Joe Cavanaugh has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (SJU). Cavanaugh, who lives in Edina with his wife and daughter, is the founder and CEO of Youth Frontiers, a nonprofit organization that delivers programs to improve school climate and strengthen student character.
“This award gave me a deep sense of gratitude for those people and places in my life that have helped lay the foundation for our critical work at Youth Frontiers,” says Cavanaugh.
Youth Frontiers aims to strengthen core values, confront negative behaviors and enable students to recognize the consequences of their actions. In 2011, Youth Frontiers held more than 650 retreats for nearly 100,000 students and educators. The organization also provides online resources for parents to help foster their children’s positive peer interactions. Youth Frontiers holds a fundraiser brunch on Sunday, Feb. 10, at the Metropolitan Ballroom in Golden Valley and will celebrate its 25th anniversary at a dinner April 25. The public is invited to attend.
Since graduating from SJU in 1981, Cavanaugh has built Youth Frontiers into a highly regarded national organization, which has touched the lives of more than 1 million youth. Gen. Colin Powell has described Cavanaugh as “a leader in our nation’s effort to rescue America’s young people.”
