STEP-UP Celebrates Another Successful Summer

Over 800 STEP-UP interns, supervisors and supporters gathered at the Guthrie Theater on August 17 to celebrate another great summer internship season. Nearly 1,700 Minneapolis young people completed internships this summer with 230 Twin Cities employers.

Our emcee this year was STEP-UP alumna Ashley Yang, with reflections from STEP-UP interns Destiny Rollie and Badrudin Aden, a welcome by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Park Pathways Program and a dynamic performance by Asian Media Access.

STEP-UP Co-Chairs R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation, and Richard Davis, Chairman and CEO of U.S. Bank, joined David Frank, interim Director of the City of Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development office, to announce the 2017 Employer, Intern, and Supervisor of the Year awards.

Recognized as our STEP-UP Achieve Employer of the Year was Accenture, which in addition to being an employer, provides significant volunteers, curriculum and support for STEP-UP Achieve employer engagement. Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board was named STEP-UP Discover Employer of the year.

2017 STEP-UP Achieve interns of the year were Damari Jordan-Onchiri, who did an internship at the Department of Human Services, and Joshua Mendez, from Northside News. STEP-UP Discover interns were Ramahn Bell from Minneapolis Urban League, and Jalyn Hall from North Community YMCA.

Named STEP-UP Achieve Supervisors of the year were Deka Kari from Hennepin County, and Amanda Packer from Xcel Energy. STEP-UP Discover Supervisors of the Year were Kowanna Powell Anderson from Minneapolis Community Education, and Sadiya Kahn, Children's Dental Services.

Created in 2004, STEP-UP has provided more than 24,000 internship opportunities for Minneapolis Youth. Learn more.