Youth Share Startling Statistics, Hope and Help
The following column originally appeared in a number of APG of East Central Mn newspapers during October and November, 2025, including the Aitkin Independent, Anoka, Blaine & Coon Rapids papers Dakota County Tribune, Elk River Star News, Faribault Daily News, Milaca Messenger, Monticello Times, Press & News, Stillwater Gazette, Sun Current, Sun Post, Sun Sailor, and Sun This Week
Youth share startling statistics, hope and help
By
Joe Nathan
Minnesota youth want to – and can – help solve our problems. That’s one of the central messages of three YouTube videos released Oct. 22 by metro-area students at the High School for Recording Arts.
The videos demonstrate young people’s creativity, research and production skills, along with a strong message of hope and possibility.
Let’s start with the “Youth Hold the Truth” video – which highlights the 10,697 Minnesota children and youth who were experiencing homelessness as of February 2025. Students cited statistics from the Minnesota Department of Education showing that the number of young people experiencing homelessness has increased about 32% since 2019. As the video explains, this is a statewide issue, not just one affecting the Twin Cities.
Data available on the MDE School Report Card website show – under the “Who are the Students – Demographics – Other Criteria” section, the number of children and youth experiencing homelessness in each district and charter public school.
The number of youth and child homelessness reported at select districts:
Aitkin (13); Anoka-Hennepin (699); Braham (7); Caledonia (2); Cambridge-Isanti (18); Columbia Heights (29); Eden Prairie (95); Edina (23); Elk River (12); Faribault (73); Forest Lake (29); Fridley (93); Hopkins (98); Little Falls (11); Milaca (5), Minnetonka (14); Monticello (12); North Branch (4); Northfield (17); Orono (2); Osseo (284); Princeton (19); Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan (141); Rush City (3); St. Louis Park (44); Spring Lake Park (61); Stillwater (44); Waconia (7); and Wayzata (45).
MDE’s report card is available here. The demographic data is here.
Behind these numbers are individual stories, which students in the the video share briefly.
“Many of us are couch-hopping or sleeping in abandoned buildings or vehicles, just to stay warm, because shelters are full.”
“When I was homeless, I frequently abused alcohol to forget about what was going on in life.”
“When I was homeless, I felt very neglected, even by my loved ones.”
But as the students make clear, “Youth across Minnesota face many challenges on a daily basis. But that’s not the end of our story.”
The video and accompanying material provides resources available to young people. The students discovered and share many I’d not heard about. The poignant video and useful resources are here.
A second video also provides information that will be news to many – Minnesota has thousands of jobs in what students call “creative careers.” It’s found here.
Students cite U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing, for example, that more than 100,000 jobs are available in various creative careers. That includes content creation, video production, social media marketing, etc. Moreover, “you do not need to go deeply in debt to get mentoring and training you need – and – you do not need to leave Minnesota to get a creative job,” according to the video.
The third video, “Real Talk: College Ready” is a rap encouraging youngsters to attend some form of post-high school education. It acknowledges concerns that many students have about going into debt, or the time it will take to attend college. It notes how to earn free college credit in high school, and the vast array of available scholarships, including the North Star Promise, which offers free tuition in public colleges and universities for families earning less than $80,000 a year. This video is here.
Kelvin Williams of Crystal told me that working on the videos helped him learn “about stepping up, being determined to finish a project, and working with a team.”
Sha’Micah Hicks explained: “I learned a great deal about production-based careers. I am considering a career in communications.”
Though funded by Minnesota taxpayers via the Legislature and MDE, the videos point out that the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of MDE or the U.S. Department of Education.
These videos are classic examples of service-learning – combining classroom work, research, writing, and study of current issues with real-world community impact. CSC, where I formerly worked, helped HSRA gifted teacher Scott Herold and the students research and produce the videos.
Extensive research shows well-designed service-learning programs have a powerful, positive impact on participating students. And, as these videos show, giving students a chance to use their creativity, research and insights can help all of us.
Joe Nathan, PhD, formerly was a Minnesota public school educator, researcher and founder/director of Center for School Change, now known as Catalyst for Systems Change. Reactions welcome, joe@centerforschoolchange.org