ReConnect Rondo is accepting applications for its Youth Ambassador Initiative, a six-month paid cohort for young people ages 16 to 24 with a connection to the Rondo neighborhood, running August through January.
Youth Leadership
Posted inSports
Playworks brings 1,000 young leaders to Saints Park for End-of-Year Celebration
Nearly 1,000 Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota elementary school students gathered at the St. Paul Saints ballpark to celebrate their participation in the Playworks Minnesota Youth Leadership Program, which serves more than 25,000 students statewide.
Posted inLocal & State
St. Paul publisher named to national list of top solo entrepreneurs
Dr. Artika R. Tyner, founder of Planting People Growing Justice Press and Bookstore in St. Paul, has been named a 2026 Zoom Solopreneur 50 honoree, selected from nearly 2,800 applicants across 48 states.
Posted inOpinion
When we invest in Black Girls, we strengthen entire communities
The Yes Girls Create nonprofit empowers girls ages 8 to 18 through creativity, mentorship and leadership development.
Posted inOn the Radar
20 years of TruArtSpeaks: A poet’s dedication to hip-hop, poetry, and cultural preservation
Tish Jones discovered the power of hip-hop storytelling as a child and has spent decades using poetry and spoken word to educate and uplift young people. As founder of TruArtSpeaks in St. Paul, she blends art, culture, and social justice.
Posted inFirst Educator
Making a difference: Key strategies for community-based adaptation
Minnesota families are feeling the impacts of climate change through hotter summers, unpredictable storms and rising energy bills. Community based adaptation gives residents the power to respond with practical strategies such as planting trees for cooling, creating rain gardens to reduce flooding and using energy efficient appliances at home. These actions strengthen neighborhoods and build leadership skills in children who will shape the future.
Posted inEducation
Children’s bookstore inspires early love for books
Planting People Growing Justice, a Black woman-owned children’s bookstore and publisher inside Gideon Barbershop, is growing literacy and youth leadership in South Minneapolis. Founded by Dr. Artika Tyner, PPGJ centers books that reflect the African Diaspora and offers storytimes, workshops, and author visits to help kids “read to lead.”
Posted inProfiles In Power
Anti-bullying campaign breaks cycles of trauma
CPC 2.0’s Nassir Scroggins is transforming anti-bullying work with a culturally grounded, trauma-informed campaign focused on healing and leadership.
Posted inBlacklight On Sports
Brianna Edwards on Trusting the Process: From Athlete to Coach
Brianna Edwards joins Blacklight On Sports to talk about her journey from pro athlete to head coach and consultant—building athletes into leaders for life.
Posted inThe Prep Scene
Student athletes honored at Winfield Awards
The 49th Annual Winfield Awards celebrated 20 student athletes and two community leaders in a heartfelt ceremony honoring excellence across St. Paul.
Posted inEvents
Lost federal funds inspires YWCA Punch-a-Thon
YWCA St. Paul will host its first-ever Punch-a-Thon June 5-6 — a 24-hour community fundraiser to support housing, wellness, and economic advancement programs.