Children First

Help Every Child in the West Metro Thrive

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, feel supported, and thrive. But creating those opportunities takes a community working together.

Children First brings together young people, families, schools, nonprofits, and community leaders across the West Metro communities of Golden Valley, Hopkins, and St. Louis Park to improve outcomes for children and youth.

Your support helps turn community collaboration into meaningful action.

Through our programs and partnerships, we work to:

• Build strong foundations for learning. We promote early literacy, support parents, and connect families with resources that help children succeed from the start.

• Strengthen youth mental well-being. Through our action networks Youth For Change Coalition and Mental Wellness Strategy Group, high school students and their adult mentors help identify challenges facing young people and develop strategies to promote mental wellness and resilience.

• Expand opportunities for the future. We bring community partners together to address barriers and improve the educational and career pathways available to young people.

Our work goes beyond individual programs. By connecting people, sharing knowledge, and working toward common goals, we help our community respond to challenges that no single organization can solve alone.

Rooted in Community

Founded in St. Louis Park in 1992, Children First began with a shared vision: bringing a community together to help children thrive. Today, concentrating our work throughout the West Metro, we continue to connect people, organizations, and resources to improve opportunities for children, youth, and families that lead toward upward economic mobility.

---

Our Impact

Youth For Change Coalition (Y4CC)
The Youth For Change Coalition brings together high school students from across the West Metro to improve youth mental wellbeing. Through youth-led collaboration, members identify challenges facing their peers, develop solutions, and take action to promote mental wellness, hope, and resilience in their communities. With the support of the Mental Wellness Strategy Group, Y4CC's young leaders have organized workshops, community events, and creative initiatives that raise awareness, spark meaningful conversations, and drive positive change in youth mental health. These efforts have contributed to a 13.5% decrease over the past three years in the percentage of students in our service area who reported having considered attempting suicide, according to Minnesota Student Survey results.

Career Pathway Exploration and Activation
Working closely with local school districts, city officials, postsecondary institutions, and businesses, Children First convenes and engages in conversations focused on ensuring that courses offered in schools today align closely with the needs of students' careers tomorrow. By increasing access to internships, volunteer partnerships, hands-on learning, concurrent enrollment courses, and similar opportunities, Children First aims to bolster student engagement in their own learning while simultaneously developing a transformative skillset.

St. Louis Park Summer Reading Festival
The St. Louis Park Summer Reading Festival brings families and community partners together to celebrate literacy and make reading fun and accessible for children and teens. In 2026, the festival featured 12 free community events, welcoming more than 2,000 attendees and distributing over 2,100 free books and 500 backpacks and totes. More than 80 local organizations contributed to the week's activities, which combined literacy, interactive learning, and connections to community resources. Participant feedback highlighted the joy of reading and community connection, with families reporting that children gained confidence and became more engaged in reading. By bringing books and learning opportunities beyond the classroom, the festival helps foster a lifelong love of reading and a stronger, more connected community.

---

Make a Difference This Give to the Max Day

Join us in building a stronger future for children and families in our community. Your donation helps sustain Children First's programs, partnerships, and collaborative efforts to ensure every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

Every gift helps move our community forward. Thank you for putting Children First!