As the COVID-19 health and economic crisis rip through every corner of our lives, it is clear that children and families will feel its effects for generations to come.

The Northside Achievement Zone believes that these organization-defining moments are when it is most important to demonstrate our core values of compassion, adaptability, and integrity in all that we do. Our new reality, amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic, has not slowed our commitment to North Minneapolis. Just the contrary. While COVID-19 is keeping us apart physically, it is also bringing us together in new and profound ways.

As stay-at-home orders continue to impact the world, North Minneapolis families are finding connection and education at a distance through Family Academy Online. Before the stay-at-home order, NAZ Family Academy participants would gather at NAZ offices and partner sites to discuss empowerment, scholar success, and navigating relationships with teachers and schools. The popular program has read more…

The Economic Impact Payments are being released. Here is our guide to navigating receiving payment. If you have filed taxes in 2018/2019 You may not receive automatic payments even if you have filed taxes for 2018/2019. There are reports of the IRS requiring more information to process your payment. To find out if this applies read more…

Below is a list of online resources for families and scholars currently at home as a result of COVID-19. We will be updating this list regularly, please check back.

As a result of COVID–19, we know that many of our families and community members will see reduced income. In this post, we will be collecting and maintaining resources and announcements that affect our community.

by Danielle Bylund, NAZ External Communications Manager This legislative session NAZ is at the capitol to advocate for Northside children and scholars. Two issues, in particular, are at the forefront of our efforts. First, the constitutional amendment which has been proposed by Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari and former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice read more…

by Sondra Samuels, NAZ President and CEO As we celebrate Black History Month it is apropos to celebrate the 1,000 NAZ families and 2,100 scholars–who are overwhelmingly African American–working hard to transform their lives. In this admirable group, there is one parent we must single out and celebrate– NAZ Father of nine and Northside community read more…

by Danielle Bylund, NAZ External Communications Manager Every year NAZ works with the Wilder Foundation to assess the results of our impact. As a data-driven organization, this allows NAZ and its partners to react annually to what is working and refine methodologies that are stagnant. Innovation is the core of our work and the data read more…

by Sarah Clarke, Project Manager for the Education Partnerships Coalition NAZ was recently honored to welcome Representative Cheryl Youakim, the Chair of House Education Policy Committee. Representative Youakim represents Hopkins and Saint Louis Park in the Legislature. She also works as a paraprofessional outside of the Legislative Session. During Chair Youakim’s visit, Sondra Samuels, the read more…

by Danielle Bylund, NAZ External Communications Manager Every Sunday, NAZ President and CEO, Sondra Samuels and her husband, CEO of Microgrants, and an ordained minister, Don Samuels host a radio show on KMOJ. The program “Power to the Parents” seeks to empower and reclaim agency for Black parents. Every week Sondra and Don, with the read more…