News Flashes for 2010-11

Catalyst and CoreNet Lead Incredible Renovation of Unity!

On August 19, 150 volunteers form NorthMarq and other companies donated their time and effort to a renovation of Unity Campus. The donations of materials like paint and carper totaled nearly $50,000 alone.

Click here to see a slideshow gallery of this incredible project!

Chef Seth Joins MNIC Nutrition Effort

Spring 2010...MNIC is beginning a wonderful partnership with an organization called Real Food Initiatives. We will be working with Chef Seth Bixby Daugherty to improve the nutritional components in the meals. The goal is to be serving “Real Food”, and get away from processed items. Melissa Kappenman who is the School Nutrition Coordinator and Chef Seth will be working with students to help them better understand the importance of nutritional planning and its relation to healthy eating; along with creating a life skills course teaching kids about the link between cooking and nutrition. MNIC will be Chef Seth’s only project at this time, which will be a great opportunity to explore this from every angle. For more information on Chef Seth here are a couple of links: http://www.realfoodinitiatives.com http://www.startribune .com/lifestyle/13041401.html?page=3&c=y

Amy Libman, the Director of Student Support Services announced that MNIC has been awarded one of nine College Health Corps VISTA grants allocated to the State of Minnesota form next year. The position will work ti increase access to direct healthcare services for MNIC students, their families and staff. The VISTA position will work with our People’s Center Clinic partners, and our medical career training programs to build capacity for all healthcare partnerships.

MNIC in new Partnership With Catalyst

Catalyst Community Partners revitalize key commercial corridors in distressed urban neighborhoods by developing real estate and sustainable businesses to meet community needs and provide neighborhood jobs. The have several key projects in North Minneapolis, including our Unity House site, which they purchased two years ago. Recently, they have helped engage a number of local businesses to help support Unity house through their partnership with CoreNet.

Sabathani student featured on WCCO TV

Janet White, Sabathani Site Leader was interviewed on the struggles of homeless students, December 7, 2009. The story featured the daily challenges of one of our Sabathani students.

See it here: http://wcco.com/specialreports/homeless.struggles.kids.2.1354824.html

Insight News article features Sabathani student

Chrystal Deramus, a Sabathani student was featured in an Insight News article written by Oliver White. “Deramus is a single mother, and must manage a synchronized routine that will allow her time to care for her children as well as find time alone to solve algebra problems and explore Black history. With few exceptions, she's up before six in the morning, orchestrating a process to wash, dress, and feed her children and board a bus to the baby sitter”.

Read the full article at: http://insightnews.com/education/4936-a-dreamer-not-deferred--a-devoted -charter-school--a-good-pair

 The Peoples Center and MNIC signed an agreement whereby the People’s Center Clinic operates a free clinic at East and at other sites. Services are based on income and/or medical insurance and assistance.

MNIC awarded Title V Grant for High-end Graphics Arts Technology

Fall 2009...MNIC received notice that the school has receive a very competitive Title V Grant for High-end Graphics Arts Technology. The value of this federal grant equals approximately $48,500. The grant will provide 16 custom-built computers coupled with professional level graphics software. Each computer will have Intel Extreme i7 Core processors. The computers will be built by General Nano Systems in St. Paul.

Summer 2009...MNIC received a federal stimulus grant which totaled $9400 in early summer to purchase a walk-in cooler. This cooler will allow MNIC to offer a better variety of unprocessed foods along with more fresh fruits and vegetables. These choices are not only more cost effective they are more nutritious for our students. The walk-in also gives MNIC the possibility of providing catering services to other schools. MNIC is also working on developing a culinary arts program; the cooler will aid MNIC students in increasing their knowledge of food.

Summer 2009...MNIC received a grant from the Bloomington Sam’s Club distribution center. The grant totals $2,000. It will be used to purchase the Naviance Guidance Counselor Database and bookshelves for the library at East High School . Naviance is web based and will greatly enhance the way the school can serve all of MNIC’s students. This software will support student career exploration, track student’s progress, and personalize an online portfolio to assist students with their personal success plan including finding job training and higher education programs. 

Another School Improvement Grant!!

