2022 Annual Grants advance critical education priorities: science of reading and pathways to in-demand careers.
17 nonprofit organizations and 6 schools selected to receive funding for work aligned with the Foundation's goals and community needs.
The Ciresi Walburn Foundation has approved $1,370,000 in grants as part of the Foundation's 2022 Annual Grant Cycle. In total, the Foundation will provide grants in excess of $2 million during 2022.
"By identifying community needs and aligning our Foundation's investments with proven practices and bold ideas, we hope to see measurable impact here in the Twin Cities and across the state," said Mike Ciresi, chair of the Foundation's Board of Directors. "The philanthropic community must be leaders in pushing forward critical education priorities such as the science of reading and equitable access to meaningful, in-demand career pathways for students from all backgrounds."
“The philanthropic community must be leaders in pushing forward critical education priorities such as the science of reading and equitable access to meaningful, in-demand career pathways for students from all backgrounds”
As students, families, and schools continue to grapple with the impacts of the pandemic, consensus has been building on the importance of ensuring all Minnesota students have access to science-based literacy instruction. A recent APM Reports podcast (Sold a Story by Emily Hanford) highlights the need to ensure schools are using research-backed literacy strategies to improve academic outcomes.
The Groves Literacy Framework® and Groves Method™ are rooted in the “science of reading” and based on decades of research into how humans learn to read and write.
The Foundation is proud to support Groves Learning Organization and their successful Groves Literacy Partnership (GLP). The GLP model is rooted in research based on the "science of reading." The term "science of reading" represents a body of research from a range of disciplines--including cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics--about how the human brain learns to read and write and why some students face more challenges in becoming successful readers. The research also provides direction on how to teach reading so that all students can become proficient readers. The GLP model reflects these findings with its 5 components:
Literacy Curriculum
Data-based Decision Making
Multi-Tiered System of Support
Professional Collaboration
Ongoing Professional Development.
GLP works with each partner school for a minimum of three years as the school moves through a 3-phase implementation process.
Groves Literacy Partnership (GLP) works with each partner school for a minimum of three years as the school moves through a 3-phase implementation process.
"In partnership with teachers and administrators at Groves Literacy Partnership schools, our approach leads to the short-term result of many more students moving towards reading at grade level," said Bryan Fleming, President of Groves Learning Organization. "Of course," Fleming continued, "the long-term result is to create a universal shift in the delivery of K-3 literacy instruction."
Fleming and his staff at Groves Learning Organization believe that seeing a shift in how all schools deliver literacy instruction will improve the lives of students and families across Minnesota: "Studies show that when a person is able to read and write they are healthier, less likely to live in poverty, and are more likely to live with increased self-agency. GLP’s success of increasing a student’s reading fluency positions us as direct contributors to increasing a child’s ability to achieve success in college, career, and life."
Grants made during the 2022 Annual Grant Cycle are also reflective of shifting workforce development opportunities and needs, including the country's tight labor market and renewed focus on manufacturing and the trades. More than 20% of all US jobs require a high level of knowledge in at least one STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) field, and half of all STEM jobs are available to workers without a four-year college degree, including jobs in manufacturing, health care, and construction.*
Dunwoody Institute’s Pathways to Careers (P2C) program aims to increase access to the STEM fields for underrepresented student populations, including women and students of color.
As a result, the Foundation has invested in a partnership with Dunwoody College of Technology and is providing a grant in support of Dunwoody's Pathways to Careers (P2C) program. P2C is seidnged to attract, train, and graduate under-resourced, under-represented, and underserved students into well-paying, high-demand, benefit-eligible positions. Through an interactive model of engagement, mentoring, leadership development, and technical career exploration, P2C students graduate ready for careers in technical industries.
"P2C represents Dunwoody's commitment to advancing economic equity across all underserved and under-represented communities," said Bayza Weeks, Executive Director of Community Partnerships at Dunwoody College of Technology. "Through enhanced engagement opportunities, wrap-around support services, and community partnerships," Weeks continued, "we can dismantle disparities and gaps in high school and college graduation rates, income, and skills."
The P2C program at Dunwoody ensures meaningful connections between Dunwoody students, faculty, and staff.
The program is aiming for significant growth in the coming years to provide pathways to in-demand careers for current high school students as well as post-traditional adults. Weeks is clear-eyed about both the challenges and opportunities: “I firmly believe that incremental enrollment growth does not significantly impact our mission to disrupt the disparity gaps addressed within our community partnership scholarship programs. We must be willing and prepared to take some risks, maintain high expectations, and continue learning along the way."
*Rothwell, Jonathan. "The Hidden STEM Economy." Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings. (June 2013).
Full list of 2022 Ciresi Walburn Foundation Annual Grant Cycle grant recipients:
Nonprofit Organizations
Dunwoody College of Technology - $30,000
East Side Learning Center - $15,000
EdAllies - $100,000
FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra - $40,000
Great MN Schools - $50,000
Groves Learning Organization - $33,968
Little Free Library - $20,000
Minnesota Parent Union - $80,000
Montessori Center of Minnesota - $60,000
Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ) - $75,000
Reach Out and Read Minnesota - $20,000
Reading Partners - $50,000
St. Paul Promise Neighborhood (via Wilder Fdn.) - $75,000
Summit Academy OIC - $125,000
Teach Minnesota (TNTP) - $75,000
Way to Grow - $125,000
YWCA Duluth - $30,000
Schools
Ascension Catholic Academy - $100,000
Global Academy - $75,000
Hennepin Schools - $50,000
Prodeo Academy - $75,000
Hopkins Collaborative Lab School (Thrive Ed) - $25,000
Venture Academies - $35,000