“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” ― Bryant McGill Blandin Foundation has special relationships with the 26 communities in the Itasca area. One way Blandin Foundation President and CEO Kathy Annette nurtures these relationships is to host listening meetings in each one to learn …
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. …
For more than a century, ownership of American Indian land in the United States has been sliced and slivered. The Dawes Act of 1887 divided Indian land among tribal members. Today, when a tribal land owner dies, the title is divided up amongst heirs, but the land itself is not physically divided. This practice has …
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 …
Yesterday’s ICC Career Fair gave about 1,500 junior and senior high school students from Itasca area schools a chance to get up close to the tools of the trade in their favorite career choices. Professionals from various fields were available to answer questions and provide interactive and hands-on activities for participants. Students also could practice their …
Rural leaders passionate about getting, and keeping, their communities connected to the global economy via broadband gather today, not for a webinar or livestream, but for a conference. “Building our Connected Future: Minnesota’s Better with Broadband,” cosponsored with Connect Minnesota, opens in Duluth this afternoon, following on the heels of a half-day meeting of the …
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 …
They say everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame — and today it’s the Itasca Area School Collaborative‘s turn. The seven-district consortium’s $1 million federal RUS grant to bring telepresence to 20-plus schools was featured in an MSNBC article about the changing landscape of technology in America’s schools. While the story may bring 15 minutes …
The 2012 Road to Equality Tour made a stop July 18 at the Blandin Foundation to share findings from the recent Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota report. A Blandin Foundation grantee, the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, along with their research partner, University of MN Humphrey School’s Center on Women & Public Policy, offered …