The Beacons Model

The Beacons Network engages 4,000 K-12th grade young people as leaders and learners each year, providing opportunities for academic, leadership, and 21st Century skill development afterschool and in the summer. 
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The mission of Beacons is to engage young people as leaders and learners from kindergarten through high school graduation to prepare them for success in the 21st Century. 

Collaborative Partnership

A school partner and a lead Youth Development partner coordinate and leverage resources.

Beacons Center Components

Ladders of Leadership

We provide progressive leadership development opportunities for youth and young adults.

Family and Community Partnership

We do intentional outreach to and engagement with families.  We work with community partners to bring programs and services into schools.  

​The Beacons Way

Embodies a youth development philosophy and approach
Fosters youth-adult partnerships and honors youth voice & choice
Creates a powerful sense of belonging and identity through shared rituals and traditions
Embraces and celebrates the rich cultures across the Twin Cities area.

​Engaged Learning

Teachers and youth workers partner to design hands-on learning experiences and provide targeted support.

Program Choices​

We provide a wide variety of structured, high-quality programs.

​Beacons Network Components

Resource Development​

We coordinate collaborative funding requests and align public & private resources.

​Collective Vision

We connect partners to a common vision and strategies through convening & communication​.

Data Driven Culture​

We use multiple data sets to continuously improve practice.
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​Citywide Youth Engagement

We partner with young people, engaging them as decision makers in their schools and communities

Cross Agency Professional Development​

We coordinate joint learning opportunities to build capacity across the Twin Cities area.

Click Here for our Minneapolis Beacons Brochure