About Us
We are a Minnesota nonprofit organization comprised of people compelled to choose the path of progress and to encourage others to do the same. Through our choices and what we offer others, especially to youth (meaning our time, knowledge, wisdom
and resources), we can help see positive
changes in the Twin Cities and beyond.
The choice to change our mindset about the environment is imperative and crucial. It's going to take ALL OF US to realize that taking even small actions to reduce waste, lower our carbon emissions, and taking offset action is
how we keep Earth healthy for future generations.
Progressive Pathways offers ideas and resources, particularly to urban youth and the disenfranchised to help reduce socioeconomic disparities through knowledge, skills and opportunities. We aim to build community
for sustained positive change and
personal development.
In all we do, we strive to incorporate three key components:
Environmental Awareness
Climate change affects everyone, whether we know it or not. But this issue tends to be gentrified - Progressive Pathways is bringing environmental consciousness to people who are often left out of the conversation. We encourage people to examine the carbon footprint they have on earth, including how adjusting their habits can change that effect.
Life Skills & Personal Growth
In order to bridge the gap between the present and the future, we need to develop new, progressive sets of life skills while keeping the methods that are tried and true. We focus on life skills that incorporate and include environmentally friendly practices and produce equity amongst cross-cultural communities.
We believe that we can affect world change through personal growth!
Community Building
Many problems that people have seem to be helped when others show care and interest. This is how healthy communities operate and the direction that we steer our programs and the people involved in them. We believe that when we receive good things and opportunities, that we should, in turn, give back somewhere to someone else. Cross culturally and intergenerationally.
HERE & NOW
Social service organizations identify problems around them that they believe
they can help resolve. The people that comprise these organizations typically develop
a passion for that purpose and work toward helping that area. Perhaps you are reading this
now because you are a person like that, and you are looking for solutions to help your clients.
We believe that as community members, we have a responsibility
to address issues that we identify as problems.
While living our lives, raising our children and attempting to navigate the
complexities of society, we have noticed problem areas and pitfalls that can
catch and trap people, hindering them from success. As we have
worked through many of these areas and helped others to do so, the area
we have chosen to focus on first is the issue of teen drivers and the roadblocks
that we've identified that may prevent them from becoming
valid drivers. As a community, we want safer streets and less problems
involving traffic stops. We also want to close the socioeconomic disparity gap
that clearly exists, including the matter of urban teens and adults becoming licensed drivers.
Progressive Pathways has outlined a program to to that.
Our Future of Driving Program is designed with an environmental component,
and in exchange for no or low cost driver's training, students are expected
to participate in community involvement activities that we believe will
benefit our students and our communities in many ways.
Ideally, Progressive Pathways' Future of Driving Program would be funded
by grants and other types of funding sources. Right now there is no funding.
However, we have affordable rates for our services that are well worth it.
It is an investment in oneself.
Many young adults realize that they need a driver's license for employment or
other reasons, but have not had access or resources to complete the process, most likely
because they have not had the opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive.
We have created a package designed for the adult working toward a
valid license with limited access to a vehicle. Let's get driving!
In all of our projects and programs, we strive to incorporate some of each of the following components:
Environmental awareness, educational growth, and community strengthening.
Minneapolis / Saint Paul