>> CATHY: FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, THE MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED PROJECT SUCCESS TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AND EXPERIENCES THAT COMPLEMENT THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM.

PROJECT SUCCESS HAS RECENTLY EXPANDED ITS PROGRAMMING INTO THE MANKATO SCHOOL DISTRICT.

JOINING US NOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PROJECT SUCCESS IS THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADRIENNE DIERCKS.

ALSO WITH US IS VERNON ROWE, THE PRINCIPAL AT NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL IN MINNEAPOLIS WHICH UTILIZES PROJECT SUCCESS PROGRAMMING.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH WITH US.

THANK OU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING FROM YOUR FRIDAY WITH US.

>> HAPPY TO BE HERE.

>> Cathy: ADRIENNE, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROGRAM BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SCHOOL US NOW.

WHAT NEED DOES YOUR GROUP PROVIDE?

WHAT NEED IS YOUR GROUP FILLING AT THIS POINT?

>> WE ALWAYS SAY WE WORK TO CONNECT STUDENTS TO THEIR PURPOSE AND I'LL SAY THAT A LITTLE HISTORY, WE'RE 30 YEARS OLD AND WAY BACK THEN, AMONG MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRAD, CLASS OF '84, AND THAT'S NOT UNNY, VERN.

>> Cathy: OKAY, I'M WITH YA ON THIS ONE.

[Laughter] IT'S ALL RIGHT.

>> AND BACK THEN, WHEN MYSELF AND OTHERS, WE CREATED PROJECT SUCCESS, IT WAS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHAT IF YOUNG PEOPLE STARTING AT 11 COULD EXPLORE AND DISCOVER NOT ONCE BUT OVER SEVEN YEARS WHO AM I, WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE WORLD AND WHAT DO I WANT TO DO IN THAT WORLD.

SO WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES OF EXCELLENCE.

WE NEVER TELL A STUDENT ANYTHING WHAT TO DO OR WHAT THEY SHOULD DO OR WHAT THEY NEED.

WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES, WORKSHOPS, EXPERIENCES, OF EXCELLENCE OR ALL STUDENTS SO THEY GET TO EXPLORE THOSE THINGS.

>> Eric: WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL FOR YOUR STUDENTS?

>> SO, I WOULD SIT BACK AND I WOULD AVE TO SAY I'VE BEEN A PART OF PROJECT SUCCESS EVEN AS A TEACHER AND AS AN ADMINISTRATOR NOW.

AND OVER THAT TIMEFRAME, PROJECT SUCCESS -- I'M FROM CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ORIGINALLY, SO -- AND DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, I'VE NEVER EVER BEEN TO A PLAY PERFORMANCE.

BEING FROM CHICAGO -- >> Eric: A STAGE PLAY.

>> A STAGE PLAY, NEVER SAW ONE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

I WAS A TEACHER AT NY MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THE TIME AND PROJECT SUCCESS WAS A PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAM, THERE WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THEY HAPPENED TO BE ONE OF THE PARTNERS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I SAW MY FIRST PERFORMANCE.

WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT FIRST PERFORMANCE?

[Overlapping Conversation].

>> NORSE FUNK.

>> OKAY.

I WAS MESS RISED BY IT, NEVER BEEN TO ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE.

>> Cathy: YOUR KIDS MUST BE THE SAME WAY, RIGHT?

>> I'M A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL FOR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I PROBABLY GOT STUCK THERE A LITTLE BIT.

[Overlapping Conversation].

>> Cathy: DOING THE LORD'S WORK.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU.

WHAT I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN IS THAT KIDS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY EXAMINE GENIUS AND THE KIDS PUT ON PERFORMANCES.

SO I'M GOING TO INVITE YOU GUYS TO ACTUALLY SEE A PERFORMANCE BECAUSE WE USUALLY HAVE ONE IN MARCH, AT NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE KIDS DO THE PERFORMING, HEY DO THE MUSICAL AND THEY GET TO CHOOSE THE MUSICAL AND PROJECT SUCCESS HAS PUT THAT ON SO NOT ONLY DO THE KIDS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THINGS, THEY ALSO BECOME A PART OF THOSE TYPE OF THINGS AND WE HAVE SELL-OUT PERFORMANCES SO YOU GOT TO GET THE TICKETS EARLY.

BUILT THE REALITY IS THAT'S WHAT ACTUALLY PROJECT SUCCESS HAS DONE FOR OUR KIDS.

>> Eric: HOW DID THE BOUNDARY WATERS GET INVOLVED IN THIS?

>> WELL, CATHY, WHEN YOU ASK WHAT'S THE NEED, STUDENTS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED INSIDE OF 'EM THIS.

THEY ARE DREAMERS.

WHEREVER THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY WANT TO SUCCESS.

