Youthprise was founded in 2010 by The McKnight Foundation to increase the quality, accessibility, sustainability and innovation of opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.

Research and practical experience confirm the needs for all youth for diverse, engaging, hands-on learning experiences that help young people reach developmental milestones that lead to fulfilling adult lives -- and a better community for all Minnesotans.

Youthprise aims for Minnesota to lead the nation in accelerating leadership and innovation for learning beyond the classroom. We will achieve this goal by developing regional and statewide systems and policies that promote engagement and personal success for all Minnesota youth.

A central strategy for Youthprise is to build the capacity of youth-serving organizations to provide high quality learning opportunities beyond the classroom for youth in their middle and high school years. For Youthprise, this means encouraging multiple, diverse opportunities for youth voice and leadership in learning beyond the classroom settings and, more broadly, for youth-adult partnerships to improve Minnesota communities through policy change, civic engagement and direct service.

At Youthprise, we believe that our state’s greatest untapped resource is the energy and ingenuity of our youth. We believe that by addressing the opportunity gap, we can eliminate the achievement gap.