St. Paul Teacher Joins Hall of Fame, Recognized for Outstanding Work in Youth Service

Keystone Community Services is proud to announce that one of our staff, Ed Steinhauer, was inducted into the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame on December 4. The annual award is presented by the Youth Intervention Programs Associations (YIPA) and honors individuals for their work with vulnerable youth.

“We know how hard our Keystone team works, to deliver services in neighborhoods across Saint Paul, and to have a teacher be recognized for that dedication is really special,” said Mary McKeown, President of Keystone. Steinhauer was nominated for the Friends of Youth Leadership Award and was selected to join others who have demonstrated an “above and beyond” commitment to helping their students and their families.

Keystone’s Community Kids Program is a 21st Century Community Learning Center and an accredited program that serves youth, grades K-10, and their families living, working or attending school in the West 7th neighborhood.

“I feel honored to be recognized by YIPA,” said Steinhauer. “As a teacher, I’ve learned that learning happens when we’re able to build trusting relationships with children. Trust comes when we model empathy, curiosity, and playfulness. We also have to tacitly acknowledge that our kids get to make choices, like showing up with an open mind and an open heart. You just can’t coerce choices like those. So as leaders of children, we have to model open-heartedness, too.”

McKeown said another Keystone staff member was inspired to nominate Steinhauer and shared this anecdote about his impact on a young person in the Community Kids program:

“One of Ed’s students was sad when her family moved out of our neighborhood. Ed kept her enrolled online so she can continue to receive academic assistance and connection with friends. Ed checks in with the parents frequently to make them aware of support services. He delivered needed school supplies and books to their new home. Ed has provided a trusted source of support during a difficult transition.”

Since 1999, the Youth Intervention Hall of Fame has recognized only 89 individuals in the Youth Intervention Field. You can learn more about the award and meet the other youth leaders recognized this year online here – https://yipa.org/membership/youth-intervention-hall-fame/.

Keystone Community Services was founded in 1939 as a small neighborhood resource center in St. Paul. Today, Keystone supports more than 37,000 people in Ramsey County through a variety of community-based programs serving low-income adults and families, youth and seniors. For more information on Keystone, visit keystoneservices.org.