Hard work is a staple in almost any rural community. A hard day’s work might be on the assembly line or in a clinic, at the computer or deep in the belly of a mine. Whatever the job, every working-age person contributing their skills and talents lay the foundation for a growing, thriving community. As rural communities in Minnesota …
Janell Hecimovich is a firefighter at the Trout Lake Fire Department in Bovey, Minn. and an alumna of the Blandin Community Leadership Program. Written by Janell Hecimovich Me? A firefighter? No way. They wouldn’t let a female be a firefighter. You need to be bigger and stronger than I am, to be a firefighter. These …
Colleen Foehrenbacher is the executive director at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center near Lanesboro, Minn. Eagle Bluff is an outdoor learning center that connects people with the earth and each other. Each year, their main program brings over 12,000 students for overnight trips involving hands-on learning and adventure experiences in nature. Blandin Foundation has awarded …
Sarah Swedburg is the Planner for the City of Willmar & Coordinator of the Willmar Main Street program in Southwest Minnesota. Willmar Main Street exists to promote downtown Willmar as the foundation of our community. They do this work by cultivating connections, creating unique experiences, and building community. Written by Sarah Swedburg The Willmar community …
Dani Pieratos is one of four Anishinaabeg Ikweg (Indigenous Women) leading a Food Sovernity movement in rural northeast Minnesota under the banner of Harvest Nation. Harvest Nation is a vertical aeroponic farm that makes healthy living a viable option in communities challenged by location, climate, and economic constraint. With access to locally grown foods, Harvest …
In 2010, less than five percent of Red Lake residents responded to the census. Knowing that the funding impacts of a low count would hit hard in their community, the Red Lake Economic Development & Planning (RLEDP) department was tasked with coordinating efforts to get the word out early about Census 2020. Liz White rolled …
Communities are rich with resources. Leaders who put in the work to know their community strengths, create networks of passionate leaders and identify priorities will be better prepared to act during times of uncertainty. As COVID 19 rattled our daily routines, causing many communities to scramble for solutions, leaders across the state who had laid …
The idea started small. Anjeni del Real, a young person of the Ojibwe, Santee Sioux and Blackfeet tribal nations, imagined a coordinated pow wow among tribes celebrating Census 2020. “I wanted to indigenize Census 2020 because it’s so important to our Native communities,” said Anjeni, currently a college student at Haskell Indian Nations University in …
Running between appointments with a sick kid at home, Blandin Leadership alum Jessica Velasco pressed pause on her busy day to talk about the 2020 Census. It’s a topic close to her heart because, as a Hispanic woman, she knows the impacts it can have on communities of color in her hometown of Worthington, Minn. …
Census 2020 will impact all communities. Representation in Congress, business site selection and distribution of federal and state funds are all informed by census numbers. Some might dismiss the consequences that come with a low count – underfunded schools, limited money for road improvements, etc. For low-income families, however, the census has significant and immediate …