JUNE 2022: THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES
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Meet Spring 2022 Trailblazers
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Lynx Celebrate Title IX and Ann Bancroft
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Introducing New ABF Staff and Board Members
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RESOURCES: Free Driver's Ed
Congratulations to Our Newest Trailblazers
Please join us in pride and excitement as we welcome our newest class of Trailblazers: 153 girls who were awarded the Ann Bancroft Foundation grant for Spring 2022.
Although we continue to bear witness to the devastating effects of the pandemic and other life events on girls' mental health, we remain energized by the investment in girls and the sponsorship of their dreams. We hope that our newest class of trailblazers will experience joy in these uncertain times through the experiences and activities the grants allow them to explore.
We struggled to choose stories to include in this newsletter because one after another, we couldn’t help the pride and gratitude we felt reading stories of hope, dreams, and courage.
Here are a few of these stories:
Yifan (16) from Woodbury is using her grant to further a tutoring non-profit that she is closely involved with. "I've always dreamed of being able to do something that makes a difference, it shows that you can be a teenager and still take action on issues you care about".
Hawthorne (13) from Minneapolis is using her grant to professionally mix and master two original songs. She said "I hope to become better as an artist through this activity, as well as learn how to conduct myself when doing business with other industry professionals. I am extremely confident that music is what I want to do for the rest of my life, so any exposure and experience I can obtain helps to set me on a path for future success".
Grace (17) from Minneapolis is using her grant to attend a French-language camp. Grace's goal is to become fluent in French and visit France one day. This camp will allow Grace to study French over the summer and continue in during her senior year of high school.
Isabelle (16) from International Falls, hopes to become a professional writer and will attend Camp Atsokan for Young Writers.
Nyahna (13) from Crystal, wants to go to cosmetology school and will be touring HBCU schools in the fall.
Mya (6) from Mankato, has a dream to publish a book with characters that look different and just like the friends she sees in the world and will be publishing a book with the Equity Network.
Aubrey (13) from Minneapolis who wants to attend hockey camp to grow her skills and make her high school’s hockey team next year.
Kiera (15) from Albertville, dreams to become a biologist, so she will be going on a research trip to Costa Rica.
The Numbers: 153 Girls from 23 Counties Represented with 36% from Greater Minnesota.
| Anoka | Lake | Scott |
| Blue Earth | Marshall | Sherburne |
| Carver | Meeker | Stearns |
| Chisago | Olmsted | Waseca |
| Dakota | Ramsey | Washington |
| Goodhue | Rice | Wright |
| Hennepin | Roseau | |
| Koochiching | Saint Louis |
To our class of Spring 2022 Trailblazers: thank you for the chance to be in support of the limitless potential you see for yourselves.
We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the mentors who guided the process, the volunteers who read applications, and the supporters who continue to seed these dreams.
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX on June 23
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Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” To commemorate this landmark legislation, during a game on June 23, the Minnesota Lynx will honor Minnesota’s Women in athletics, sports, and advocacy, including our founder, Ann Bancroft. BUY TICKETS
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New Staff: Meet Grace Schreder
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“I'm excited to join a community of people who share a desire to support girls in pursuing what they love." Grace recently joined ABF as our Operations Administrator. With six years of non-profit administration experience, Grace will support day-to-day operations while creating efficient processes and systems to help us thrive. |
New Board Members: Meet Jade, Kelly, and Lee
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Jade Denson Jade is a passionate leader committed to developing equitable programs and tech talent pipelines as well as building authentic relationships in the community. Jade prides herself on being a connector of people, ideas, and solutions and she is lucky she gets to bring that energy and drive everyday into her role at Target. |
Kelly McNamara Kelly is responsible for construction and field operations, staffing, training, and team member career development across Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas for Mortenson. Kelly has a passion for growing the presence of females in the construction industry. |
Lee Vue Lee Vue is a storyteller and communication strategist committed to social impact and using a racial equity lens to advance narrative change. Her deep passion to empower others stems from her transformative experiences in youth leadership programs, sports and camp. Those experiences expanded her world and nurtured her mentality to pursue her multitude of dreams and possibilities. Her professional career spans across startups, academic institutions, consulting, small businesses and nonprofit organizations. |
RESOURCES
Register for Driver’s Ed this summer at no out-of-pocket cost: Driver’s ed providers across the state have sessions starting in June and through Minnesota Afterschool Advance (MAA), you can register without paying a penny out of your pocket!
MAA uses the K-12 Education Tax Credit to cover 75% of the cost. But this summer, a special scholarship available from Youthprise will cover the remaining 25%.
Get Started
If you haven’t applied to MAA in 2022 for the student you wish to register, check your eligibility and get started by applying online. After the student you wish to register is approved for 2022, sign up for the class on the MAA website. Enter the discount code SUMMER2022 to claim the special scholarship.
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