Blog Post

Partner For Student Success receives Otto Bremer Trust grant to support literacy 

  • By Amy Trombley
  • •
  • 02 Oct, 2018
  • •

$58,000 grant from OBT to support literacy and language acquisition 

Partner for Student Success is pleased to announce it has received a $58,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Trust to support literacy and language acquisition for young English learners by providing training and tools for out-of-school service providers in the St. Cloud area.

Working with community, students will receive aligned, high-quality instruction and support to build upon the instruction during the academic day with partners outside of school hours. Partnering organizations supporting this work include United Way of Central Minnesota, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, KIDSTOP, Eradicating Achievement Gap & Learning Empowerment (EAGLE), Hands Across the World, the Great River Regional Library, Community Grassroots Solutions, and the St. Cloud Area School District. The goal of the project is to increase language acquisition and literacy skills for Somali-American multilingual learners.

“During a community-wide strategic planning process in 2017 facilitated by Partner for Student Success, a significant barrier to Somali-American student success was the barrier of language,” said Adam O’Doherty, Executive Director of Partner for Student Success.  “Through the work of better aligning curriculum and resources for our students with community partners, students will have additional time and opportunities to engage in literacy and increase overall language acquisition.”

"We are grateful for the support of Otto Bremer Trust and our amazing community in working collectively to support language acquisition for our multilingual youth. The efforts of many enhance the education of our learners and together contribute to the vibrancy that is St. Cloud,” said Kelly Frankenfield, Director of Multilingual Learning for St. Cloud Area School District.

About the Otto Bremer Trust

The Otto Bremer Trust, based in St. Paul, Minn., is a private charitable trust established in 1944 by founder Otto Bremer, a successful banker and community business leader. OBT owns 92 percent of Bremer Bank and also manages a diversified investment portfolio. The mission of OBT is to invest in people, places and opportunities in the Upper Midwest. Since its inception, OBT has invested more than $650 million in organizations throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin. Visit ottobremer.org.

About Partner for Student Success

Partner for Student Success is a committed and growing partnership of school districts, business, educational institutions, community agencies, funders and government. We serve the communities of the St. Cloud Area, Sartell-St. Stephen and Sauk Rapids-Rice School Districts. The mission of PFSS is to unite the greater St. Cloud community in the collective pursuit of student success. We focus on the cradle to career continuum, which includes academic and technical skills; career exposure and experiences; social emotional learning; and civic engagement.

·        We engage, align and coordinate community resources to set goals, define priorities and close gaps.

·        We create awareness and urgency around PFSS and student success within the community.

·        We advocate for financial support and resources around student success.

·        We monitor and measure progress against the community goals and priorities.

United Way Public Notice of Intent to Apply for Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant

By Amy Trombley • April 20, 2023
United Way of Central Minnesota is planning to apply for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant for Cohort 9 to support our young people and families through the expansion of community learning centers that provide high-quality academic support, enrichment and youth development programs during non-school hours and summers. The grant will be available for review after it is submitted.
If you have questions, please reach out to Clarinda Solberg, Director of 21st Century Community Learning Centers at 320-229-3517.

RSVP for VIBES Parent Discussion

By Amy Trombley • February 23, 2020

Join us for dinner and discussion about what our community wants to support better education outcomes for our kids!
We want to start the discussion and then support parents and families in learning how to make and impact change to improve our education system for ALL kids!

CLICK HERE to RSVP

If you have additional questions, please reach out to KoriAnn Carter at 708.407.5113.

Join us at the Social/Emotional Skills & Support Session

By Amy Trombley • February 18, 2020

Join our community on Monday, March 9 at St. Cloud State University to learn more about social/emotional skills and students in the greater St. Cloud community. Dr. Michael Rodriguez will present a profile of the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, which tells a current story of developmental skills and supports across racial and ethnic communities, indicating that diverse youth have the social and emotional capacity to succeed. Educators and community leaders will appreciate a fresh look at the information and utility of the data. At a similar session in 2017 using the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey, over 90% of the participants felt the information and insights shared were important and useful.


Dr. Rodriguez’s presentation will enable school districts and youth-supporting agencies to create a model to help all youth overcome persistent challenges. The profiles of developmental skills (commitment to learning, positive identity, social competence), developmental supports (empowerment, teacher/school support, family/community support), and developmental challenges (bullying, mental distress, family violence) will be discussed. The discussion and information will also focus on the profiles as they differ among students from different racial (White, Black, Asian, American Indian) and ethnic (Latino, Somali, Hmong) communities, across grades 5, 8, 9, and 11, and special education and free/reduced lunch status. These profiles relate to other important outcomes including achievement based on grades, after-school activity participation, post-high school goals, and employment.

Rodriguez is a professor of quantitative methods in education with a focus on educational measurement and assessment. As the Campbell Leadership Chair, he is also the co-director of the Educational Equity Resource Center, providing leadership at the University in its interdisciplinary work addressing educational equity and achievement gaps. His research team, the Minnesota Youth Development Research Group, has conducted research on the Minnesota Student Survey for over 10 years, resulting in more than 20 national presentations on this work.

The links below provide access to a video of the 2017 presentation. 

Link to video


Better Together

By Amy Trombley • March 27, 2019
In February, the Board of Directors from both Partner for Student Success and United Way of Central Minnesota  unanimously voted to unify and have Partner for Student Success become the United Way Education Initiative. These two organizations have now officially joined forces and are living united, guided through true collective impact. Over the next few months, the teams from both of our organizations will work to align even more closely with a mission to unite the community in the collective pursuit of student success.

