Ducks migrate for a reason. The Earth spins and triggers their “biological clock,” alerting them that it’s time to go. Global forces shape their movement. Though human and duck migration patterns look very different and are driven by very different forces, according to geographer Jim Russell, one conclusion can be drawn – migration is a …
Blandin Foundation trustees made history last week when they voted to double-down on early childhood programming for at-risk children and their families. Making its largest grant commitment ever, Blandin Foundation has extended support for the Invest Early initiative by 10 years and $21 million.
“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” – Gloria Steinem At the 2014 Center for Small Towns Symposium, rural sociologist Randy Cantrell said that, more than anything, people …
Kids are leaving. Schools are closing. Jobs are being lost. Rural is dying. This is the dominant narrative of rural today. Doom and gloom and more doom. What we aren’t hearing is the rest of the story. Yes, young adults are leaving after they graduate high school, but they’re coming back. Schools are consolidating but …
If life is like a box of chocolates, is leadership like a delicious pie? Well, let’s think about this…to make a pie you need all the right ingredients, the right equipment and talented people to pull off the recipe. A lot goes into the making of a pie. If all the parts aren’t working in …
During the next two minutes, one more person in the U.S. will have been sexually assaulted. In northern Minnesota, sexual violence is as pervasive as it is nationwide. In Itasca County alone, Support Within Reach (SWR) – an organization that serves those impacted by sexual violence in Aitkin, Itasca and, most recently, Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard …
Atlanta. Pittsburgh. New Orleans. Grand Rapids. These are just a few stops on the 2014 Trampled by Turtles tour. The first three cities reflect a certain pattern – large and metro. Grand Rapids, Minnesota (yes Minnesota, not Michigan), however, is a bit of an outlier. Nestled between white pine forests and clear blue lakes, Grand …
By Wade Fauth
Today we welcome Wade Fauth, vice president of the Blandin Foundation. As vice president of the Foundation, Wade is responsible for organizational assessment and planning as well as coordination of the Foundation’s leadership, policy, grants, communications, and information services activities. The Blandin Foundation, like many foundations and nonprofits, is a complex organization that engages in …
This week more than 600 ninth graders from seven Itasca County schools traded their sneakers in for a comfy set of loafers, putting themselves in the shoes of local business men and women for a day. As part of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Future Workers program, students were paired with over 57 organizations …
By Tom Sippola
Today we welcome Tom Sippola, Multi-Media Leadership Assistant at Blandin Foundation. For over 25 years the Blandin Foundation has worked with rural leaders across the state of Minnesota to help build and sustain healthy communities. With over 6,000 Blandin Community Leadership Program (BCLP) alumni, nearly 500 Blandin Reservation Community Leadership Program (BRCLP) alumni, and countless …