WE ALWAYS SAY IGNITE, GROW AND THEY WANT THAT.

SO THE THEATER IS ONE WAY STUDENTS FIGURE OUT THEY BECOME PART OF THE COMMUNITY, IT'S I A SPRINGBOARD FOR DISCUSSION.

I WOULD ONE OF OUR FIRST INTERNS 30 YEARS AGO SAID THE GROUND AGREE WATERS SAVED ME.

GOING TO THE WILDERNESS.

CAN WE TAKE STUDENTS THERE?

WE WERE JUST GROWING THE PROGRAM, WE DID THEATER, WE WENT TO THE GUTHRIE, THE PENUMBRA, THE STATE, OVERU OF M, ALL AT NO COST AND BARRIERS TAKEN AWAY.

WE SAID WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING IN THE SUMMER.

LET'S TAKE 15 STUDENTS FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE BOUNDARY WATERS FOR 7 DAYS.

PEOPLE SAID, THAT'S YEAH' BUT WE DID IT.

THE STUDENTS WE WENT WITH HAD NEVER BEEN AND THAT'S GROWN NOW WHERE OVER 200 STUDENTS IN THE SUMMER NOW FROM ALL OVER MINNEAPOLIS MIDDLE SCHOOL.

>> Cathy: SOUNDS LIKE IT'S WORKING GREAT IN MADAM PRESIDENT BUT YOU WANT TO GO TO MANKATO.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO TO MANKATO?

>> WELL, WE -- SOMEBODY ERIC MOORE ONE HAVE THE EVALUATORS AT MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAID YOU KNOW WHAT, PROJECT SUCCESS WORKS.

HE SAID IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS, THE MUST CAMPS, THE WORKSHOPS, THE COLLEGE TOURS, HE SAID, THEY IMPACT GPA AND AHE THOUGHT GPA WAS THE GREATEST REDICTOR TO SUCCESS.

SO WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS AND WE KNOW THERE IS A NEED AND WE KNEW WE WANTED O GROW BUT WE HAD TO KEEP THE QUALITY SO WE WORKED WITH EVERAL SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE DECISION CAME AND WE FOUND THE TEAM AND THE RESOURCES AND WE LAUNCHED IN MANKATO LAST JANUARY IN BOTH MIDDLE SCHOOLS, SIXth ANDth GRADE.

IT'S AN INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIP AND NOW WE ARE ADDING 8th GRADE THIS YEAR.

>> Cathy: SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO DO THIS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL VERSUS, SAY, HIGH SCHOOL?

>> WE DO BOTH.

>> Cathy: YOU DO BOTH.

>> BUT WHY START.

>> I'LL TELL YOU WHY WE START AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS PEOPLE WILL SIT BACK AND SAY THE TRANSITION FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT THE BIGGEST TRANSITION THAT KIDS MAKE AND IT REALLY ISN'T.

THE BIGGEST TRANSITION IS IN ELEMENTARY TO IDDLE SCHOOL AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT DURING THAT TIME FRAME, OUR KIDS ARE TRYING TO LEARN WHO THEY ARE.

THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY FELT IN.

WHEN THEY GET OPPORTUNITIES LIKE, YOU KNOW, ADRIENNE WAS TALKING ABOUT AT THE WOUND AGREE WATERS, TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY'D BE ABLE TO DO, TO BUILD THE CONNECTIONS AND FRIENDSHIPS DURING THAT TIME FRAME, IT SETS A STANDARD FOR KIDS THAT KNOW THEY DO BELONG.

I SIT BACK AND I SAY TO MANY HAVE OH OUR FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, MY INTERESTING THING ABOUT ALL OF THIS S THE FACT THAT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR KIDS, BETTER IS RELATIVE.

WHAT'S BETTER FOR YOU, WHAT'S BETTER FOR ALL OF US THAT'S SITTING UP HERE, THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFER, RIGHT?

WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES TO CHOOSE WHAT YOUR BETTER IS, OKAY?

PROJECT SUCCESS ALLOWS THOSE TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT THEMSELVES.

WHEN KIDS FIND THEIR JAM AND GENIUS FROM THOSE TYPE OF THINGS AND THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.

>> Cathy: WE APPRECIATE YOU SCHOOLING US HERE.

>> THAT'S GYM CLASS.

>> Eric: HOW DO PEOPLE GET INVOLVED OR GET INFORMATION, IS THERE A WEBSITE OR -- >> I ALWAYS SAY CALL ME.

IT'S ON THE WEBSITE.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE WEBSITE?

>> PROJECT SUCCESS.ORG.

WE ARE HERE, GIVE US A CALL, EMAIL US BUT RIGHT NOW IN MINNEAPOLIS AND MANKATO