Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Youth Employment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Inspire MSP seeks continued funds to expand creative-industry career exposure for middle-school students
Summary
Senate File 25-69 requests continued funding for Inspire MSP to expand career-exposure field trips and middle-school programming in creative industries. Committee adopted amendment and laid the bill on the table for possible inclusion after testimony from program director and a student.
Senate File 25-69, sponsored by Sen. John Clark, would appropriate $150,000 (committee materials indicate funding in FY2026 and FY2027 from the Workforce Development Fund) to Inspire MSP to continue and expand career-exposure programming that connects middle-school students to creative-industry careers.
Sen. John Clark described Inspire MSP’s work exposing more than 2,000 students to 100-plus creative professionals and cited the industry’s size in Minnesota—roughly 100,000 jobs and $13 billion in state revenue per materials cited in committee. Dan Ryan, Inspire MSP’s executive director, told the committee the program focuses on sixth through ninth graders to build early career aspirations and highlighted partnerships that bring students to 3D printing labs, fashion presentations and other hands-on experiences. A 13-year-old student, Samantha Alvarado, described four field trips over two years and said the visits broadened her view of fashion and other creative careers.
Committee staff identified prior funding: Inspire MSP received $100,000 in FY2025 from the Workforce Settlement Fund. The committee adopted an A1 amendment and laid Senate File 25-69 on the table for possible inclusion; no final appropriation was enacted at the hearing.
Discussion vs. decision: the committee treated the bill as an appropriation request and informational presentation; the bill was not enacted during the hearing.
