Sentencing to Service (STS) Homes - Summit Academy OIC Partnership

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

In September 2011 Summit Academy and Hennepin County Sentencing to Service (STS) Homes established a partnership to achieve the shared goals of reducing recidivism and increasing the employability and employment of Hennepin County residents currently on probation and specifically the chronically unemployed on probation. The partners combined the curriculum of Summit Academy and the hands on training by Hennepin County foreman to create a 20 week construction training program – 10 weeks of classroom and 10 weeks of on the job training. Hennepin County Sentencing to Service staff and Summit Academy staff actively recruit and refer Hennepin County probation clients to the program in an effort to increase employment and employability.In May of 2012 STS Homes signed an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for a pilot program to construct a camper cabin at Summit Academy. The DNR extended the agreement to build a total of 5 camper cabins. In addition to the program constructing camper cabins, there is another crew rehabilitating homes for affordable housing in Minneapolis. Each crew has six participants – both men and women.Since inception, the partnership has built five camper cabins that are placed throughout the state and rehabilitated five residential properties for affordable housing purposes. To date twenty-five probationers have completed the program, and eighteen students have been placed in full time employment.