Tutoring Basics for Adults Working with K-12 English Language Learners

By Amy Trombley • March 11, 2019

Partner for Student Success is providing FREE training through the Minnesota Literacy Council

WHO:   You or partners & adults working with our ELL Youth

WHAT:   Basic tutoring strategies will be presented with a focus on reading skills

WHEN: Tuesday, March 26, from 9 am to 12 pm.

WHERE: Southside Boys and Girls Club, 1205 6th Ave S., St. Cloud

WHY: To unite the greater St. Cloud community in the collective pursuit of student success.


If you, or someone you know, is interested in attending, please register by Friday, March 22, at this link:  https://goo.gl/forms/RtvmmmcDLBKsIAbp2


Please contact Regina with any questions at:  regina.reese@partnerforstudentsuccess.org

Join Us for a Community Conversation with Network for the Development of Children of African Decent

By Amy Trombley • February 26, 2019

You are invited on Thursday, March 7, from 2-4 PM at the St. Cloud Great River Regional Library, to a special exploratory conversation with Network for the Development of Children of African Descent (NdCAD). During the conversation, NdCAD’s Founder & Executive Director, Gevonee Ford, will share NdCAD’s culturally-responsive education model that addresses disparate early grade literacy outcomes for children and families of African heritage (African American/African immigrant). Session participants will explore:

  • NdCAD’s holistic, 2-Generation approach for engaging families and communities in changing education and family stabilization outcomes
  • Best practices and key lessons learned, from NdCAD’s 20-year history of working with children, families and communities
  • Possible implications of NdCAD’s work and lessons learned for children, families and education partners in the St. Cloud area

NdCAD is a culturally-based, family education center, established in 1997. Our goal is to positively impact the cultural and education success of children and families, through literacy.

Click Here to RSVP

For more information, contact Amy Trombley at 320-420-0600 or email at amy.trombley@partnerforstudentsuccess.org

Innocent Classroom Intensive Workshop

By Amy Trombley • January 23, 2019

Click here to Register for this FREE Workshop

With our Minnesota weather upon us, we needed to reschedule this workshop.  It will now be held on MARCH 20 .  The information below reflects this update.

An Innocent Classroom Intensive Workshop has been rescheduled to be held on  on Wednesday, MARCH 20, 2019 at the St. Cloud Great River Regional Library from 3:00-5:00 PM in the Mississippi Room. Join our many partners interested in this work which supports our mission to support the greater St. Cloud community in the collective pursuit of student success.

Too many of our children are trapped in a bad story. They have become overwhelmed by the negative stereotypes about themselves, their families, and their communities. The negative narratives overpower and confound educators, standing in the way of transformative relationships with children. As a result, too many of our classrooms are defined by their disparities and gaps rather than the brilliance and engagement of children.

There is an answer to this challenge facing American public education. The Innocent Classroom is a child-specific response to the negative narratives operating around our children in diverse classrooms. Innocent Classroom trains educators to build relationships that liberate children from the weight and influence of these negative narratives, and connect them instead with their limitless potential. Innocent Classrooms are defined by the vibrancy, curiosity, and engagement of all students.

More than 4,000 Innocent Classroom educators from schools and districts across the United States tell us that the Innocent Classroom is an essential response to the disparities in education:

  • 95% of Innocent Classroom teachers report increases in Academic Engagement
  • 90% of Innocent Classroom teachers report improvements in Academic Mindset
  • 53% reduction in referrals in Innocent Classrooms in the first year.
  • 85% of Innocent Classroom teachers report a more positive daily outlook

The Innocent Classroom Intensive provides educators, educational leaders and youth-serving organization leaders with a deep understanding of Innocent Classroom theory, methodology, and practice. Participants experience how Innocent Classroom’s child-specific strategies and practices restore the relationship between educators and the individual children in their classes.

This session introduces and models the Innocent Classroom process for liberating children and educators from the weight of negative stereotypes. The Intensive concludes with a discussion of how the Innocent Classroom methodology directly supports a program, school or district’s commitment to accomplishing equity by improving the relationships between teachers and children.

Register HERE for this free workshop by Wednesday, March 13, or email Amy Trombley at amy.trombley@partnerforstudentsuccess.org

PFSS Leadership Transitions and Updates

By Amy Trombley • January 17, 2019
Partner for Student Success (PFSS) continues to grow and adapt in its collective pursuit of student success in the greater St. Cloud community.

PFSS VISTA Opportunities Available

By Amy Trombley • April 16, 2018

Partner for Student Success is currently seeking to fill two different Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA) positions. Each position has been supported by the Minnesota Literacy Council. The two positions will further support the mission of Partner for Student Success in uniting the greater St. Cloud Area is support of student success.

The Partner for Student Success SURPASS Project VISTA will work with several community partners to develop, support and enhance literacy and language acquisition opportunities for English Learners by helping to design and coordinate trainings that provide staff training and support aligned literacy opportunities in partnering organizations that work with English Learning youth.

The Milestones Family Engagement VISTA will work with Milestones staff and partners to develop, support and enhance opportunities for literacy and family engagement activities by developing kits for partners to share with families of children in poverty.

TO APPLY

To apply, you must first create an account/profile on My AmeriCorps  

Complete all sections, including two references (educational or professional, in a supervisory type relationship, such as teacher/professor, work or volunteer supervisor, clergy, counselor, or coach). Then apply to the specific position or positions that you are interested in.

Have more questions? We are happy to answer them!
 Call Amy Trombley at 320-420-0600 or
Email us at pfss.communications@gmail.com


PFSS Looking to Hire Strategic Goal Network Facilitator – Every Student Succeeds in School (K-8)

By Partner for Student Success • October 16, 2017
Partner for Student Success has an exciting new opportunity to support student success throughout the greater St. Cloud community.
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