St. Paul Youth Services

What St. Paul Youth Services does

St. Paul Youth Services (SPYS) is a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based private nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Police Department. Its core mission is disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and addressing racial disparities in juvenile justice and school discipline, primarily for Black, Indigenous, and youth of color aged 13–18 in the Twin Cities. Each year SPYS provides guidance, support, and opportunities to more than 400 young people across behavior intervention, family support, youth leadership, and restorative justice programming. The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Tracine Asberry and is guided by its proprietary "Smart, Fair & Loving Approach"℠ methodology.

SPYS' product portfolio is built around four core programs: the Behavior Intervention Program (BIP), an in-school behavioral intervention delivered in partnership with Saint Paul Public Schools and other districts that reports 91% improvement in classroom behavior, 83% in attendance, and 81% in academic performance; the Pre-Charge Diversion Program, a restorative-justice alternative to juvenile court where 97% of participants had no new arrest within six months; the YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute, a youth-led organizing hub compensating Black youth for their intellectual capital; and YouthPoweredMediaMN℠, a youth-led digital storytelling hub. Supporting offerings include the Rewriting the Rules® podcast (launched 2023), the Focus on Our Families Experience℠ network (launched 2024), and customized fee-for-service trainings and consulting for nonprofits, foundations, public agencies, libraries, and businesses. Each offering is delivered through direct field engagement, with digital channels (podcast, YouTube, newsletter, social media) used primarily for brand-building and earned-media amplification rather than service delivery.

SPYS operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model with three streams: tax-deductible individual and corporate donations from a "Youth Champions" community; foundation and corporate grants (including the NBA Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust, and USA TODAY/Gannett Foundation); and fee-for-service customized training, workshops, and consulting engagements. Pricing on the training stream is described as "affordable, flexible, and tailored" with no public rate sheet. The organization holds six registered trademarks/service marks covering its methodology and sub-brands and has received regional and national recognition including the NBA Foundation grant, USA TODAY/Gannett's A Community Thrives grant, an Eide Bailley innovation recognition, and a Charities Review Council Nonprofit Spotlight. SPYS has stated a goal of expanding its work across the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and nationally, though current direct-service operations remain concentrated in Saint Paul.

Name

St. Paul Youth Services

Legal name

St. Paul Youth Services

Website

https://spys.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Court/Community School Programs (Diversion, Probation-Linked, Community Day Schools) (EDAJAEAI), Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

Keywords

• Youth intervention programs
• Restorative justice services
• Youth leadership development
• Behavior intervention services
• Juvenile diversion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from SPYS' Youth Champions community of supporters. All donations are tax deductible.
2. Foundation Grants: Grants from foundations including NBA Foundation, USA TODAY NETWORK/Gannett Foundation A Community Thrives ($30,000 in 2021), and Otto Bremer Trust.
3. Fee-for-Service Training and Workshops: Customized assessments, trainings, and workshops for nonprofits, foundations, public agencies, and businesses. Services are described as affordable, flexible, and tailored to organizational needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Paul Youth Services delivers youth development programs centered on disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, including the Behavior Intervention Program (BIP) for in-school support, the Pre-Charge Diversion Program offering a restorative justice alternative to juvenile court, the YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute for youth-led organizing, and YouthPoweredMediaMN℠ for digital storytelling. The organization also sells customized fee-for-service trainings and workshops to nonprofits, public agencies, foundations, and businesses seeking to improve youth engagement practices.

Product overview

St. Paul Youth Services offers a comprehensive suite of youth development programs centered on disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline and supporting Black youth. The core portfolio includes the Behavior Intervention Program (BIP) for in-school support, the Pre-Charge Diversion Program for restorative justice, the YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute for youth organizing and advocacy, and YouthPoweredMediaMN® for digital storytelling. Supporting offerings include the Rewriting the Rules® Podcast, the Focus on Our Families Experience℠ network, and professional Training & Workshop services. All programs are guided by SPYS' proprietary Smart, Fair & Loving Approach℠ methodology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YouthPowerMN: SPYS' youth-led organizing hub offering physical and digital spaces where Black youth can reflect, build skills, organize, and advocate for change on issues that affect their lives.
• YouthPoweredMediaMN
• Rewriting the Rules Podcast
• Focus on Our Families Experience

