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124D.34 MINNESOTA FOUNDATION FOR STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS.
    Subdivision 1. Citation. This section may be cited as the "Minnesota Foundation For
Student Organizations Act."
    Subd. 2. Creation of foundation. There is created the Minnesota Foundation for Student
Organizations. The purpose of the foundation is to promote vocational student organizations and
applied leadership opportunities in Minnesota public and nonpublic schools through public-private
partnerships. The foundation is a nonprofit organization. The board of directors of the foundation
and activities of the foundation are under the direction of the commissioner of education.
    Subd. 3. Board of directors. The board of directors of the Minnesota Foundation for Student
Organizations consists of:
(1) seven members appointed by the board of directors of the school-to-work student
organizations and chosen so that each represents one of the following career areas: agriculture,
family and consumer sciences, service occupations, health occupations, marketing, business, and
technical/industrial;
(2) seven members from business, industry, and labor appointed by the governor to staggered
terms and chosen so that each represents one of the following career areas: agriculture, family
and consumer sciences, service occupations, health occupations, marketing, business, and
technical/industrial;
(3) five students or alumni of school-to-work student organizations representing diverse
career areas, three from secondary student organizations, and two from postsecondary student
organizations. The students or alumni shall be appointed by the criteria and process agreed upon
by the executive directors of the student-to-work organizations; and
(4) four members from education appointed by the governor to staggered terms and chosen
so that each represents one of the following groups: school district level administrators, secondary
school administrators, middle school administrators, and postsecondary administrators.
Executive directors of vocational education student organizations are ex officio, nonvoting
members of the board.
    Subd. 4. Foundation programs. The foundation shall advance applied leadership and
intracurricular vocational learning experiences for students. These may include, but are not
limited to:
(1) recognition programs and awards for students demonstrating excellence in applied
leadership;
(2) summer programs for student leadership, career development, applied academics, and
mentorship programs with business and industry;
(3) recognition programs for teachers, administrators, and others who make outstanding
contributions to school-to-work programs;
(4) outreach programs to increase the involvement of urban and suburban students;
(5) organized challenges requiring cooperation and competition for secondary and
postsecondary students;
(6) assistance and training to community teams to increase career awareness and
empowerment of youth as community leaders; and
(7) assessment and activities in order to plan for and implement continuous improvement.
To the extent possible, the foundation shall make these programs available to students in
all parts of the state.
    Subd. 5. Powers and duties. The foundation may:
(1) identify and plan common goals and priorities for the various school-to-work student
organizations in Minnesota;
(2) publish brochures or booklets relating to the purposes of the foundation and collect
reasonable fees for the publications;
(3) seek and receive public and private money, grants, and in-kind services and goods from
nonstate sources for the purposes of the foundation, without complying with section 16A.013,
subdivision 1
;
(4) contract with consultants on behalf of the school-to-work student organizations;
(5) plan, implement, and expend money for awards and other forms of recognition for
school-to-work student programs; and
(6) identifying an appropriate name for the foundation.
    Subd. 6. Contracts. The foundation board shall review and approve each contract of the
board. Each contract of the foundation board shall be subject to the same review and approval
procedures as a contract of the commissioner of education.
    Subd. 7. Foundation staff. The commissioner of education shall appoint the executive
director of the foundation from three candidates nominated and submitted by the foundation
board of directors and, as necessary, other staff who shall perform duties and have responsibilities
solely related to the foundation. The employees appointed are not state employees under chapter
43A, but are covered under section 3.736. The employees may participate in the state health and
state insurance plans for employees in unclassified service. The employees shall be supervised
by the executive director.
    The commissioner shall appoint a liaison to the foundation board from the division in the
department responsible for career and technical education.
    Subd. 8. Public funding. The state shall identify and secure appropriate funding for the
basic staffing of the foundation and individual student school-to-work student organizations at
the state level.
    Subd. 9. Private funding. The foundation must seek private resources to supplement the
available public money. Individuals, businesses, and other organizations may contribute to the
foundation in any manner specified by the board of directors. All money received shall be
administered by the board of directors.
    Subd. 10. Report. The board of directors of the foundation must submit an annual report
on the progress of its activities to the commissioner of education and to the Board of Trustees
of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. The annual report shall contain a financial
report for the preceding year. The foundation shall submit a biennium report to the legislature
before February 15, in the odd-numbered year.
    Subd. 11. Appropriation. All the amounts received by the foundation pursuant to this
section are annually appropriated to the foundation.
    Subd. 12. Student organizations. Individual boards of vocational education student
organizations shall continue their operations in accordance with section 124D.355 and applicable
federal law.
History: 1996 c 412 art 4 s 3; 1Sp1997 c 4 art 3 s 2-9; 1998 c 397 art 3 s 4-8,103; art 11 s
3; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; 1999 c 241 art 3 s 4; 2003 c 112 art 2 s 50; 2003 c 130 s 12; 2007 c
146 art 11 s 8

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Revisor of Statutes