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YOUTH OF THE MONTH
Order your screen-printed apparel from The A-list, and there's a good chance Jawon Wingo played a part in producing it. Jawon is 17 and attended school at Osseo Senior High until recently enrolling at Phoenix Academy in South Minneapolis. As a front-line staff member, Jawon works in The A-list apparel shop making custom screen-printed t-shirts. Jawon says working at The A-l ist has taught him teamwork through working with other employees to complete jobs. However, he has also learned the responsibilities of being an independent worker since he can now complete entire orders by himself including all the set up and clean up. When asked about the impact The A-list has had on the community, Jawon says, "I like how more and more teens are coming in here and getting involved a not getting into trouble on the streets." A Brooklyn Park resident, Jawon enjoys his summers playing basketball and football or hanging out at his brother's recording studio. In school, his favorite subjects are health, reading, and world history. Jawon was recently featured in an article in the Brooklyn Park SunPost about The A-list.
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PARTNER OF THE MONTH
One of The A-list's most important partners is the Brooklyn Park Police Department. Stop by The A-list on any given day, and you'll likely see one of Brookly n Park's finest inside. Given The A-list 's goal of reducing juvenile crime by providing positive opportunities for youth, a strong relationship with the police department is key. Police officers frequently stop in to collaborate with The A-list staff on upcoming programs and events. In fact, many of the teens know the officers by name and vice versa which fosters a critical dialogue which can enhance the safety of the Zane Avenue Corridor. Led by Sgt. Greg Burstad and his team, the police attend major A-list events like The Taste of The A-list and talent shows to make sure everyone has a good time while remaining safe. Thanks to the BP Police for their tremendous cooperation!
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SHOUT-OUTS
- Thank you to the Best Buy Children's Foundation for their generous grant support!
- Congratulations to teen employee Quinton Hooker on being featured as the Standout Student on the Channel 12 news.
- Thanks to B-Right of radio station 96.3 NOW for hosting The Taste of The A-list.
- Thanks to Goodwill Industries for partnering with us on The A-Walk Fashion Show.
- Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of State Sen. Linda Scheid who was an inaugural board member of The A-list before resigning last November. Linda passed away in June after a lengthy battle with cancer.
- Thanks to Zulu Nation for hosting hip hop dance lessons each Thursday night at The A-list.
- Thanks to DJ Nathan for volunteering at The Taste of The A-list.
- Congratulations to co-founder Asha Sharma who was recently featured by the Carlson School of Management.
- Thank you to Brooklyn Park Mayor Jeff Lunde for visiting The A-list recently.
- A warm welcome to the Brooklyn Area Ministers Association who recently hosted their monthly meeting at The A-list.
- The A-list is currently hiring college interns for the coming year. Visit our website for details.
- Thank you to Corky Wiseman for your help with The Taste of The A-list.
- And last, but certainly not least, thank you Roger Backstrom of Godfathers Pizza in Brooklyn Park for all that you do!
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CHECK US OUT
To learn more about The A-list or make a financial contribution, visit our website at www.thealistyouth.org.
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The A-list recently hosted a fashion show promoting "beauty from the inside out." Each of the 30-plus teens who participated got to select two new outfits to model from The Goodwill.
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TASTE OF THE A-LIST CAPS BUSY FIRST THREE MONTHS
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The A-list topped off an exciting first three months of operations with The Taste of The A-list, our biggest event yet!
Designed to be a showcase for the community, The Taste, which was held outside in The A-list parking lot, featured local teen performers and provided table space for organizations and business in the area.
Over 500 people attended the event, stopping to enjoy the music, sample the food, or check out The A-list for the first time.
Since opening its doors on April 29, The A-list has been a flurry of activity. Attendance has been steadily growing to over 100 teens each day with a healthy mix of new faces and regulars.
Highlights of the first few months include the following:
--A talent show in May was the first big event at The A-list. Over 350 teens packed the building to watch over 20 different performers.
--In June, The A-list hosted a fashion show that promoted self-esteem and positive body image. Thanks to a partnership with The Goodwill, each of 30 teen "models" got to select two new outfits to wear while walking the runway at The A-list with their families in attendance.
