ASPIRE

The ASPIRE Program, Assisting Students and Parents In Resources and Engagement, partners directly with Hennepin County to provide support to youth and families who have been referred by their school for 12 or more unexcused absences – prioritizing families who live in North/NE Minneapolis and nearby suburbs. The primary purpose of the program is to bridge the gap between families and schools while connecting families to community resources that can assist with their unique needs, such as mental and chemical health, after school enrichment, mentoring, summer programming, tutoring, and stable housing. ASPIRE receives referrals for students in grades K-12.

ASPIRE staff are connectors who help fill the gaps for families that need assistance with resources not only for educational success, but also basic needs. Homelessness, food insecurity, job loss, reduced childcare options, and lack of healthcare have all contributed to barriers that were further exasperated during the pandemic – further deepening educational disparities among the families and communities we serve. With the experience and knowledge of our team, we not only assist families with immediate needs, but also with the larger scale needs that create a foundation for future stability. Each student and family in the ASPIRE program creates an individualized Family Action Plan, setting goals that act as the blueprint for support and resources.

Taking a holistic approach with the families we serve has allowed us to address attendance and truancy issues more effectively. By building trusting partnerships with parents and students, we hope to provide additional pathways for self-advocacy and empower confidence to navigate educational systems in the future. We also believe it is critical to serve as a bridge between families and schools who can provide consistency and longer-term support. The ASPIRE team is one of few avenues for families to get this type of wrap-around support.

Services provided by ASPIRE:

Contacts

Lily Bergeron 
Program Coordinator - HHM
lbergeron@esns.org 
612-400-3008

Nou Quito-Thao 
Program Coordinator - Truancy
nquito-thao@esns.org 
612-258-2749