YMCA News Archive

34th Minnesota YMCA Model United Nations Brings 300 Youth Together to Learn About Global Issues March 25 - 27

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:38:38 +0000

34th Minnesota YMCA Model United Nations Brings 300 Youth Together to Learn About Global Issues March 25 - 27 jeffrey.needham Mon, 03/22/2021 - 08:38

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will bring together 300 students in grades 7-12 at the Minnesota YMCA Model United Nations for a three-day virtual conference that will help them explore pressing issues that face the world.

Model UN participants represent nations around the planet and practice compromise and diplomacy to solve global problems. Some topics students will discuss include election security and reform, plastic waste in oceans, global hunger and food insecurity, biological black market, control of space, public displays of religious practices, global exchange rates, building a lasting peace and more. The goal of Model UN is to teach students to be responsible world citizens in our global community.

“Model UN helps students develop a global perspective,” said Orville Lindquist, program executive for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice. “During the time of a pandemic and the many issues that divide nations, it more important than ever to bring people together to find common solutions to complex, worldwide problems. This experience helps young people grow as leaders and learn to respect multiple points of view in a rapidly-changing world.”

WHO:
YMCA Center for Youth Voice

WHAT:
Minnesota YMCA Model United Nations Virtual Conference (with in-person leadership component)

WHEN:
Thursday, March 25 – Saturday, March 27, 2021

Media Invited:

Thursday, March 25, 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. for the opening ceremony or 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. for program sessions
Friday, March 26, 9:00 a.m. – Noon for program sessions

About the YMCA of the North

The YMCA of the North is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Established 165 years ago, the Ys provide life-strengthening services across the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities. The 29 Y locations and program sites, eight overnight camps, 10 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 370,000 men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit www.ymcanorth.org.

YMCA Center for Youth Voice, LeadMN and the Center for the Study of Politics Celebrate 50 Years of Youth Voting and Political Engagement in Virtual Event March 23

jeffrey.needham — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 14:05:37 +0000

YMCA Center for Youth Voice, LeadMN and the Center for the Study of Politics Celebrate 50 Years of Youth Voting and Political Engagement in Virtual Event March 23 jeffrey.needham Thu, 03/18/2021 - 09:05

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will partner with LeadMN and the Humphrey School Center for the Study of Politics to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Minnesota ratifying the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Minnesota was the first state to ratify the amendment after its passage through Congress.

The celebration will include an overview of the efforts to pass the 26th Amendment, which was led by a coalition that included the YMCA, the National Education Association, the AFL-CIO and the NAACP. The celebration will also include a panel on youth political engagement and the opportunity to talk in small groups about ways to cultivate a culture of civic engagement in each generation.

“Minnesota has a long, proud history of civic leadership so it’s not surprising that we led the way in ratifying the 26th amendment, extending the right to vote to millions of young Americans and giving them a voice to help shape our country,” said Amy Anderson, executive director for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice. “Young adults have been and continue to be a driving force for change in our nation and it’s critical that we continue to seek ways to cultivate a culture of civic engagement in each generation.”

To register for the event and more information, visit www.leadmn.org/26th-amendment-celebration.

WHO: YMCA Center for Youth Voice, LeadMN and the Center for the Study of Politics

WHAT: Celebrating 50 Years of Youth Voting and Political Engagement

WHEN: Tuesday, March 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. via ZOOM

About the YMCA of the North

YMCA Collaborates with Minnesota Safe Streets to Reduce Violence and Build Thriving Communities

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:29:12 +0000

YMCA Collaborates with Minnesota Safe Streets to Reduce Violence and Build Thriving Communities jeffrey.needham Mon, 03/01/2021 - 09:29

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, is partnering with Minnesota Safe Streets, a community-based organization focused on providing boots on the ground and coordinating efforts with local law enforcement agencies, to reduce violence and create safe, thriving neighborhoods.

The Y and Minnesota Safe Streets are focused on four key strategies to create a safer Twin Cities:

Collaborate with law enforcement
Build partnerships with cross section of neighborhoods
Improve job and economic opportunities
Share clear community standards that protect and respect all in the community

"Minnesota Safe Streets is committed to the development of a collective impact network that will deploy the power of our community-based organizations in a collaborative effort to overcome the violence that continues to threaten our people,” said Al Flowers of Minnesota Safe Streets. “The best solutions are always those that are developed and delivered as close to the community as possible, by people who have already established trust and respect with those they will serve. We are confident that with sufficient support and resources, Minnesota Safe Streets will impact neighborhoods, transform lives, and create the kind of community we all want and deserve for ourselves and our children; a community devoid of violence and full of opportunity. "

“The YMCA is committed to making our communities safe for everyone,” said Glen Gunderson, president of the Y. “With Minnesota Safe Streets, we believe positive outcomes of reducing violence, providing access to resources and restoring hope are possible.”

To learn more about collaboration, an outside news conference will be held and details are below:

WHO:
YMCA of the North and Minnesota Safe Streets

WHAT:
YMCA Collaboration with Minnesota Safe Streets to Reduce Violence and Build Thriving Communities

WHERE:
North Minneapolis YMCA Parking Lot on 1711 West Broadway Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55411

WHEN:
Thursday, March 4 at 11:00 a.m.

AGENDA:

Announce Collaboration between YMCA and Minnesota Safe Streets
Discuss Key Current Priorities
- Formalize collective impact network by establishing a common agenda, shared outcomes and expectations, and a clear process of accountability.
- Recruit and train 30 Navigators and supervisory staff for deployment at strategically important locations in the metro area.
- Establish a communications network with a broad range of stakeholders to include law enforcement, businesses, local government and neighborhood organizations.
Share Support Activities For Chauvin Trial
- Deliver a minimum of three Critical Incident Response Teams for rapid deployment following the eruption of violence in the metro area.
- Provide a visible and continuous presence in the community through the deployment of 30 Navigators.
- Be a source of accurate information to the community related to the trial and how it is impacting the community.

About the YMCA of the North

About Minnesota Safe Streets

Minnesota Safe Streets is a Collective Impact Network that mobilizes community assets to overcome the violence that threatens to upend lives and destroy neighborhoods. This network believes that the best solutions to the problems we face are those that are imagined, developed, and implemented by those who are closest to the situation. Minnesota Safe Streets also believes that most of the solutions needed to solve most of the community’s problems have already been conceptualized, and that the real challenge we face is finding an effective way to coordinate and resource these disparate efforts.