Products and services

• Behavior Intervention Program (BIP) In-school behavioral intervention program that provides holistic support to address immediate student needs and root causes of disparate disciplinary outcomes, partnering with teachers, staff, and families.
• Pre-Charge Diversion Program Restorative justice approach offering an alternative to juvenile court for first-time offenses, helping youth avoid the detrimental impacts of incarceration while being held accountable for their actions. 97% of participants did not have another arrest in the following six months.
• YouthPowerMN℠ Leadership Institute Youth organizing hub where Black youth are compensated for their intellectual capital, lived experiences, and contributions. Youth gather, reflect, build skills, organize, and advocate for change on issues affecting their lives.
• YouthPoweredMediaMN℠ Virtual youth-led storytelling hub for reclaiming Black legacy through digital storytelling. Youth create and share media-based tools and learning resources for youth leadership.
• Focus on Our Families Experience℠ Network of individuals, organizations, and businesses offering experiences using SPYS' Smart, Fair, and Loving Approach℠ to youth and families in athletics, arts, health & wellness, culture, science and history.
• Rewriting the Rules® Podcast Podcast series interviewing community and business leaders, youth champions, and radicals whose work builds on the power and genius fundamental to Black communities, Indigenous Communities, and Communities of Color.
• Fee-for-Service Training & Workshops Customized assessments, trainings, and workshops for nonprofits, foundations, public agencies, and businesses focusing on youth workforce support, creating welcoming environments, and addressing institutional racism. Services described as affordable, flexible, and tailored to organizational needs.
• Consulting Services Partnership with organizations to assess approaches, identify barriers to youth engagement, and develop action plans to transform culture, practices, and environment to be more youth-centric.
• We Are Pyramids Documentary Documentary film about YouthPowerMN℠ Study Trip in Egypt, documenting youth travel and educational experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of participating youth improved their classroom behavior
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota TimberwolvescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NBA Foundation and Minnesota Timberwolves included tickets to MLK Day Game and Black History Month Celebration Game. Nearly 400 community members impacted through two events.
• Allina HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partnership with Allina Health called 'There's a Career for You in Healthcare.' Frederick Bw'Ombongi, VP of Operations at Allina Health, featured on Rewriting the Rules podcast discussing leadership for BIPOC youth.
• Strive Publishing & BookstoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBlack-owned bookstore in downtown Minneapolis that hosted the podcast live event recording with youth author Miles Asberry-Wallace.
• Urban BoatbuildersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Urban Boatbuilders announced in 2019 as part of Creating Healthy Black Futures initiative.
• Hennepin County LibrarycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorked with SPYS to overhaul youth development training for teen employees. Testimonial indicates transformation in organizational practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Common Justice: Common Justice is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit operating the largest alternative-to-incarceration program for young adults in the U.S., focused on restorative justice for violent crime — directly analogous to SPYS' diversion work in Minnesota.
• Roca: Roca is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that works with the highest-risk young people involved in violence, incarceration, and the justice system — directly comparable to SPYS' Pre-Charge Diversion and behavioral-intervention mission for court-involved youth of color.
• Youth Advocate Programs: YAP provides community-based alternatives to incarceration and out-of-home placement for court-involved youth, mirroring SPYS' Pre-Charge Diversion and restorative-justice approach. Both operate as fee-for-service contractors with juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Emerging players

• National Juvenile Justice Network: NJJN is a national membership network of state-based juvenile justice reform organizations, aligning with SPYS' Pre-Charge Diversion and reform-advocacy work. Smaller and more focused than national civil-rights organizations, it represents an emerging peer in the same reform space.
• Juvenile Law Center: Juvenile Law Center is a Philadelphia-based public interest law firm advancing the rights and well-being of children in the justice system, addressing juvenile-court reform in a way that complements SPYS' diversion programming and racial-disparities focus.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Big Brothers Big Sisters is a national youth-mentoring nonprofit serving at-risk youth, overlapping with SPYS' youth development and behavioral-support mission but at a far larger scale and broader demographic scope.
• National Urban League: The National Urban League is a historic civil rights and economic empowerment organization serving African Americans and other communities — directly comparable to SPYS' racial-equity-centered mission and Black-youth empowerment focus, but operating nationally across multiple program verticals.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs operates a national network of youth-development facilities serving at-risk young people, broadly comparable to SPYS' community-based youth programming model.
• The Sentencing Project: The Sentencing Project is a national research and advocacy organization working to reduce incarceration and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system — adjacent to SPYS' policy advocacy and youth-justice reform work.
• Communities In Schools: Communities In Schools is a national nonprofit placing site coordinators inside K-12 schools to keep at-risk students engaged, comparable to SPYS' in-school Behavior Intervention Program model but operating at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StPaulYouthSvcs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@st.paulyouthservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/spys.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/stpaulyouthservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Paul Youth Services