Grantee Learning Logs

To invite Theatre Department students and faculty to artist-facilitated, problem-solving 'Common Ground Conversations' with civic leaders and organizers, using the performing arts to engage with communities around social and environmental problems

To bring organizations together that work separately on children's issues, strengthening their capacity to share resources for children, parents and other advocates

To develop an appropriate legal entity under the Oglala Sioux Tribe to oversee water, sewer and solid waste operations and infrastructure improvement

To foster capacity building and partnerships among cross-cultural community stakeholders, eliminating racial and socio-economic disparities

To move rural communities forward by creating opportunities for improved housing stability and economic development

To test whether reliance on transportation options rather than car ownership builds assets for lower-income households working toward economic self-sufficiency

To host monthly Community Action sessions, bringing people together to address needs and concerns around economic development, affordable housing, transportation and social services

To bring together diverse stakeholders from medical, insurance, advocacy and cultural communities to create and test maternal health solutions which are accessible, culturally acceptable and financially sustainable

To implement a Community Paramedic program that will fill gaps in and improve the region's health care system

To engage the community in a creative placemaking process that includes artist-led 'imagination conversations'

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will hold talking circles and lead a community assessment to guide the development of a network of home and community-based service providers who qualify for Medicare and state reimbursement programs. This network will help elders and adults with disabilities in their community continue living independently.

The Autism Society of Minnesota will engage public school educators and parents of and students with disabilities to improve student outcomes in employment and post-secondary education.

Brookings Health System, South Dakota State University and the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce will partner to organize focus groups and a public event to identify community solutions for supporting breastfeeding women in the workplace and the broader community.

The 'Stand Up ND Project' will foster discussion and raise awareness among children, educators, parents and community members about how to reduce bullying through radio, web, social media and face-to-face events.

Main Street Square will research, develop and implement a successful community arts collaborative and clearinghouse that will create a sustainable, equitable future for the arts and artists in Rapid City.

Four Bands Community Fund, of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, will lead a reservation-wide effort to develop and implement a comprehensive workforce development program. Using a combined place- and sector-based approach, Four Bands will provide training opportunities to increase the capacity of individuals to gain meaningful employment while supporting businesses to build their capacity to effectively hire and retain qualified employees.

The >MN Project' will address rural child care issues by developing regional child care plans in partnership with rural communities, creating business tools to sustain local partnerships, and establishing advisory councils to support the implementation of the plans.

NEON will build a broad coalition of organizations dedicated to increasing employment and economic equality for unemployed/underemployed African American males in North Minneapolis. NEON will engage these stakeholders to build a locally-governed entity that reinforces transparency, accountability, results and shared learning about workforce development.

African Immigrant Services will use community education and engagement to change the roles of African immigrants and other underrepresented groups in the northwest suburbs of Hennepin County from observers to active leaders. They will also identify and match new leaders with positions in public decision-making bodies in which their roles will help advance racial equity.

The 'Brookings Visioning Charrette' will provide residents the opportunity to actively participate in planning the future of their community. In addition, a new cohort of community leaders will be developed.

Northern Lights.mn is partnering with Minnehaha Creek Watershed District to create a large¬scale, multiplayer, experiential watershed education game. The project will connect local communities through shared game play experiences, emphasizing the interdependent nature of water resources and empowering collective action to promote and protect them.

Promise!' is a group within Project Footsteps that is creating a movement dedicated to ending teenage homelessness by partnering with agencies that serve this population. 'Promise!' intends to create leadership councils with each partnering agency that are comprised of homeless teens who are inspired, empowered and prepared to be agents of change.

PACT for Families Collaborative will engage truant youth, their parents, education staff and service providers to redesign services and test strategies for positive, sustainable solutions to truancy.

The 'Little Earth Community Health Initiative' seeks and implements solutions to the underlying causes of chronic health conditions in their urban American Indian community through holistic, community-driven processes and projects. Activities will be co-designed with community stakeholders and will include baseline data collection, appreciative learning journeys, communication strategies and the creation of an evaluation framework.

North Star AISES will support the creation and implementation of a Women's Elder Nibi/Mini Council to uphold the cultural authority of women elders to participate in tribal decisions that impact water on and near reservations in collaboration with scientific experts.

The ‘NV & Me Project’ will inspire and empower residents to carry out the vision of the North Valley/New Vision 360 process through a micro-grant program and with action teams at various community levels.

The 'Champion's Initiative' uses athletics as a platform for sexual and domestic violence prevention. It will equip youth athletic coaches with the tools, knowledge, and motivation to role model respect, non-violence, and gender equity.

United Way of Steele County will examine disparities in income, education and health among low-income residents and people of color in Steele County. They will also design and implement a collaborative, multi-sector initiative at the intersection of these disparities to create change in their community.

The Promise Neighborhood – Central Minnesota will lead community engagement and capacity building efforts to achieve educational, economic and community aspirations in the Talahi neighborhood in St. Cloud.

Northfield Promise' is a collective impact initiative designed to achieve community-level change for children and youth growing up in Northfield. By aligning all the major community institutions around a shared set of measurable benchmarks, assembling diverse action teams, collecting and sharing data, implementing action plans, and sharing progress with community stakeholders, the project seeks to ensure success for all Northfield youth.

The REAP/Vision West North Dakota 'Plan Director Supports Project' will support volunteer and paid plan directors in 19 western North Dakota counties to implement new county or tribal strategic plans for addressing challenges caused by the oil boom and for sustaining economic viability following the boom.

The Saint Paul Art Collective will explore the potential for establishing a community arts center in the Lowertown neighborhood as well as an arts district designation for Lowertown. This exploration will include community engagement, a feasibility study and a report with recommendations for community stakeholders.

Renewing the Countryside II will grow the capacity of our local food system by developing a plan to make farmland more accessible to new and young farmers and supporting new and existing partnerships between food co-op members and farmers.

Answering the Voices' will connect individuals from the refugee and immigrant community with established residents and local decision-makers to explore community issues and develop innovative solutions for identified needs.

TakeAction Minnesota will engage Minnesotans to identify problems and actionable solutions for getting the most out of the new MNSure health care system.

The Vital Aging Network's Wellness 50+ program will engage and train teams of older adults in four communities across Minnesota to lead community–developed wellness initiatives.