Forging a path for Itasca County’s future through conversation at first-ever Community Cafe

September 24, 2014 by Blandin Foundation Posted in Rural Capacity Building

Itasca County educators, government, artists, law enforcement, business owners, environmentalists, social services providers and more gathered together on Tuesday to answer the question: What is the future we want to live in to? Participating in three 20-minute conversations, some over-arching themes surfaced:

• Care enough to ask for one anothers’ stories
• Expand Art of Hosting in our community
• MORE inclusive conversations
• Better resource self-care and networking
• Update the area’s socio-economic indicators
• Be a Good Neighbor and bring a neighbor (to the Grand Gathering on November 22)
• Seek out voices of the unheard

The themes that came from yesterday’s gathering will inform a Grand Gathering Open Space (more about this gathering technique here) at Grand Rapids High School on November 22, hosted by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. For more information about the Grand Gathering, contact Jerry Nagel, director of Meadowlark Institute, at jerry@meadowlark.co or 218-532-2585.