“You are the leaders we have been waiting for.” A group of 26 rural Minnesotans heard this phrase as part of their Blandin Reservation Community Leadership Program (BRCLP) five-day training retreat earlier this month. Participating communities span much of the southern half of Minnesota – from Mille Lacs to Granite Falls to Red Wing – …
Blandin Foundation’s President and CEO Dr. Kathleen Annette spoke to central Minnesota community foundation board members, volunteers and leaders at the first-ever Community Giving Day this week. As place-based foundations, community foundations can see “whole communities,” positioning them as unique and important in Minnesota’s philanthropic landscape. Dr. Annette shared with attendees five lessons learned working for …
Buses in Chisholm and Mountain Iron-Buhl might be a little quieter this year. Both districts recently installed Wi-Fi routers as part of their community’s participation in the Iron Range Broadband Communities, a program organized by Blandin Foundation and supported by IRRRB and St. Louis County. In Chisholm, two connected buses will be used for students …
For Mac McKinney’s son, there hadn’t been a program yet that had totally clicked. He had been working on his own with a therapist to help with his emotional and behavioral struggles, but had never engaged in group therapy. That was until Healing Foundations Therapeutic Farm opened its barn doors. “It’s a different approach to …
Last year, Stanford economist Raj Chetty and other researchers found that “children growing up in poor families in three out of four rural counties have higher incomes than the national average at age 26 simply as a result of spending time in these communities.” Star Tribune’s Adam Belz wrote a three-part series on the research …
The achievement of Itasca-area young people was a great passion of our founder, Charles K. Blandin. That passion is still alive and burning bright today. This year, we will stand with 365 students who have made a courageous commitment to achieve their educational dream — whether it be at a community, technical or tribal college, …
“It never dawned on me that it [lack of broadband Internet] would be such a detriment to my business.” — Casey Jelinski, former Aitkin County resident When Blandin Foundation entered into broadband work nearly 15 years ago, local leaders were excited about the possibilities that came with Internet access. Most, though, didn’t yet realize how …
In 1956, Charles Blandin gave two students scholarships to continue their education. Since then, the $23 million in scholarships the Foundation has awarded to more than 15,000 Itasca area students exemplifies his enduring commitment to expanding educational opportunities for local residents. Sixty one years after those first awards, Blandin Foundation staff and board members are …
A childcare crisis is rearing up in most rural Minnesota communities, but in Hill City, town of 608, residents are doubling down on a tested early education program. Early Start partners with parents, the local school, and the community to provide quality, intense, early childhood programming that strengthens whole families and ensures that all children …
In a series of region-specific commentaries on the need for better broadband in rural Minnesota, Blandin Foundation President Dr. Kathleen Annette congratulates the hard work so many communities have done to bring high-speed Internet to their communities. With nearly all of the state’s un- and underserved areas in rural communities, though, she urges leaders to …