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Since 1999, Youth Determined to Succeed, a nonprofit founded by former Minnesota Gopher and Pittsburgh Steelers Melvin Anderson has helped hundreds of children through a variety of programs in the areas of youth development, health and wellness, and combating obesity. With a staff of health professionals and mentoring-trainers, youths are learning essential behavioral skills in becoming successful and healthy adults. 

Our mission is to inspire and equip youth to develop healthy, responsible lifestyles, and become successful community leaders.

MAJOR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

  • Provide high quality comprehensive health and nutrition educational programs designed to help youth’s and family’s combat obesity and preventable related health diseases that can seriously impact their lives.  
  • Lead community efforts in addressing the complex social behavior and institutional issues that impact the health and wellness of our youth, families and communities.
  • Provide a high quality fitness program that combats sedentary life styles and equip youth with the ability to excel in life by developing fit bodies and promoting determined lifestyle.
  • Provide effective leadership and life skills programs to develop behaviors of successful people, build self-esteem and develop the compassion needed to become a successful adult and ultimately combat negative youth behaviors.  

IMPACT ON COMMUNITY

Youth Determined to Succeed, strongly believes that our multi-faceted approach, “direct impact” programs will continue to significantly impact the lives of young people and provide opportunity to improve the quality of their lives by preventing obesity and combating youth violence by equipping them with the emotional and physical tools they need to become successful adults. 

YDS is uniquely suited to address the youth health and social behavioral issues:

  • Our health program is led by board member Dr. Tonya Bryan, a pediatrician at Park Nicollet hospital. Along with Dr. Bryan, we are also staffed by other pediatricians, dieticians, yoga instructors, and experienced trainers.  
  • YDS has developed its own distinguished customized youth health and wellness curriculum, lecture and series of workbooks which integrates the primary components to combat poor health and obesity, health and nutrition education, emotional support and physical fitness.
  • YDS has partnered with the University of Minnesota to target useful psychological and physical data that produces clear helpful results to determine “Best Practices” and YDS program effectiveness.
  • YDS youth leadership and track programs have a proven record of providing youth the opportunities to develop positive behavioral skills and athletic abilities which provides a spectrum of future opportunities; 100% of our youth graduate from high school and 90% attend college.