--In an example of how teens are quickly making The A-list "their own," four different teen-led dance crews are now using The A-list's activity room as a makeshift dance studio. Things have gotten so busy that a detailed schedule has to be made at the beginning of each week to make sure each group gets fair time.
--Our teen employees have been learning quite a bit on the job. The snack shop now runs more
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 Over 350 youth watched local teens perform at The A-list's first talent show in May.
smoothly than in the early days, the teen directors have learned the ins and outs of event planning, and several of our apparel empl oyees can now run an entire order all by themselves.
Continuing this great work into the school year will require dedicated supporters like you. To learn more about how to get involved, call us at 763-566-4545. You can also help by making a donation at The A-list website.
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 The rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun came out just as the showmobile--the main attraction at The Taste of The A-list--arrived. Many teens from the local community performed throughout the day for the more than 500 people in attendance.
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LAUGH WHILE RAISING MONEY FOR THE A-LIST
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Join The A-list on August 11 at the Mall of America for some good laughs while supporting the work we do every day!
The event, which will run from 7 - 10 pm at the House of Comedy, will raise funds to support The A-list.
Tickets cost $20 per person, and over half of the value is donated to The A-list. The evening will feature a short reception followed by a stand-up routine from comedian Kelly Taylor.
To order your tickets, please contact Jeanne McMahon at 763-566-4545. You won't want to miss this fun event or the opportunity to support the youth of The A-list!
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SUPPORT TEEN EMPLOYMENT BY ORDERING YOUR SCREEN-PRINTED APPAREL FROM THE A-LIST
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As summer slowly transitions to fall, it's time to order shirts for school events like sports, booster clubs, homecoming, dances, and much more.
This fall, order your screen-printed apparel from The A-list. In addition to providing much-needed job opportunities for youth, our profits go to support the other afterschool programs hosted at The A-list.
We offer competitive pricing, high-quality work, and fast turnaround. Our current customer list includes local Fortune 500 companies, schools, churches, organizations, and governments as well as individuals.
For more information, visit the apparel page on The A-list website. To get a quote or place an order, contact us by phone at 763-566-4545 or by email.
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THE A-LIST PREPARES TO LAUNCH AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THIS FALL
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With our arts programming already in full swing this summer, our educational afterschool programs are preparing to launch this fall.
SPARC!, which will be the flagship program, is designed to help youth navigate the complex college application process. Speaking with teens in the Brooklyn Park area, many of them want to go to college, but they don't know how. SPARC! will allow teens to overcome those barriers through work in large group sessions as well as opportunities to meet with "college coaches" in smaller groups each week as well.
While college application assistance is critical, teens also need to put themselves in a position to be an attractive candidate, which includes excelling in school. Our tutoring program, which leverages tutors from Rasmussen College, will offer academic assistance to youth at The A-list every Monday - Thursday.
Finally, The A-list aims to educate teens about different career options to keep them motivated to push themselves academically. Business Mentor of the Week will invite local business people and public sector employees to share with the teens about their careers. The mentors will also help the youth with weekly projects designed to help them get a job such as resume writing and interview skills.
To volunteer with any of the programs listed above, please contact Jeanne McMahon at 763-566-4545.
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REVAMPED BOARD SETS NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE A-LIST
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Over the past few months, The A-list has added several new members to our board of directors and embarked on a strategic planning process.
Now that The A-list has moved into an operational phase, we face new opportunities and challenges. As a result, the board participated in a strategic planning retreat on Friday, July 29, which was generously facilitated by The Prouty Project.
The plan, which will be refined in subsequent meetings over the next month or two, will guide the organization over the next 12 - 18 months as we establish ourselves in the community.
While many of the goals and objectives will go unnoticed to those outside the organization, a few of the goals will significantly impact The A-list.
Once the plan is finalized, we look forward to sharing the highlights with you. Below is a list of the current members of The A-list board of directors.
Elizabeth Fenn--Social Entrepreneur
Jan Ficken--Brooklyn Park Recreation & Parks
Matt Hynes--Ernst & Young
Dr. Kate Maguire--Osseo School District
Chris Mayr--University of Minnesota
Matt Norris--The A-list Co-founder
Bruce Richard--Spell Capital
Asha Sharma--The A-list Co-founder
Jenn Urban--Urban Law Group
Serge-Alain Wandji--Cargill
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