From the fumbling fingertips of a young novice to the silky strokes of a proficient, a musician’s dancing notes have the power to connect people, especially in rural places. The Itasca Orchestra Strings Program (IOSP) has been linking lives through music for 32 years. Early on, IOSP partnered with the Itasca Area Schools Collaborative (IASC) …
Recently, both federal and state governments have taken bold steps to improve early childhood education. In May, the state education budget increased by $485 million after being signed into law by Governor Dayton. More than $170 million of that increase will go towards early education programs like all-day kindergarten and preschool. Similarly, in President Obama’s …
Minnesota leads the nation in the demand for highly-skilled workers. According to the Governor’s Workforce Development Council, by 2018, seventy percent of Minnesota jobs will require postsecondary education. Technology, however, is changing job demands at a rapid pace and the result is a talent mismatch, says a recent Positively Minnesota report. Jobseekers are not accessing …
In the recently released 2013 Rural Pulse survey, it was found that 76 percent of rural Minnesotans thought today’s economy was worse or the same as compared to one year ago. The need to attract new, high-quality jobs continues to be a key concern, over twice as important as education. This concern was evident in the …
Today, the Daily Yonder took a deep look into a recent poll released by the Center for Rural Affairs. In their article, they summarize the poll’s findings while answering the central question: Will rural be better off in four years? The response seems split. Younger rural residents are generally optimistic about the future, while there’s an overall …
Hunger is intangible. You can’t see, hear or touch it, but it’s all around us. Yesterday, members of Blandin Foundation’s Board of Trustees learned how hunger can impact the health and vitality of a community while touring Second Harvest North Central Food Bank in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. During the visit, Board members learned that 40% …
Change is in the air for Minnesota schools. Graduating students are saying their farewells and preparing for a new journey. Education in Minnesota is also embarking on a new journey thanks to a recent bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature. The $15.6 billion education funding bill will increase state education spending by $485 million over …
Good jobs continue to be the main concern and top priority for rural Minnesota communities, according to our 2013 Rural Pulse survey. Minnesotans say that recovery from the recession is not reaching all of us equally. Low-income Minnesotans, in particular, strongly believe that tough economic times are not over. “Everyone knows someone who’s been affected. …
Minnesota has work to do. While we generally are quite optimistic about the future, economic recovery is not reaching all Minnesotans, especially those older, with lower incomes, and small businesses. That’s the top line gleaned from interviews with nearly 2,000 rural and urban Minnesotans. Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Community Foundation, we were …
We’re celebrating tonight with our Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) Partners. Together, we were named the 2012 Innovative Collaboration of the Year at this evening’s Tekne Awards, sponsored by the Minnesota High Tech Association. Over the past two years, our coalition of 10 rural Minnesota communities and dozens of regional and statewide partners has worked …