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History

Since its inception, Youth Express has been a respected community source for programming that reflects the ideas, needs and interests of diverse young people in St. Paul neighborhoods. Youth Express’ Founder, Jim Kelley, grew up two blocks from the Youth Express office. During his teenage years, he experienced a number of personal struggles that threatened to derail his life. From this adversity, Jim committed himself to helping young people maximize their potential.

In 1982, Jim was hired by the Lexington-Hamline Community Council to start the Neighborhood Connection youth program. In 1990, Jim founded Youth Express, and quickly positioned the organization as a frontrunner in the “positive youth development” approach to programming. From the start, the organization has believed that personal success is not possible without personal investment. Therefore, staff and youth share responsibility for creating and shaping the opportunities that will help them transition into adulthood.