Our Philosophy

Build a Community of Workers

In healthy communities, adults work and children learn. Conversely, unemployed adults are forced to depend either upon public assistance or illegal means to support their families and their children grow up in a community that does not value education or work. Children of unemployed adults are most likely to mature only to perpetuate the poverty of their parents, not understanding their roles as citizens in their community, with little hope for a brighter future.

In his book, When Work Disappears, Dr. William Julius Wilson, a Harvard professor of African American studies, notes that the major difference between today’s neighborhoods compared to poor neighborhoods of the past is the absence of working adults, and the discipline and order that work brings. The economic and social benefits of a community of working adults is evident in earned wages that are spent within the community, home ownership, equal distribution of taxes, and most importantly, seeing adults go to work everyday sets a positive example and inspires hope in neighborhood children.

Summit Academy OIC is leading the way in building healthy communities by filling some of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in the Twin Cities with skilled workers. It is Summit’s fundamental belief that “the best social service program in the world is a living wage job!” Summit offers students a seamless support and training system to ensure their success on their journey to a life of opportunities and self-sufficiency.