Brooklyn Park, MN, has seen dramatic changes over the last two decades with juvenile crime increasing 40% over the last ten years alone.
The A-list is needed because a 2008 survey found that 75% of teens in Brooklyn Park are not currently involved in any type of afterschool opportunity. The 6,000 teens that number represents could form a line across the entire city of Brooklyn Park—the sixth largest in the state of Minnesota.
Part of the problem is that Brooklyn Park is a youth engagement desert. Brooklyn Park is home to only three youth-serving organizations compared to 23 in Minneapolis and 36 in St. Paul. New Census information has revealed that 1 out of 3 Brooklyn Park teens is living in poverty, a 30% increase in just five years!
In addition, 42.4% of employers nationally report that the overall preparation of high school students for employment is deficient.
The A-list’s mission of entrepreneurship, education, and the creative arts is designed to provide young people with a safe place to go afterschool while also giving them the additional skills and capabilities they need to seek employment and become successful adults.
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