State grants to help west central Minnesota schools, businesses show students job opportunities close to home
Dec. 19—WILLMAR
— Several area schools have received grants from the Launch Your Future Today program.
LYFT is a program to encourage career and technical education in southwestern and west central Minnesota. It was launched in 2018 with a grant to the Southwest West Central Service Cooperative from the Minnesota Legislature.
The program continues to be supported by a state-wide Rural Career and Technical Education Consortium Grant from the Legislature.
The Southwest West Central Service Cooperative provides education and administrative services to school districts and local governments in 18 counties from Big Stone, Swift. Kandiyohi and Meeker counties south to the state border.
From 2018 to 2022, 60 projects affecting nearly 14,000 students were awarded, according to a news release from the cooperative.
A dozen projects received grants, with a maximum amount of $15,000. Many of them include schools and other community organizations.
To read more about the projects, visit the LYFT Pathways website at
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Area programs in the latest round of grants include:
* $10,000 to Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, DREAM Technical Academy of Willmar, Willmar Public Schools, New London-Spicer High School, Duininck Concrete, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Bethesda and MNYou Youth Garden. A career navigator will help introduce students to local career opportunities that are in high demand by local employers and can offer family-sustaining wages.
* $15,000 to Litchfield High School, Lutheran Social Services and Kids of the Kingdom Daycare Center to work with high school classes to grow and provide greens, vegetables and fruits for Meals on Wheels and other local programs.
* $15,000 to Yellow Medicine East Public Schools, Renville County West Public Schools, the Living at Home Block Nurse Program, Pioneer Public Broadcasting System, Southwest Minnesota State University and Ridgewater College. The Renewed Memories program will give students digital media skills that could be used in jobs with the block nurse program or at Pioneer PBS. They will learn to restore old photographs and film and create documentaries working with seniors from the block nurse program
* $15,000 to Montevideo High School, Kibble Equipment and Lake Area Technical College to develop a small engines course to provide experience with local mechanics and in a business machine shop.
* $14,375 to Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, Minnesota River Valley Career and Technical Education Collaborative, Canby High School, Dawson-Boyd High School , Lac qui Parle Valley High School and Yellow Medicine East High School. Working with area employers, the Youth Career Connector program will give students an opportunity to visit area businesses and build professional relationships.
