‘A game changer’: This Minneapolis technical school brings people out of poverty

March 21, 2024

Feven Gerezgiher

Summit Academy OIC, a job training center in north Minneapolis, bustled with activity on a sunny Tuesday. Inside, students sat in classrooms learning how to read blueprints and cut wood for special projects. Outside, aspiring carpenters built frames for homes in a large garage on campus, with electrical students wiring lights in a nearby building.

Modern and compact, its unassuming exterior belies its power: it’s one of the most successful programs of its kind in the nation.

“Summit has been a part of building just about all the stadiums in the Twin Cities,” said Leroy West, president and CEO of Summit Academy.