Minnesota

A student from Chisholm won this contest in November 2009–the judges are listening to rural youth! Give them your two cents on this months topic:

The Star Tribune, St. Paul Pioneer Press and ThreeSixty Journalism invite Minnesota teens to participate in…

Census 2010: How do you count?

This spring, as part of the national Census, every household in the United States is required to fill out a form reporting the names and backgrounds of every resident, even newborn babies, homeless people and non-citizens. The Census creates a national portrait at the start of each decade of who we are as a nation.Essay Question: The Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and ThreeSixty Journalism want to hear how middle- and high-school students in Minnesota see themselves and their place in America. In 200 words or less, describe who you are - your age, race, culture, class, gender, religion. Then, tell us how you fit into the picture of what it is to be an American. What does that mean in your life, in your family, and for the communities you belong to?

Submit your entry online at www.threesixtyjournalism.org by Friday, March 12, 2010.

*The most thoughtful and thought-provoking essays will be published on the ThreeSixty website and in the Star Tribune or St. Paul Pioneer Press on Census Day, Thursday, April 1.

What do you want your legislators to know about your community’s access to broadband internet? Here’s your chance to join your voice with many others! The Blandin on Broadband project is seeking public input for a report they will bring to the state legislature. Ann Treacy writes:

“What would you like your legislators to know about the importance of broadband access for you and your community?”

We are planning to post responses on the Blandin on Broadband blog http://blandinonbroadband.org on February 5.

If you want to share your two cents please send it to broadband@blandinfoundation.org, with a subject line: BB Leg comments. We ask that you keep it to 100 words or so – however if you want to say more, feel free to post your response online and send us a link. Same applies to videos or podcasts, simply send us a brief synopsis and link.

The University of Minnesota Extension website has been redesigned! A great photo of the people of St. James (Horizons community) adorns the Community Vitality landing page. Have a look:

Grants, up to $2,500, are now available to registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, public schools or tax-exempt public service agencies in the U.S. who are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community. Grants are made in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase or tools or materials.

The application deadline is December 15, 2009. Grantees notified by January 15, 2010.

UPDATE: January 25, 2010 — this program is available again in 2010! See the link below for grant information and deadlines.

http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal/Grants

Elected officials and leaders of organizations face hard decisions that affect communities and the people who live there. Although it is not always required, engaging the public is a best practice when many people are interested and/or will be affected. The process a leader uses to make these choices can increase public trust and support for decisions.

This series is intended to help decision-makers consider when and how to engage the public effectively. Each tip sheet serves as a stand-alone informational resource. Or, when used together, the sheets provide a fuller set of best practices and insights for engaging effectively with the public to make informed decisions.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/citizenship/00018.html

Minnesota Public Radio explores the policy issues behind mental health professional shortages throughout rural Minnesota:

Jane Hovland is a psychologist and professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Havland said rural Minnesota is dangerously under served, and that means long waits.

“It can be three months in a northern area or a rural area. And maybe that wait is only two weeks in a metropolitan area. And often times when we wait to solve a problem, the problem gets worse,” Jackson said.

In October 2009, Rural Dynamics (Great Falls, MT) hosted the Northern Plains Conference. Rural Dynamics has recently conference resources online for public use. Page through their booklets online or download them for offline printing and reading.

http://www.ruraldynamics.org/northern-plains-conference-toolkits

Topics include communications, native communities, policy development, systems thinking, and asset building.

Check out the photo gallery from Elysian’s Holidazzle Parade sponsored by Elysian Horizons. The event hundreds of dollars  for worthy local projects!

ThreeSixtyJournalism, an organization dedicated to strengthen the civic literacy, writing skills and college-readiness of Minnesota teens, is sponsoring two contests for Minnesota students:

1. Winter Photo Contest, $50 prize available, deadline February 5, 2010. Click here for photo contest details.

2. Your Turn Essay Contest, $50 prize availaboe, deadline February 5, 2010. Click here for essay contest details.

Got a great story to tell (in pictures or words)? Give the contest your best shot!

Rurb.mn, a project of Minnesota Rural Partners, is seeking your stories of rural-urban connections. I know several Horizons participants made connections at the MCN-MCF conference in November. Let others know about it! From the Rurb.mn post:

To answer the 2010 question of rural urban balance, we will begin simply, to collect through videoconferences and other online forms of social gatherings – the stories, examples, experiences you have of rural urban connections in businesses, food and agriculture, arts, health care, education, telecom & info technology, workforce development, energy, environment, and other areas that emerge from these conversations and idea-sharing opportunities. Check the schedule (to be posted towards the end of January) and other ways to provide your input at www.rurb.mn.

The first videoconference is in southeast Minnesota on January 19 from 4 to 5 p.m. Sites include Adams, Houston, Owatonna (pending) and the TIES offices in St. Paul. Contact Pam Matchie for specific location directions and to RSVP (pmatchie@decisionresourceassociates.com).

Also, the Minnesota Community Pride Awards are on again for 2010! Last year, a few Horizons communities were among those that were recognized for community projects at the 2009 State Fair. The 2010 awards will feature a new category….

…start thinking now about entering your community in the 2010 Minnesota Community Pride contest, brought back by popular demand thanks to Minnesota Rural Partners, Inc., the Minnesota State Fair, and MinnPost.com.

A new category will be, you guessed it: Rural Urban Connections!