The Pipeline at Risk: Balancing Success and Scarcity in Minnesota’s Youth Internship Programs
In 2019, Jordan Dotson was a standout student at Minneapolis South High School, a teenager from a working-class household on the city’s North Side who balanced rigorous academics with a passion for theater. Her daily routine involved a two-bus commute, a…
The Narrowing Gateway: The Uncertain Future of Minneapolis’ Premier Youth Internship Program
MINNEAPOLIS — For Jordan Dotson, the path from the North Side of Minneapolis to a corporate office at Best Buy’s headquarters was paved with high expectations and two daily bus transfers. In 2019, Dotson was a standout graduate of Minneapolis South High…
The Vanishing Ladder: Why Minneapolis’ Landmark Youth Internship Program is Facing a Crisis of Participation
MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan Dotson’s journey from the North Side of Minneapolis to the corporate headquarters of Best Buy is a testament to the power of structured opportunity. A 2019 graduate of Minneapolis South High School, Dotson grew up in a working-class…
The Mentorship Gap: How Minneapolis’ Landmark Youth Internship Programs Face an Uncertain Future Amidst Economic and Political Shifting Tides
MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan Dotson’s career trajectory reads like a blueprint for the "American Dream" reimagined for the 21st-century Twin Cities. A 2019 graduate of Minneapolis South High School, Dotson grew up in a working-class household on the…
The Step Up Paradox: Minneapolis’ Premier Youth Internship Program Faces Declining Participation Amidst Critical Workforce Needs
MINNEAPOLIS — Jordan Dotson’s daily commute in 2019 was a testament to her ambition. A standout student at Minneapolis South High School, Dotson traveled from her working-class neighborhood on the North Side, navigating two city buses each way to…
