Forums on Race Spark Conversations that Matter to the Future of Rural Minnesota Rural Minnesota communities are facing changes and pressures today that test long-held assumptions and challenge local leaders to forge new relationships. In fact, between 2010 and 2015, Minnesota has added four times as many people of color as white residents, according to …
Labeled a silent epidemic by two previous surgeons general, oral disease is on the rise in the United State as access to dental care dwindles in hard-to-reach places. At home in Minnesota, remote rural areas grapple with unrealistic dentist-to-patient ratios, distance to clinics, lack of transportation and clinics that cannot afford to accept dental assistance. …
Engaged. Networked. Community-focused. Just three of many ways to describe rural Minnesota community leaders. When a group of our leadership program alumni in the Redwood Falls area gathered last fall, three leaders agreed to share what fuels their work. Their thoughts were entirely on-target with the day’s discussion, which centered on skills community leaders can …
Colorful murals, performances in the park, public art sculptures – vibrant, healthy communities are made up of many interrelated dimensions, but perhaps none are as visible as a community’s commitment to integrating art into daily life. Thriving communities explore and reflect the cultural backgrounds, talents and experience of all community members through art. By infusing …
As new populations move into rural communities across Minnesota, local leaders are met with new opportunities, challenges, and, above all, hope for stronger communities. To share these stories, Blandin Foundation awarded a grant to MinnPost, along with many other funders, to extend their New American coverage outside of the metro area. Here’s a bit about …
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 …
On a recent afternoon, about 65 people from reservation communities in northeast Minnesota came together to celebrate the commencement of the 25th cohort to complete the Blandin Reservation Community Leadership Program. In recognition of this milestone number, a drum was invited to join the celebration and honor the graduates. BRCLP is more than just a …
We often say if you’ve been to one small town, you’ve been to one small town. Each rural community is unique, with its own gems, challenges and culture. If you’ve ever lived in a small town, though, you most likely have heard a sentence like, “Oh, I know her. She’s my niece’s third grade teacher turned …
Rural Pulse 2016 uncovered a number of issues rural Minnesotans considered critical to the vibrancy of their community. But economy, educational opportunities and healthcare aren’t the biggest issues facing rural Minnesota, said Kelly Asche, program coordinator of the Center for Small Towns. “These problems are symptoms of an underlying ailment: ‘the negative, mistaken narrative that …