in poverty and with limited access to professional training or employment opportunities.
211 businesses employed 1,980 youth during summer 2011.
The top five STEP-UP private sector employers in 2011 were U.S. Bancorp, Wells Fargo, HealthPartners, Thrivent and Best Buy.

Centers are located in seven Minneapolis Public High Schools and in eight specialty high schools.
Minneapolis Public School students visited the Centers 67,000 times in the 2010-11 school year.
Nearly 17,000 students visited the Centers to work on My Life Plan milestones in the 2010-2011 school year.
Center coordinators provided individual assistance to more than 3,000 students in the 2010-2011 school year.
Graduation rates have risen from 53% to 78% since the Centers were established in 2005.
College enrollment has risen from 48% to 63% since the Centers were established in 2005.
The rate of students taking the ACT has risen from 50% to 79% since the Centers were established in 2005.

1,117 Minneapolis graduates have enrolled in college via Power of YOU since 2006.
686 Minneapolis graduates have enrolled at the University of Minnesota through U Promise since 2006.
191 STEP-UP interns have enrolled at the University of Minnesota from since 2006.

Visits every ninth grade class, since 2007, at Minneapolis Public High Schools to talk about planning for their future.
Promotes college awareness through "I Know I Can Day," reaching out to third graders at Minneapolis Public Schools since 2007.
Encourages local employers to pledge summer jobs for STEP-UP youth.

Last updated Jan. 4, 2012