Summer 2009...MNIC learned that we won another competitive School Improvement Grant for the MNIC Unity High School. Like the first one for East High School , the grant is for $300,000 over three years, and offers intense curriculum and methodology development. The grant was developed by Site Administrator George Sand and Andrew Adelmann of Designs for Learning, and our partners at Metro ECSU. School Improvement Grants are highly competitive grants from the MN Department of Education.

Kathy Reamer, Unity Site Leader and co-author will provide the leadership on this grant effort.

Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics Grant.

Summer 2009  The Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics has awarded MNIC a grant  for four Overhead Manipulative Kit and one Student Manipulative Kit.

Waste Management Grant

Spring 2009  MNIC has been awarded $11,000 over the next two years from Hennepin County. It came form as grant written by Support Services and Volunteer Director, Amy Libman. The grant will fund 2 stipended MNIC interns (they will do their internship both at MNIC and in local businesses) each semester for two years ($4000), bins to sort waste, organic waste bags and organic hauling. It includes service projects and field trips with MNIC's Science classes. We will also apply for an intern from Macalester college to assist with this. The end result is that our students will learn about green jobs and skills, they will help the community with green service projects, MNIC will lower it's environmental impact by increasing it's recycling and organic waste management. New partnerships will be made.

School Improvement Grant!

Winter 2008-9...MNIC was notified that we won a competitive School Improvement Grant for the MNIC East High School.   The grant is for $300,000 over three years, and offers intense curriculum and methodology development. The grant was developed by Site Administrator George Sand and Andrew Adelmann of Designs for Learning, and our partners at Metro ECSU. School Improvement Grants are highly competitive grants from the MN Department of Education.

Lisa Cooney, was hired to lead this effort; she was a principal in Yuma Arizona before joining MNIC. There have already been dramatic changes in academic scores for the work Lisa and the staff are doing.

Medtronic Foundation Grant

Spring 2009  MNIC received over $8,000 worth of Science equipment for the MNIC High School. The grant was written by former teacher Carrie Otis and Site Administrator George Sand. The equipment will be installed during the summer of 2009.

Promise Fellow Grant

Spring 2009  Amy Libman, Director of Support Services received a grant from Americorps for two full time fellows: one at Unity and one at East High School . They are College and Career Access Coordinators at our school. Promise Fellows act as volunteer coordinators helping to run both our academic tutoring and advocacy programs. They help coordinate college field trips, bring in speakers, provide volunteers for tutoring, helping with college and scholarship applications, career exploration etc.

Retention increase

2008-9 was a tremendous year at MNIC--in the Circle sites, retention increased dramatically over the previous year. More about this when the 2008-9 Annual Report is published

Graduation 2009

June 3, 2009   Our commencement ceremony was held at Washburn High School in Minneapolis this year. 150 young men and women were awarded high school diplomas. The main speaker was MN Supreme Court Justice Alan Page. Also speaking was school cofounder Idiris Mohamed. Justice Page was able to personally award nine Page Scholarships!!!

New Program sites for ABE

MNIC has taken over the management of the Sabathani Adult Basic Education Consortium, which has been operating in South Minneapolis for forty years. The name will not change, but the partnership will benefit both programs. We have now opened services at Pillsbury House and at African Community Services as well.

Mustangs undefeated

The MNIC Mustangs remain undefeated! This is the first year of men’s basketball at MNIC.The Mustangs are coached by Reggie Womack and Jama Farah. Peter Reddit is the Assistant Coach. Students come from all site to play on the Mustangs, Our Athletic Director is Don Link, longtime coach at St. Paul Central. Our coaching staff includes a former professional basketball player (Mr. Farah).

Picturing America Award

We got 50 poster size laminated photos and art work that depict life and history in the US. There is a teacher quidebook that goes with it that has lesson plans etc. It is called "Picturing America" and is put out by the National Endowment for the Humanities. We will set up a calendar on gmail for teachers to use to check out the materials for next year.

COMPASS Grant Award

For spring 2010. $4000 will fund the artists to work with our Unity students and Catalyst to turn the Unity building into a public art piece. Students will gain the skills required to plan and implement a public art piece as they earn credit and provide a great service to the community.