Focus Area: Youth Development

Grant Amount: $12,000

Located in north Minneapolis. Liberty (formerly Kwanzaa Community Church) opened as the first African American led Presbyterian congregation in Minnesota in 2002. Its mission promotes community, justice, social change and empowerment for the children and families of north Minneapolis. The church operates the 21st Century Academy, a year-round afterschool program for grades K-12. In 2019, Liberty created a structured program for the younger children, ages 5-12, with a new program element called Shared Experiences, which focuses on relationships between youth participants and caring adults.

Grant supports continuing to expand Liberty’s program for the younger children, using a math curriculum called Prodigy Math Game. The curriculum is aligned with Minnesota Academic Standards in Mathematics. The staff of 21st Century Academy are trained in the curriculum and reinforce math concepts through experiential and culturally appropriate learning. Other quality core programming in the 21st Century includes STEM, arts, mindfulness, and community service.