Below is a piece written by a current Takoda Prep student: Ava Criollo “Takoda Prep is somewhere that’s always made me feel very welcomed since the beginning and has been very convenient for me to get to. The location is great, it’s right next to Taco Bell and Holiday and also the train station. It feels good knowing how
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Jennifer enrolled in Takoda GED to advance her career and inspire her children and grandchildren to do the same. Ivy Estenson Jennifer, an Ojibwe and Pueblo student from New Mexico enrolled in Takoda GED after her husband passed away. She decided that she no longer wanted to live in depression after mourning the loss of
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Students in Takoda Institute’s Digital Office Professional training had a unique opportunity to visit Elite Hearing Network and its parent company, Amplifon and this week to tour its US headquarters, learn about its marketing department, and learn about a career in marketing. Amplifon is the third largest global company in the hearing health industry, and
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Amy’s commitment as a student helped her land an instructor role at Takoda, where she’s inspiring students just like her. Amy’s time at Takoda began back in 2011. She enrolled in the former Nursing Assistant program and then got a job at Southview Acres in St. Paul, where she worked for 5 years. With an
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It’s true that many Metro-area schools and organizations offer no-cost GED preparation, but Takoda GED is unique. We’re flexible. Takoda GED is a drop-in program. We don’t have traditionally scheduled classes with mandatory attendance. This means that YOU are in charge of when you study. We understand that you have a lot going on in
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Takoda Prep is accepting students for third quarter, which begins on January 28th. Takoda Prep is a great alternative for those who had not had success in the traditional school setting. As a contract alternative high school under contract with Minneapolis Public Schools we focus on helping students make advancements in reading, writing, and mathematics,
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Cody enrolled in Takoda Works’ BUILD program and gained the skills to a meaningful career. The BUILD program is an intensive work program to help Native youth build work and life skills. The first 7 weeks consisted of life skills training and work ethics. The participants were then placed into a 9-week internship in the community. When Cody* was interviewed for the
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Two-Spirited youth and allies attend annual LGBTQ+ festival This winter, Takoda Prep students attended Q-Quest, MN School OUTreach Coalition’s 14 Annual Youth Festival. This youth-focused conference has become a popular choice for our self-identified Two-Spirited youth or allies. The event unites approximately 400 youth from the Metro and Greater MN area. This year’s workshops focused on topics that included self-love, healthy relationships,
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GED develop useful soft skills as they discuss pressing topics with classmates In addition to regular class time and tutoring hours, Takoda GED offers a “Lunch and Learn” session three times a week where students form a talking circle and discuss topics regarding current events and curriculum. This is a way to incorporate Native teaching practices
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Jason found success at Takoda while taking advantage of the many resources available to him In a quick conversation with Takoda Institute graduate Jason, it’s clear how much ambition and perseverance he has to better his and his family’s life. Before enrolling at Takoda, Jason was a window cleaner for over 10 years and worked
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Meet over a dozen local employers at Takoda’s December Career Fair Friday, December 14th 12:00 PM–3:00 PM Connecting with local employers is as easy as walking in and introducing yourself. You’ll get a chance to stand out as more than just a piece of paper at this in-person hiring event. No registration necessary. Located at
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Greetings, my relatives! Each day I am reminded of the honor held within my work at the American Indian OIC and each day I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community. It can become so easy to find one’s self ensnared in the negativity that seems to permeate our world – reinforced by
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With support from the National Urban Indian Family Coalition, AIOIC helped bring together candidates and Native voters for a unique evening of discussion. Voter engagement has been a long-standing issue for the Native community, with Native voter suppression in North Dakota becoming a headline story. Previous candidates have spent little time listening to the concerns
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Winter found stability, support, and hope after enrolling at Takoda Works Winter* is a single mother of two young children fighting hard to have a better life. She is a woman looking to do better, be better, have more. She is a recipient of welfare trying to become self-sufficient. Even while her circumstances remain difficult,
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With help from Takoda GED tutors, Breanne attained her GED and a higher paying job with benefits. Breanne, a member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, came to Takoda GED with the goal of a better life for her and her daughter. Prior to earning her GED, Breanne found herself caught in a cycle
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Takoda Prep students start each day by taking time to read, showing an increase in their Lexile scores. For over two school years, students and faculty at Takoda Prep have taken part in a school-wide initiative called Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.). This program was initially put in place to boost students’ interest in reading,
