April, 2014

Welcome to the Urban League Academy

Home to nearly 100 students, grades 6 - 12, the Urban League Academy is a non-traditional Minneapolis Public School operated by the Minneapolis Urban League. The students gaining knowledge, life skills and most importantly, upon completion, a high school diploma, are like the school itself and are in many ways "nontraditional." Ninety-eight percent are students of color. Ninety percent are categorized as "economically disadvantaged." But each student at the Urban League Academy is working to shed any perceived negative labels and move forward in life with the label of "successful high school graduate."

Urban League Academy - Tales of triumph

The building at 2201 Blaisdell Ave. S in Minneapolis is pretty nondescript.

Commuters have probably driven past the three-story brick structure and not even noticed its presence or even thought twice about what's going on inside the glass doors. That's a shame because what's occurring on the inside is pretty amazing. Downright inspiring.

Inside the building at 2201 Blaisdell students are achieving. Students are learning. Students are gaining access to resources previously unavailable to them. But most importantly, students - more to the point beautiful human beings; teens and young men and women - are being given the one thing that has been denied them most of their lives ... hope.

Trashawnda Banks, ULA Student

Life has not always been kind to Trashawnda.

Trashawnda - like far too many in our society - had to try to concentrate on her schooling while wondering where she would lay her head at night. For portions of Trashawnda's life, the now 21-year-old St. Paul resident was homeless. Add to her home situation (or lack of home as it was) the fact that Trashawnda often fell ill and it made graduating from Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park, Minn. all the more challenging. It proved to be too much for Trashawnda, who decided to drop out of school all together, nearly giving up on her goal to become a police officer.

"I didn't want to go back to school and the older you get makes it kind of hard," said Trashawnda. "But my fiancé said go back so I tried the online thing but that wasn't working out for me. Then I went to (another alternative school) and I walked out after 15 minutes. It just didn't feel right. But someone put me in contact with the Urban League Academy. At first it was frustrating but I sat down with Mr. DesJarlais (counselor Kiel DesJarlais) and I worked with him on classes I needed to graduate."

And that's exactly what Trashawnda did ... graduate. Trashawnda just earned her diploma and is seeking to enroll in college in the coming months.

Kiel DesJarlais, ULA Counselor

Do you remember your high school guidance counselor?

Chances are if you do remember him or her, you do so only vaguely. If you were like most students, your interaction with them was limited. There were the brief discussions about course selection and towards your junior or senior year, they were asking what college or careers you were gravitating towards. Your interactions with them were pretty routine, pretty mundane.

As a counselor with the Urban League Academy, Kiel DesJarlais' days are far different than most others in his profession. Kiel actually has to counsel - not just about school, but about life.

"We work with their educational needs, but we also work with their social needs ... shelter, hygiene; so many things that we take for granted," said Kiel. "Some of our kids are providers for their families. Some of these kids take care of their younger siblings. Some of the men here are the 'man of the house.' Some of the females here are the 'moms' - they cook the meals, they do the chores, so they have a lot more responsibilities than just being a student and going to school. It's not about getting on the 'A' honor roll, it's about completing the class and getting them back on track to graduation and getting them prepared for the rest of their lives."

Kiel said he sees success every day a student comes to class at the Urban League Academy.

"Small rewards here are huge rewards," said Kiel. "We meet students where they're at and we welcome students with open arms. These kids deserve four, five, six, seven chances because they have so many other things going on outside these walls."

2100 Plymouth Avenue North | Minneapolis, MN 55411

Ph: 612-302-3100 Fx: 612-521-1444 www.mul.org

The Mission of the Minneapolis Urban League is to link African descendants and other people of color to opportunities that result in economic success and prosperity, and effectively advocate for policies that eradicate racial disparities.

The MUL's Gateway to Opportunity is our strategic model for program service delivery, and is the vehicle through which we intend to empower people and transform lives.

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