Located in the scenic St. Croix River Valley, Franconia Sculpture Park is a nonprofit arts organization operating a 43-acre outdoor sculpture park, active artist residency, and community arts programming. The park is free and open to the public 365 days a year, with over 100 sculptures created by artists-in-residence. Franconia awards competitive fellowships and internships …
The Lyndale Neighborhood Association is a vehicle for community members to shape their neighborhood. Their vision is to engage the diverse Lyndale community to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable neighborhood. Lyndale community member Adriana Lara and her family were staples of the Lyndale Campers’ twice-a-year camping adventures. Having attended a number of the neighborhood’s …
EMERGE helps youth and young adults who are facing significant obstacles to finding work, housing, and financial stability. With a special expertise in serving ex-offenders, at-risk youth, and homeless parents and their families, EMERGE’s staff and AmeriCorps service members serve more than 3,000 low-income people every year. One example of a life that has been …
City of Lakes Community Land Trust creates affordable housing opportunities by acquiring land and removing it from the speculative, for-profit real estate market. Income-qualified buyers can then purchase a home on the land, leasing the land through a 99-year renewable ground lease. This ensures that if and when the homeowner decides to sell, the Land …
In the West African country of Burkina Faso, smallholder farmers routinely face severe drought and erratic rainfalls. With soil fertility declining along with the production of staple crops of sorghum and millet, food shortages are common. In Gayéri, Burkina Faso, a 30-year-old farmer and animal breeder named Issouf Odago was determined to stave off hunger …
In the Dakota language, concepts are described based on how a person relates to them. The phrase Mitakuye Oyasin, or “all my relations,” underpins interconnectedness inherent to the Dakota worldview. Oneness, with all forms of life and natural surroundings, permeates Dakota culture. With each year, however, the community loses elders who take with them knowledge, …
Minnesota Music Coalition’s mentoring program is designed for musicians looking for advice from the region’s top music talent, covering all topics relevant to the music business from booking to songwriting to legal. Participants have an interview with Minnesota Music Coalition staff to determine goals and what they are looking for in a mentor; then they …
This essay was originally published in a report by the Center for Effective Philanthropy called “CEO Reflections on the Future of Foundation Philanthropy.” The Future of Foundation Philanthropy highlights “promising practices” in philanthropy, such as providing long-term general operating support, offering greater transparency, and learning from grantees. Agreed. But by now, the benefits of these practices …
University of Minnesota interdisciplinary online journal that recognizes the Mississippi River as a space for timely and critical conversations about people, community, water, and place.
McKnight-funded report on the water quality and river health in the Metro Mississippi River, authored by the National Park Service and Friends of the Mississippi River.