Pathways to
Children

About us

Mission Statement

“Empowering children to change their world.”

Pathways to Children helps and empowers children in extreme poverty through carefully selected collaborative projects focused on education, healthcare, and volunteerism.

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This is accomplished by:
  • Partnering with Non-Government Agencies (NGOs), medical institutions, corporations and schools to adopt projects that focus on childhood education and health care.
  • Introduction of dedicated individuals to Pathways projects and providing opportunities to volunteer “on-site” with the children.
  • Raising sufficient funds to allow Pathways to make meaningful contributions to the projects they support.

Pathway’s Story

Pathways To Children was founded by Grace Strangis as a result of her 10 years experience as a pediatric nurse and then her many years of traveling the world with her Corporate Travel Agency.  She grew up with limited opportunities in a small Minnesota farming community and had no concept of the broader world needs and that so much of the world was engulfed in poverty.  After seeing the thousands of orphaned and abandoned children on the street with no school or medical care, she decided the best way she could help was to use her vast travel knowledge and travel coordination skills to bring volunteers to see, hear, touch and hold this vast segment of humanity. In making people aware of the extreme poverty of this world she felt they would want to help. She also recognized the opportunity to raise funds for the NGO’s (Non Government Agencies) that are working to provide for the needs of the needs of these children and their families.  The result is that the volunteers who accompany Grace not only change the life of a child but their lives are also changed forever!  Volunteers provide not only the “human touch” but also expertise in their field.  They also are inspired and inspire others when they return to provide financial support which has enabled Pathways to Children to financially support it’s projects of schools, medical facilities and orphanages.  

Pathways board is a  “hands on” board that is involved in the decision making process of both funding and management of projects.  Pathways makes sure it has sustainable projects and evaluates projects on the basis of measurable benchmarks.

View Our Projects

Grace Strangis

In 2009 Grace Strangis founded Pathways to Children as a 501(c) 3. After a nursing career, Grace became a partner in a large travel company. While working in this industry, Grace had the opportunity to visit many developing countries where she became aware of the plight of thousands of poverty-stricken children, discovering that the best way to help them was to provide them a great early education and healthcare. Because of this need, Grace started Pathways to Children. From 2002-2009, Grace partnered with the Children’s Home Society, leading volunteers to serve at orphanages around the world. In 2009 Pathways became independent from The Children's Home Society. This economic freedom allowed Pathways to build 2 schools in India and another in Ethiopia, all where the children have access to the best education and health care available, all which was non-existent in the past.

Grace has served on several nonprofit boards including Washburn Child Guidance Center, the Guthrie Theater, The Children’s Home Society and the Alight Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief.

Gopal Khanna

Mr. Gopal Khanna is Executive-in-Residence at the Medical Industry Leadership Institute at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.

An accomplished corporate executive, entrepreneur and a distinguished public servant, Mr. Khanna is a serial transformational change agent. He has held senior public policy positions and served in the administration of two governors and two presidents. His experience, expertise and passion centers at the intersection of industry, government, and technology. He has held senior executive positions in industry, launched startup ventures and consulted with industry and political leaders. As a Board and CXO-advisor, Mr. Khanna has helped leaders in business, government and nonprofits to scale value for customers and stakeholders.

Robert York

Bob has been on the Pathways board of directors since its inception. He is a partner at the Minneapolis law firm of Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, P.A. where he has practiced for 33 years. Bob is also a certified public accountant. Along with serving as a member of the Board of Pathways to Children Foundation, Bob is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Windsor Community Foundation and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Schools for Energy Efficiency Program.

Dr. Beth Virnig

Beth Virnig, Ph.D., M.P.H., is dean of the University of Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions. Prior to joining the University of Florida, Beth served as a professor in the division of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and as director and lead of the school’s Strategic Global Public Health Programming, where she guided efforts with partner universities in Thailand, India, Mexico and Ghana. While at the University of Minnesota, Beth helped to develop and direct Pathway’s collaboration with the U of MN School of Public Health, using Pathway’s projects to help train the next generation of professionals to tackle today’s biggest health challenges.

Kathleen Griffin

Kathleen serves as the Chief Development Officer of Global Health at the University of Minnesota and as Deputy Director for the Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility. In her role as Chief Development Officer, she is responsible for developing partnerships with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, foundations, and individuals, and for connecting stakeholders in meaningful ways to global health programs and initiatives throughout the University of Minnesota. In her role as Deputy Director, she provides oversight to communications, finance, strategic planning, and partnership development.

Kathleen is the liaison for Pathway’s partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility which supports Pathway’s objective to help train the next generation of global health leaders.



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