Gang violence prevention one of several projects undertaken by college students

ST. PAUL, August 5, 2008 — Joal Reeves, a student at the College of Saint Benedict, has developed programming for teens in Minneapolis’ Central and Phillips neighborhoods to provide positive alternatives to engaging in conflict and gang involvement. That is just one example of the service projects launched this summer by a group of private college students with the support of The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation.

This year, the foundation will provide $14,000 in scholarship and stipend dollars to each selected student committed to designing and implementing a Minnesota-focused service project. Chosen through a highly selective process, the students advance projects that can help trigger long-term solutions to community challenges.

“We believe strongly in the Phillips Scholars Program and the valuable opportunities it provides for students to learn about the nonprofit sector and how they can make a positive difference in the lives of others,” said Amy Crawford, executive director of The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation. “The tremendous lessons learned from this program prepare scholars for a lifetime of giving back to the community.”

This summer’s projects are affecting a variety of communities:

• Through her “C Project,” Nou Chang hopes to cultivate a caring community among homeless Hmong refugee children by giving them the opportunity to express themselves through visual arts. Nou’s project will culminate at the end of the summer with an exhibition of the children’s work at the Southeast Asian Community Center in Minneapolis. Nou is from Rochester and will be a senior at Augsburg College this fall.
• Joal Reeves has developed programming for teens in Minneapolis’ Central and Phillips neighborhoods to avoid violent behavior and gang activity. Titled the “Southside Renaissance Project,” her programs use visual and performing arts as means for teens to address social issues. She hopes to empower the teens in her programs to foster change by giving them motivation to improve the safety of their environments. Joal is from Minneapolis and will be a senior at the College of Saint Benedict this fall.
• Carla Harris will work (in summer 2009) with Outdoor Pursuit, a student organization at College of St. Scholastica, to implement an outdoor adventure experience for Native American teens in the Duluth area. Her goal is to create teen mentors in the Native American community among the students with whom she will interact. Carla is from Ontonagon, Michigan and will be a senior at the College of St. Scholastica this fall.
• Ashley Gibbs has designed a project to address the unmet needs of pre-kindergarten Latino students who are unprepared to enter school due to language barriers. Based at Sheridan Elementary in Richfield, Ashley’s “Ready and Able” project targets four- and five-year-olds with English Language Learner curriculum and integrates learning and play to help ensure her students will not be bound by language when they enter kindergarten. Ashley is from Richfield and will be a senior at Gustavus Adolphus College in the fall.
• Working with the YWCA in St. Paul, Kelly Dahlman promotes healthy lifestyles with disadvantaged, at-risk teen girls. She does this by affirming positive body images and supporting strong female leaders. Through programs that expose these teens to beneficial solutions to the issues they face, her goal is to create a ripple of confident, empathetic young women. Kelly is from Neenah, Wisconsin and will be a senior at Hamline University this fall.
• Liz McCleary is reaching out to homeless youth in St. Paul through The Family Place to help address their mental and emotional stress through art. Over 10 weeks, Liz’s project will revolve around creating the Gallery of Hope—a public art space at The Family Center designed to spark a community dialogue about the issues of mental health and homeless children. Liz is from Loveland, Colorado and will be a senior at Macalester College this fall.

In addition to fostering meaningful community work, the Phillips Scholarship Program also serves as a primer for future leaders. Many scholars go on to professional lives in community service and social justice.

“Phillips Scholars are answering the call to address the unmet needs of underserved communities in ground-breaking ways,” said David B. Laird, Jr., president of the Minnesota Private College Council, Fund and Research Foundation. “The challenges they surmount through this process and the lessons they learn will give them the perspective and resolve necessary to go forward as future community leaders.”

BACKGROUND
Since 1994, The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation has annually awarded Phillips Scholarships to six students attending any of 16 eligible private colleges and universities in Minnesota. These awards encourage and enable the continuation of Jay and Rose Phillips’ commitments to helping people become self-sufficient. The Minnesota Private College Fund administers the scholarships.

The Minnesota Private College Fund partners with foundations and businesses to raise money for student scholarships and general operating support on behalf of our member private colleges and universities.

Note to editors: Phillips Scholars, representatives from The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation and Minnesota Private College Fund officials are available for interviews.

• Media contact: John Manning, director of marketing and communications, (651)293-6805, jmanning@mnprivatecolleges.org
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