After her first day on the job, Kelli Pelland knew some changes had to be made. From the dinosaur-era computers to the drag-your-feet-in-the-mud speed of the Internet connection, she realized that the Baudette Public Library didn’t have the makings of a community connecting hub…yet. “We were kind of outdated,” she says. “We needed to update […]

To lift up local community leadership in rural Minnesota, every Friday Blandin Foundation will post the Top 3 Vibrant Communities in rural Minnesota based on timely news coverage and reader submissions. If you have a vibrant story to share, email ammcinerney@blandinfoundation.org. Lanesboro: Economic development and education are trying to work hand-in-hand in Lanesboro to recruit […]

To lift up local community leadership in rural Minnesota, every Friday Blandin Foundation will post the Top 3 Vibrant Communities based on timely news coverage and reader submissions. If you have a vibrant story to share, email ammcinerney@blandinfoundation.org. Trout Lake Township Strong community leadership met opportunity this week as Trout Lake Township announced the activation […]

To lift up local community leadership in rural Minnesota, every Friday Blandin Foundation will post the Top 3 Vibrant Communities based on timely news coverage and reader submissions. If you have a vibrant story to share, email ammcinerney@blandinfoundation.org. Willmar community leaders gathered this week to celebrate the graduation of the Blandin Community Leadership Program 2014 […]

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (January 29, 2015) – Blandin Foundation announced today that it has awarded  six grants totaling $113,900 to support rural Minnesota communities as they grow high-speed Internet access and use in their communities. Long Prairie will develop a business plan to build a fiber-to-the-home network, Project FINE out of Winona County will support […]

The power of community leadership took center stage in President Obama’s preview of his appearance yesterday in Cedar Falls, IA, where he talked about his plan to increase access to affordable, high-speed broadband in rural and urban communities across the country. The President featured Cedar Falls, or Iowa’s first “Gigabit City,” in the preview, comparing […]

In today’s Council on Foundations blog post, Blandin Foundation’s Bernadine Joselyn makes the case for philanthropic support for increasing Internet access and use in the U.S. This is work that Blandin Foundation has been doing in rural Minnesota communities since 2003. Through the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities project and the current Blandin Broadband Communities program, […]

Yesterday more than 160 economic developers, educators, providers, legislators, co-ops, and community leaders came together to tackle the tough issues related to Internet access and use. The day kicked off with an uplifting introduction by Blandin Foundation Director of Public Policy and Development Bernadine Joselyn.

Did you know that 51 million hours of school time is lost each year due to dental illness? That’s a staggering number! “A lot of people don’t realize dental disease is the most common disease in kids and it’s completely preventable,” says Sarah Wovcha, executive director of Children’s Dental Services (CDS), a nonprofit organization dedicated […]

A recent Lake County News Chronicle story featured a Blandin Community Broadband Program that partnered seniors (older folks) with seniors (from Two Harbors high school) to “help get them online, offering training and support.” Chris Langenbrunner, Community Education Director, said, “We had heartwarming interactions and personalized learning occurring in our media center all night. It […]