Catalyst for Systems Change

Catalyst for Systems Change (fmr: Center for School Change)

Our mission is to be in the difference making business. CSC works with educators, family members, business people, students, policy-makers and other concerned people throughout the United States to make important measurable differences in the lives of young people and adults.  This includes:

• Increasing student achievement, as measured by a variety of methods.
• Raising high school and post-secondary graduation rates.
• Improving student attitudes toward learning, their schools, and being positive, active, contributing members of their community.
• Promoting greater understanding of young people who can and should be allowed and encouraged to help make a positive difference in their communities by combining classroom work and community service

65 youth from all over Mn who participated in our 2023 legislative policy workshop 
Khalique testifying at the MN legislature in 2023 One of the houses that high school students built

Several of CSC's projects have a return on investment of 50-100 to 1!   Thanks to generous donors and hard, skillful and creative work and community organizing with young people and adult allies, CSC has been able, over the last 2 years: to 

• Help convince the Minnesota legislature to allocate $20 million/year for 6 years to help reduce the number of youth and families experience homelessness
• Convince Minnesota legislators to allocate millions of dollars to help create or expand programs in which high school students learn construction skills as they build homes for low income people and people experiencing homelessness
• Help defend and improve a Minnesota law CSC helped write in 1985 that allows Mn high schools students to earn free college credit, in high schools or on college campuses.  Outside research shows that this law saves Minnesota taxpayers about $10 million/year and saves Minnesota families almost $60 million per year
• Write six case studies describing high school youth home building projects
• Lead an effort that resulted in new regulations requiring prospective Minnesota teachers to learn about the rationale for and implementation of service-learning
• Help three Minnesota public schools receive more than $135,000 to implement service-learning projects based on student suggestions. 

These other examples show how CSC stretches funds to create real, measurable differences for young people and families.