(FOX 9) - As part of its summer programming to keep students engaged and learning while out of the classroom, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has selected eight community partners to provide summer programming for students in August.
According to the district, an incredibly competitive process with very strong applicants that will receive funding for their respective programs through federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Act (ESSER) funding.
In total, MPS received 28 proposals requesting more than $1 million in funding. Individual contract requests for the eight community partners selected range from $12,500 to $49,000, for a total amount of approximately $219,000.
Phase 1 of ESSER III funding was designed to target and support students most impacted educationally and emotionally by the COVID-19 pandemic, including low-income students, students of color, American Indian students, English language learners, students with disabilities and students experiencing homelessness.
The MPS ESSER III plan was shaped by feedback from an advisory committee (including staff members, union representatives, students and families, and community partners), American Indian tribal consultation, and input from individuals and organizations.
Opportunities for Phase 2 funding will be announced later this spring.
Summer programs
The names of the community partners, type of programming and total contract amount requested are listed below, though final contract amounts are pending with the district.
826 MSP - $15,000 to provide Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students with a writing and literacy day camp, experiential learning and field trips.
BFRESHProductions - $39,692 to provide BIPOC high school students with an immersive media experience with access to technology, mentorship, and development opportunities to share narratives that will be aired on various platforms.
Daryeel Youth Services - $29,714 to provide Somali and East African students with individually focused academic support in reading and math, educational, cultural, arts and crafts, field trips, soccer and basketball.
Little Earth Residents Association - $23,475 to teach youth about their Native identity through different activities, such as medicines and herbs harvesting, canoeing, sweat lodge, harvesting wild rice and visits to tribal reservations.
MN Zej Zog - $20,000 to provide Hmong students with identity, culture, and language development lessons and healing through the arts, with an equity lens.
Reve Academy - $12,500 to teach East African students how to design and develop a business concept that meets a community need using entrepreneurial innovation methods such as human-centered design thinking.
Tamales Y Bicicletas Community Outreach - $30,000 for a gardening program that will promote healthy living, food justice, and positive cultural self-esteem for Latinx, East African, and Native American students.
WE WIN -$49,000 for a program that will celebrate Black culture through reading, gardening, and preparing food.