Women United

A child development center in South Minneapolis, Baby’s Space creates a cycle of academic success and prosperity for families dealing with the systemic impacts of poverty, racism, and exclusion. They have two key goals: 1) to graduate young children who are healthy, compassionate, and developmentally prepared for school success and 2) to support children, parents, and staff in being engaged and empowered contributors to a thriving neighborhood and broader community.

Esperanza United mobilizes Latinas and Latino communities to end gender-based violence (GBV). They believe no one organization will end GBV; it requires capacity building, leadership development, and shifting the work into the hands of Latino community members. Programs aligned with Women United’s focus area include (1) a six-week financial literacy course which includes $500 in financial assistance for participants to open a bank account, (2) financial support to assist high school students with college application fees or ACT tutoring, and (3) an employment readiness program to help train participants in food service jobs, including translation services.

Founded in 1974, Centro Tyrone Guzman is the oldest Minneapolis-based multi-service Latine (1) organization, with the mission: to contribute to the well-being of Latine families through a holistic and intergenerational approach to education, health, and wellness. They use a family-centered, Montessori-influenced approach to serve and engage around 3,000 individuals annually, from infants through elders. Across all programs, they use Family Engagement and Community Engagement strategies to support their participants in sharing their skills, standing up against injustices; creating innovative responses to community needs; and preserving and celebrating the traditions that have shaped their lives.

Network for the Development of Children of African Descent (NdCAD) is a culturally-based family education center focused on the healthy development of children. They do this by 1) preparing children for success in school and life, 2) equipping parents/caregivers with information and tools that allow them to support and advocate for children, and 3) helping families develop strong literacy and cultural foundations in homes. Building community around our children is a value that grounds and guides their work. They build and strengthen the community village (and adult villagers), so the village can raise, educate and support our children in the context of history, culture and heritage.

Phyllis Wheatley Community Center has proudly served the Minneapolis Community since 1924. Among the many programs offered, the following programs are aligned to the Women United focus areas: Mary T. Wellcome Child Development Center – certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children; Community Resource Services (CRS) – a wraparound program that works peripherally with all PWCC’s other direct service programs that link families to resources in the community; and DigitalTechWorks Academy – a new digital skills program targeting youth and young adults (primarily women) and providing them with pathways to workforce development and digital certification in the technology space.

Founded in 1989, Way to Grow addresses the gaps in early childhood education through intensive home visiting services and supportive programming. They provide family support and stabilization services, health education, early learning/school readiness support, elementary education services, tutoring/academic support, and parent engagement programming. They aim to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to succeed in school and life.