Some very interesting findings were unveiled this week about possibilities and challenges for redesigning the way Minnesota government entities work together.    The report, Focus on Outcomes, harvests learning from six regional gatherings of city, county and school board leaders in November 2011.  The report highlights three critical lessons: 1. Redesign is facing some barriers to […]

Go Run! American Indian women can do this! This message repeatedly resounded at the GO RUN convening on November 18-20, 2011 at the Deep Portage Learning Center near Hackensack, where twenty-eight American Indian women gathered to share knowledge and resources with the objective of facilitating a conversation centered on developing political leadership. GO RUN is […]

Northwest Minnesota gathers today in Bemidji to think regionally and act locally.  Blandin Foundation invited alumni of its leadership programs to gather to explore the region’s trends and to imagine new ways to frame issues, build social capital and mobilize resources around a shared regional vision. Nearly 100 people are gathered for this event, the first of […]

Thirty community projects have been selected as winners in the 2011 Minnesota Community Pride Showcase competition sponsored this year by InCommons, MinnPost.com and Minnesota State Fair.  The competition recognizes collaborative work to improve minnesota towns and neighborhoods.  We were delighted to see that many Blandin Foundation partners were selected as winners: Rabideau Conservation Academy and […]

Know of a community project that succeeded thanks to strong collaboration in your community? Nominate it for the Minnesota Community Pride Showcase. The project, sponsored by InCommons, highlights “collaborative work already going on in Minnesota towns and neighborhoods to improve quality of life” in Minnesota communities, including rural communities. InCommons will select 30 project to […]

On July 19, 20 and 21, the Bush Foundation of St. Paul and InCommons are bringing Minnesotans together in Grand Rapids, the Twin Cities and Rochester to offer policy makers new ideas for real, sustainable solutions to our state’s budget challenges. Interested in being part of this conversation? Visit http://www.incommons.org/citizensolutions.

For Michael Wade, every minute holds the possibility to change a community. “Give me a half-hour, I can help someone move into a new home. Give me an hour, and I can start a food shelf,” says this resident of Virginia, Minnesota, and driving force behind the  new Virginia Indian Center, a drop-in center for […]

It all started in a corner of the town’s Target parking lot in 1999 and today it takes two hockey arenas to contain it.  In just four hours on April 16, more than 3,000 children and caretakers gobbled up the resources and fun of the 13th annual Children First! Children’s Fair in Grand Rapid, Minnesota.  […]

“Change doesn’t destroy opportunities, it simply relocates them,” said Dr. Rich Feller, professor of counseling and career development at Colorado State University recently.  Speaking to the energized crowd of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association’s national conference in Minneapolis, Feller painted an inspiring and challenging picture for those dedicated to developing America’s STEM (science, […]

Last Friday, 26 residents of the Aitkin and Palisade area wrapped up their five-day Blandin Community Leadership Program retreat. North-central Minnesota’s Aitkin County, home to both communities, spans a portion of Minnesota’s lake country. Tourism and timber are important here, as is community collaboration.