Voices of Rural Minnesota Application Packet

For over one year we’ve been talking about implementing the Voices of Rural Minnesota program. We are happy to say that the application materials are available and the program will launch this fall!

Purpose Statement

The Voices of Rural Minnesota program seeks to increase awareness of the rural and tribal experience by educating key stakeholders on the realities of small rural and tribal communities through storytelling and information dissemination.

Program Goals

The Voices of Rural Minnesota Program will engage a group of up to 30 individuals from across Minnesota to:

1. Identify and develop individual public presentation skills
2. Recruit and train a diverse group of speakers representing all regions of MN
3. Provide speakers with accurate information to use to move audiences to action
4. Educate, motivate, and empower community members to play a larger role in community issues
5. Identify and collaborate with partners to identify and research impact of current policies on rural issues
6. Identify venues for speaking engagements
7. Create powerful public presentations that highlight life in small rural communities
8. Create and implement evaluation processes to access impact of program

Please forward this post and the attached application materials to anyone you think would be a good candidate.

Voices of Rural Minnesota Application Packet

Appleton Community Profile Updated

The Appleton Community Profile has been updated! The most recent version includes evaluation findings from Study Circles and LeadershipPlenty and copies of the community’s Horizons Team Agreement and workplans. (Keep in mind that the team agreement and workplans are subject to change as community priorities and resources shift.)

Download a PDF version of the Appleton Community Profile.

Appleton Recognized at Statewide Horizons Event

Appleton Horizons was recognized for community efforts at a statewide event held in St. Cloud on April 24th. Beverly Durgan, Dean of University of Minnesota Extension, presented each community with a plaque in celebration of their successful Horizons work.

[L-R: Mary Evans, Al Smith, Mary Lou Smith, Bjorn Arneson, Judy Glimsdal, Bud Roy, David Tjosaas, Suzanne Tjosaas, Elwood McBrady, Beverly Durgan]

Save the Date: April 24, 2010

Grantseeking for Beginners Seminar

Register by fax or mail

Learn the basics of effective grantseeking from the premier source of Minnesota grantmaking information and knowledge!

The Minnesota Council on Foundations’ popular Grantseeking for Beginners seminar provides essential information for grantseekers interested in learning the basics of grantwriting.

At MCF’s seminars, you’ll learn from the experts and leaders in Minnesota’s grantmaking field. The Minnesota Council on Foundations is a well-known and highly regarded source of information and knowledge on the grantmaking field and the grantseeking process and has been offering grantseeking seminars for more than 15 years.

The Grantseeking for Beginners seminar will help you:

·         Be more effective in researching potential sources for grant support

·         Gain an understanding of good proposal development process, and pinpoint key elements and information to include in your grant proposals

·         See the proposal review and decision-making process from a grantmaker’s point of view during a grantmaker panel discussion

Great Western Get Together at High School!

I am attending blog training here at UMM. It’s a busy weekend in the Appleton area, as the Great Western Get Together is going on out at Lac Qui Parle High School. Look for Horizons to be involved with the Appleton Chamber booth! I look forward to seeing you there tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m.

Action Forum

December 11th’s community action forum was great! There were about 26 people in attendance from our community, along with Paul Schwartz, our regional coordinator, and Monica Herrera, the head of the Horizons project. Each of the three study circles that had been meeting for the last three months presented their top three action ideas, then everyone present listed which of those actions could be up and functioning short term (about 6 months), midterm (up to a year), or long term (over a year).
There were three ideas that the group felt could be started within the short term: a “welcome” packet full of pertinent information for new members of the community, a sporting equipment exchange, and a community garden (which of course wouldn’t be actually planted until warm weather returns, but could certainly be planned). The midterm ideas included a volunteer coordinator program to help match up those in need with those willing and able to help, a photo journalism-like program for the youth of the community, and the promotion or redevelopment of an existing food buying cooperative. The long term plans included working with the city EDA to develop the city’s infrastructure and to promote business and housing starts, and the one item that all of the groups agreed needed to be implemented, a community/youth center in a location yet to be decided.
I had hoped to be able to publish a few pictures with this blog, but due to technical difficulties (okay, I’m still learning!) I decided to go ahead without the pictures for now.

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