The RISE for Youth program is a new strategic collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to help address some of the racial disparities and barriers to education and employment outcomes. In the state of Minnesota and the nation, there is a big difference in the access that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) people have to education and employment. The RISE for Youth program creates new pathways for success for Black and underrepresented students by providing critical educational and leadership skills, training, and long-term mentoring for careers in health, science, and beyond. The program uses the existing and evidence-based framework of the Reflect Inspire Strengthen Empower (RISE) Program.

The overall goals of the RISE for Youth program are to increase academic skills, provide a multifaceted program of enrichment experiences and opportunities for exploration of health care and the health professions, and introduce participants to the rigor of academic programs in health professions. It will help build a critical pipeline of diverse leaders and changemakers who will improve the practice of medicine, the potential of science, businesses, and the success of any organization in the community fortunate enough to be their post-graduate destination.

The RISE for Youth Program will enroll a cohort model of 20 students from the local community.