Community » Diversity, Equity and Inclusion » Race Equity Implementation

Developing Future Leaders

City Council members and students who served on City commissions at the 2023 Board and Commissions banquet
Large group of students posing for a photo with Council Members, Mayor and school district Superintendent

Developing Future Leaders actions focus on strategies for ensuring civic engagement, employment and career opportunities are accessible for students of color.

To raise the voices of students of color during Black History Month, the City introduced the Martin Luther King, Jr. Words in Action Contest in 2021. Youth 18 and younger who live or go to school in Eden Prairie were asked to select quotes from Dr. King's speeches and essays, and express themselves through various media on what those quotes meant to them. The contest has evolved to allow quotes from any Black American civil rights leaders, and students are asked to reflect on the words and express how they can carry the legacies of those leaders forward in our community.

The City's decades-long Students on Commissions program has become very popular over the past few years, with record-breaking numbers of applications. The program is one of the primary ways the City offers civic leadership opportunities to the youth of Eden Prairie.

Additional efforts for developing future leaders include reaching students of color through career fairs, summer internships and participating in the Eden Prairie High School micro-internship program.

The strategies underway are described in four areas of recommendations which are outlined in the Race Equity Report:

#1 | Partner with Eden Prairie Schools to share insights from community outreach sessions and work toward common goals.
#2 | Encourage youth employment opportunities with the City of Eden Prairie through internships, summer employment and career opportunities.
#3 | Expand youth development program accessibility for underserved youth by reducing barriers to participation.
#4 | Identify opportunities to raise the voices of young people in our community; partner with young residents to identify ways for them to grow self-advocacy skills and opportunities.