Focus Area: Youth Development

Grant Amount: $8,000

Based in St. Paul, serves Twin Cities. Opened in 2002, dedicated to making tennis more accessible to everyone in the community, especially youth from under-resourced communities. The center provides affordable courts, junior and adult tennis programs, and youth outreach programs. TennisWorks is their primary outreach program, pairing youth in grades 3-8 with tennis instruction, life-skills education, and academic support. Staff receive trauma-informed coaching and have access to mental health resources for youth who have experienced trauma. It has been recognized by the Aspen Institute for the work it is doing to break down barriers in sports.

Grant supports the TennisWorks Youth Development program, a free, trauma-informed program for children in grades 3-8 primarily along the Lake Street corridor in Minneapolis, from neighborhood schools in areas of concentrated poverty. To meet growing participant numbers and maintain a high level of program quality, TennisWorks will be adding staff and increasing its after-school partnerships. Grant funds will support the expansion to two new schools this coming year.