Youth Service Day: Building Welcoming Communities

Youth Service Day (YSD), an annual event led by Minneapolis Community Education Youth Enrichment, returns this month with the theme "Welcoming Communities". The event will take place in Downtown Minneapolis, bringing together students from across the city.

YSD empowers youth to make a difference through creative service and community action. This year, students will work on hands-on projects centered around racial equity, building positive relationships, creating welcoming spaces for immigrants and refugee families, and supporting individuals with various needs.

Each year, students themselves choose the theme and participate in activities that develop leadership skills while addressing community needs. Since 2016, YSD has evolved to include a wide range of activities. Last year's theme, "Our Shared Spaces: Creatures, Critters and Us," featured environmental projects at Powderhorn Park, including bird house building, nature scavenger hunts, and animal conservation activities.

Other past themes have included "Pollinators" (2016), "Advocacy & Expressing What's Important to You" (2017), and "Lead by Example" (2019). During the pandemic in 2022, the program adapted with site-based project kits for activities like thanking essential workers and creating wildflower seed clusters.

Transforming ideas into action and shaping the future of our communities!

The program supports MPS's Strategic Plan by promoting student well-being and integrating social-emotional practices into out-of-school activities. Key components include youth voice, sense of belonging, social development, and building 21st-century skills. There is a special art display at the Davis Center building (1250 W Broadway, Minneapolis) showcasing student work from Youth Service Day throughout the years. The exhibition will remain open through the end of May.