The past 20 years were just a lesson for today.
In 1988, then-Minneapolis Mayor Don Fraser co-chaired a task force with Jim Renier, then CEO of Honeywell, to combat an alarming statistic that stated too many Minneapolis children were not ready for school.
Together, they led a group visiting early-learning programs around the country. On a return trip from Chicago, Mr. Fraser suggested that with the help of the United Way, he could turn an already-developed study into a working model for successful early learning. That model was Way to Grow — the first in-home program that used local staff who came from the same communities they served.
In 1989, through a partnership with the mayor’s office, United Way and Honeywell, Way to Grow began as a program of the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board. Focusing on the positive outcomes of early learning, the city of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Public Schools, Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota provided public funding that combined with private funding to make the Way to Grow dream a reality.
After unforeseen budget cuts, and the decision of the Youth Coordinating Board, Don Fraser, Keith Halleland of Halleland, Lewis & Nilan and a dedicated group transformed Way to Grow into a more agile nonprofit. In 2004, Way to Grow attained independent status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Today, Way to Grow continues to stay true to its mission, and we constantly measure our results to define new ways to improve our programming.
