Sprockets Staff

Did you know?

Every member of the Sprockets team has been a youth worker at some point in our pasts. Guess you could say that passion for encouraging youth to reach their fullest potential runs deep in all of us.

  • Erik's photo

    Erik Skold, Director

    City of Saint Paul
    erik.skold@ci.stpaul.mn.us
    651-744-7738

    For more than 15 years, Erik has been deeply involved in bringing learning experiences for children and youth beyond the classroom. This set the stage well for his current role as Sprockets Director, where he works with schools, city governments, parks, libraries and many community-based organizations to develop and promote quality programming that supports young people as they strive to recognize and achieve their greatest potential.

    Erik, a former high school debate team member, turned his enthusiasm for long hours spent in library research into a pursuit of a master’s degree in youth development leadership from the University of Minnesota. A Wisconsin native, Erik frequently crosses the border back to his home state to introduce his three young children to the wonders of the great outdoors.

  • Jocelyn Wiedow, Network and Quality Coordinator

    YWCA of St. Paul
    jwiedow@ywcaofstpaul.org
    651-265-0720

    As the Sprockets Network and Quality Coordinator, Jocelyn brings together people and programs from all across St. Paul with the shared goal of helping young people succeed. It’s a perfect fit for someone with more than 18 years of experience in coordinating and directing youth and family programs around the Twin Cities – not to mention the practice she gets at home, guiding and encouraging quality out-of-school experiences for her own two active sons!

    Jocelyn’s summers at camp as a young person inspired her love for learning in nontraditional settings. Some of her favorite outdoor classroom experiences have been teaching horseback and dirt bike riding.  Jocelyn has a master’s degree in public and non-profit administration. An outdoor enthusiast, Jocelyn enjoys a little time away to go camping and canoeing.
  • Cecilia

    Cecilia Caro, Communications and Evaluation Coordinator

    City of Saint Paul
    cecilia.caro@ci.stpaul.mn.us
    651-744-7738

    As Sprockets’ Communications and Evaluation Coordinator, Cecilia shares information about afterschool program opportunities and their importance with youth workers, partners, and youth and families in Saint Paul to ensure that all young people can access afterschool opportunities that will help them succeed. Cecilia's experiences with programs, people and research, paired with her passion for youth work, motivate her to continue improving OST as an opportunity for connection, purpose, and change. 

    As a child and teen, Cecilia participated in reading programs and youth summer camps, worked at her family's restaurant, and played basketball. But some of her favorite memories are the moments around the dinner table, listening to her parents tell stories. These moments connected Cecilia to her Mexican heritage and reminded her that learning extended beyond the classroom, and knowledge could be shared through stories. Even more so, these moments inspired Cecilia to continue a journey of sharing and listening to stories, especially within the fields of education and immigration. In her spare time, Cecilia loves to read fiction, travel, spend time with family, watch superhero movies, and eat plenty of food! Cecilia has a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Educational Studies from Macalester College.

  • Zong Vang, Strategy Manager: Policy and Network Evaluation

    Ignite Afterschool
    zong@igniteafterschool.org
    651-744-7738

    Zong holds an extensive background of over 10 years in both education and youth work in the Twin Cities, engaging with the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood, St. Paul Public Schools, and other community-based grass-roots initiatives. Zong believes networking and community organizing provide opportunities to levarge resources and uplift communities. This vision serves her well in her role as the Strategy Manager for Policy and Network Evaluation, a position in partnership with Ignite Afterschool, Minnesota's statewide Afterschool Network.  Zong works to increase Sprockets and Ignite's organizational capacitities to support our afterschool community through data analysis and policy advocacy. 

    Zong was a first-generation college student and attended Concordia University in St. Paul, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education and minor in Special Education. Her passions include social justice, education, and community organizing. She believes every child deserves equitable access to education, afterschool programming, and healthy living to ensure they are able to choose their pathway in life.