Deer River Schools was featured as a successful example of a Full Services Community School in this Brookings article. A few years ago, we lifted up the work of local leaders to create a community hub within their school to support the whole student, above and beyond their academic needs. Read the blog here.
St. Peter leaders are finding ways to connect across differences to create community. In an effort that started during the community’s time in the Blandin leadership program, Leaders in Ethnically Diverse Communities, local champions have kept up the momentum, creating a nonprofit (St. Peter Good Neighbor Diversity Council) dedicated to creating a “caring, supportive, and …
Grand Rapids, MINN. (June 29, 2022) – Blandin Foundation Board of Trustees approved nearly $4.8 million in grants at its June meeting for work that will strengthen the area’s future workforce and make topics rural communities care about better heard and more visible. An array of grants this round lift local organizations working to …
Juneteenth is a national holiday celebrating and commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. While it’s been over 150 years since June 19, 1865, the day the last of the enslaved people were freed, the impacts of the unjust treatment of African Americans are seen in our communities today. We all have a …
Giving youth the power to bring to life their own ideas, Grass and Roots Outdoors is a new program in St. Peter that grew out of an idea sparked during the community’s time in the Leadership in Ethnically Diverse Communities program. “There are lots of kids who don’t have access to things, so how do …
We’ve been working with rural communities for nearly 20 years to realize the vision of “everyone in Minnesota will be able to use convenient, affordable, world-class broadband networks that enable us to survive and thrive in our communities and across the globe.” The pandemic shined a spotlight on the importance working toward this vision and …
Grand Rapids, MINN. (March 25, 2022) – Blandin Foundation Board of Trustees approved nearly $1.2 million in grants at its March meeting. A $620,045 grant to KOOTASCA Community Action, paid over the course of two years, will support staff as they reflect on and adjust their strategies and programs to better meet the needs of …
For more than a decade, community leaders in Red Wing have been making a tech-based economy a reality. School, health care and business leaders have worked together to plan, fund and create infrastructure networks and tools residents can use to weave online solutions into their daily lives, including creating Red Wing Ignite, a local tech-focused …
Telework has spiked during the pandemic. As more people move their work life online, where they live becomes even more a matter of choice. This Business North article spotlights initiatives across northeastern Minnesota to lift up the region’s great quality of life, and shore up key infrastructure like high-speed internet, to draw more residents to …
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Applications for Blandin Foundation’s scholarships are available and being accepted until May 1. The scholarships provide Itasca area students $1,000 to $5,000 per student for the 2022-2023 school year. Students may reapply each year, until they are age 25 or have earned up to a bachelor’s degree. The scholarship program is …