NONPROFITS
Wunderkammer:
Tech and
Training
Exploratorium
By Sophia Schmidt
V
adnais Heights Economic
Development Corporation
and the Sundance Family
Foundation cohosted the 3rd Annual
Wunderkammer at the Maplewood
Community Center YMCA, July 2018.
Sundance Family Foundation Executive
Director Peg Thomas says, “Our goal is
to provide youth with an opportunity to
explore career options, ask questions,
and engage with technicians with whom
they might someday call colleagues. This
turns the traditional Job Fair on its head.
Instead of the youth having to prove
that they are good enough, the various
potential technicians have to inspire and
help youth understand why they might
want to be a police officer, an offset print
technician, a welder, dental hygienist or
machinist.”
Sundance - sundancefamilyfoundation.org
– founded in 2003 by Nancy Jacobs
and Mark Sandercott, supports youth
development and strengthens family
stability. The Foundation drives changes
that enable the economic and personal
transformation of youth, their families
and local communities.
More than 15 local employers created
interactive activities and exhibits at the
2018 Wunderkammer, for more than
150 student attendees, to introduce
them to some of the many technical
jobs and opportunities available in the
local community. Students came with
community and student groups from
all over the Twin Cities area, including
the Conservation Corps, Centro Tyrone
Guzman and local YMCA groups.
Business leaders and students discussed
60
Northeast Metro Business
Photos courtesy of Sundance Family Foundation.
career and training options that do not
require a traditional four-year degree.
While a traditional college education can
be a viable option for some students,
it’s not the only option. This is a topic
that has for several decades – until
recently – been overlooked by schools
and other student organizations as
they’ve strived to send all students
through a traditional four-year education.
The Wunderkammer experience gives
students some insight into other options
for high-quality careers in the Northeast
Metro area. With an idea about what
kinds of skills they need to succeed in
the technological and technical jobs,
students can complete their secondary
education and move into the next
phase of their career with purpose and
direction.
Thomas says, “For some local
employers, more than 50,000 students,
families and neighbors might drive by
their building without ever knowing what
goes on behind those walls. They might
see a name but have no idea that they
could be hired and start a future where
they could thrive, advance and support
a future family. As well, many employers
don’t seem to know how to reach the
GenZ students that they need ‘to grow.’
We at Sundance know the schools and
nonprofit social enterprises that combine
social/emotional development with
community engagement and workforce
readiness. These nonprofits are helping
our youth become tomorrow’s future
leaders. We want to help these youth
understand the options that they have
to determine the direction of our 21st
century local economies.”
Looking to the future, Thomas says,
“We’re seeing a need for those
who work with the youth to make a
connection to those who want to recruit
youth as entry-level workers. It’s been
hard to make these connections for each
workforce navigator. We hope to have
one or more sessions that function much
like speed dating, where both employers
and nonprofit youth managers walk
away with binders of new connections
for rising high school seniors and youth
who want to enter on the job training
opportunities.
“We’re setting a goal that 50 youth will
enter apprenticeships in 2019. We want
these high school graduates going into
‘earn and learn’ environments to be
celebrated along with those going into
college.”
Sophia Schmidt was a 2018 summer intern for
the Vadnais Heights Economic Development
Corporation. She is currently a senior at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying
Community and Nonprofit Leadership,
Biology, and Global Health.