AGENCY DISCRIPTION

AGENCY DISCRIPTION:
The Ten Thousand Lakes Foundation (TTL) provides after-school athletics and STEM programming,
mentoring, and college access support to immigrant youth and families in the Twin Cities. Led by Abdul
Sero and Abdulfatah Wabe, the organization seeks to empower youth and their parents to overcome
opportunity gaps by building community, accessing resources, and developing athletic and academic
skills. With activities starting in 2019, the organization has grown to serve around 80 families and 150
youth from diverse cultural backgrounds annually.
TTL takes a holistic approach to youth enrichment, matching students with coaches and mentors –
people who have been through similar experiences and beat the odds – engaging with school staff to
support students, and coaching parents to support and listen to their youth. For high school youth, staff
support students one-on-one with FAFSA and college applications, communicate with college athletic
directors and admissions staff to advocate for students, support students in seeking and securing work
and internships, and connect with other organizations to bring resources to students enrolled in
programming. Using sports and robotics programming as a framework for engaging with youth and
families TTL seeks to bring resources and relationships to urban and immigrant youth in order to help
them reach success on their own terms.

Transforming Lives Together

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