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Takoda graduates shared their stories of resiliency during the Fall graduation ceremony Twice a year, graduates of Takoda Institute and Takoda GED are invited to attend a graduation ceremony to celebrate their incredible achievement. This is not your average graduation ceremony. In lieu of rambling speeches, musical arrangements, and long processionals, the focus is instead
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Providing career pathways and bridging the labor shortage After a successful rebranding process, Takoda—American Indian OIC’s employment training subdivision—is proud to offer no-cost career training programs for all. The Takoda brand, originally created for the organization’s accredited post-secondary school, was expanded to include the GED/Adult Basic Education program and employment services. This was done to
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Takoda GED provides distance learning to extend the teaching and tutoring that take place in our classroom. “Distance learning” simply means leveraging technology to help students continue their formal education when they are not in the same physical location as their teachers. This option is ideal for adults who must balance employment, family, transportation, and
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Pam* is a single mother who started at Takoda in early 2018. She had been homeless with her young son for the past three years. During this time, Pam jumped from shelter to shelter and was desperate to find a shelter that would offer some longevity, stability and one where she could stay with her
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Each Summer, Takoda Prep holds summer school for its students to provide them with a safe place to come each day and continue their education beyond the 9-month school year. Summer school at Takoda Prep began on June 18th and culminated with a community event on July 27th to honor our students and their hard
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There is an encampment in Minneapolis populated by indigenous people – and it is growing. People who have gathered there are the displaced, the unemployed, the addicted, the battered, and the sexually exploited. They have come home. They have come home to the community that they are now counting on for help, and they have
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This spring, Takoda hosted a Healthcare Career Fair which brought together students, jobseekers, employers and training providers for a day of networking and learning. Jobseekers from all over the metro area gathered to learn about the potential careers they could have in the healthcare field, while healthcare employers learned about creative recruitment strategies including apprenticeship
Read moreMinneapolis, MN: Today, after a long rebranding process, the American Indian OIC, debuts its new “Takoda” subdivision, which includes a new logo, branding, and website. The Takoda brand, originally created for the organization’s accredited post-secondary school, was expanded to include the GED/Adult Basic Education program and employment services. This was done to demonstrate how the organization’s programs work together
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Antonitte came to American Indian OIC’s Takoda Institute in 2012. She was a single mother looking to prove to herself that any situation could be made better, so she enrolled in the vocational school’s nine-month Administrative Assistant training program. While enrolled, Antonitte learned applicable work skills like project management, keyboarding, and database management and gained
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Chris enrolled in college following his high school graduation, and – like many young people – perhaps did not value higher education as strongly as he should have. Within a few months of starting his college program, he dropped out. For the next decade Chris struggled to find his way. He bounced from job to
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Excerpts from the Star Tribune Article of the same name by Neal St. Anthony. Jaquan Sloan worked in retail, home health care and building security for nearly a decade after high school. Usually part-time and without benefits. Never more than $12 an hour. Sloan, 28, who grew up in Harlem, the son of a security guard
Read moreIf graduate John, has just one secret to success, it’s commitment. After completing the Takoda Institute’s nine-month Computer Support training program, he quickly landed a job as a computer support technician and in less than three years, he worked his way up to a systems administrator position and now earns about double what an entry-level
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In June of 2016, Cory, a proud member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, graduated after successfully completing the Computer Support Program at Takoda Institute of Higher Education. Prior to Takoda Institute, Cory had been taking care of his elderly mother while working at his previous job, which was physically straining and starting to
Read moreJosh completed the Takoda Institute of Higher Education’s accredited Health Information and Patient Services Specialist occupational training program. Grants and scholarships fully covered his tuition, books, and fees. He was also provided with free job search support as he worked to enter his field of study. Here Josh shares an update on his life since
Read moreExcerpts and images from Minnesota Public Radio. Brandt Williams, Reporting Caroline Yang, Photographs High school dropouts try to get back in the game For many, GED certificates are the ticket into the workforce or higher education that they didn’t punch in high school. …Minnesota ranks near the bottom of states when it comes to the
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