The Sheltering Arms Foundation’s vision of success is that all Minnesota children are socially, emotionally, physically, and academically prepared to succeed by 7th grade.
To achieve this goal, we fund high-quality, culturally appropriate youth development programs for 5-12-year-olds that support children’s social, emotional, physical, and academic development with strong family engagement strategies.
Eligible programs are out-of-school time and mentoring programs in school-based, community, or affordable housing locations. *Please note these activities must occur before or after school, not during school hours.
A high-quality youth development program should include the following elements:
- Sequential activities that teach skills
- Active and experiential learning
- Focused and explicit skill development
- Developmentally and culturally appropriate program design
- Intensity and duration of contact
- Social and Emotional Learning competencies (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making)
- Opportunities for family involvement and participation in programming
- Quality assessment tools where data informs program improvement
- Access to professional development for staff that supports growth in areas such as youth programming, evaluation and assessment, intercultural skills, and program design.