The Northland Foundation Board of Trustees and Staff approved 51 grants during the last quarter of 2015, awarding a total of $410,157 within the foundation’s priorities of Aging With Independence; Children, Youth and Families; Opportunities for Self-Reliance; and economic vitality in the region.
A number of recent grants were awarded to programming that promotes understanding and equality among all people: $20,000 to the Rural and American Indigenous Leadership, Virginia, to strengthen women’s leadership in rural and American Indigenous communities; $2,000 to Valley Youth Centers, Duluth, to host a celebration of the Hmong New Year; $2,000 to the Range Engineering Council, Hibbing, to raise awareness of bias in the workplace and in schools; $5,000 to the NAACP, Duluth, for a festival honoring of Martin Luther King, Jr. and African American culture; and $4,950 to Mesabi Range College, Virginia, for an artist residency program to foster self-expression and appreciation of diversity.
All grants approved between October 1 and December 31, 2015 are listed below.
AGING
Communication Center State Services for the Blind, Duluth $12,500
To provide services to older adults experiencing vision loss.
Twin City Christian Homes, d/b/a Avinity, Richfield $30,000
To establish a new program using technology to help older adults at the LEE Center in Hibbing to maintain their independence.
CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
School Districts, Northeast Minnesota $4,000
Support for education professionals in northeastern Minnesota to participate in the PreK-3rd Grade Principal Leadership Series learning opportunity.
Duluth Public Schools - ISD #709, Duluth | $1,000 |
Greenway Schools - ISD #316, Coleraine | $500 |
Deer River Schools - ISD #317, Deer River | $500 |
Lake Superior School District - ISD #381, Two Harbors | $500 |
Duluth Public Schools Academy, Duluth | $500 |
Mesabi East Schools - ISD #2711, Aurora | $500 |
Grand Rapids School District - ISD #318, Grand Rapids | $500 |
United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, Chisholm $4,950
To support the professional development of early childhood educators and care providers.
Woodland Hills, Duluth $30,000
To provide out of school time programs to youth in Duluth's Central Hillside.
CLIMB Theatre, Inc., Inver Grove Heights $17,000
To provide educational programming in area schools on the dangers of heroin and meth.
Duluth Area Family YMCA, Duluth $20,000
To establish a new staff position to increase opportunities for youth to engage in outdoor recreation activities.
Cloquet School District - ISD #094, Cloquet $1,000
To purchase books to help strengthen students’ reading skills.
YWCA of Duluth, Duluth $20,000
To support out-of-school-time programming to middle school aged girls.
Two Harbors Community Radio, Two Harbors $5,000
To support intergenerational youth radio programming.
University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth $5,000
To support programming that teaches astronomy and story telling to Native American students.
South Koochiching-Rainy River School District - ISD #363, Northome $892
To support participation in the Pathway to Careers event.
Proctor Public Schools - ISD #704, Duluth $2,545
To provide a retreat for 4th grade students to help foster kindness, empathy, and respect.
Myers-Wilkins Elementary School - ISD #709, Duluth $3,000
To purchase books for the Myers-Wilkins School Library.
US FIRST, Manchester $5,000
In support of the 2016 regional robotics competition in Northeast Minnesota.
Duluth Public Schools - ISD #709, Duluth $1,000
To support environmental education programming at Piedmont Elementary School.
Lester Park Elementary, Duluth $2,000
To enhance creative expression and personal development through arts experiences for students with disabilities.
St. Louis County Schools - ISD #2142, Virginia $5,000
To provide professional development for educators to implement a program to improve student engagement and motivation.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SELF-RELIANCE
Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative, Cloquet $1,000
To support a day long event to provide information on careers, higher education and services for high school students with disabilities.
Western Lake Superior Habitat for Humanity, Duluth $15,000
To expand the capacity of Habitat for Humanity in the Twin Ports to provide affordable housing.
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, Saint Paul $10,000
To provide emergency assistance to veterans and their families in crisis in northeastern Minnesota.
One Roof Community Housing, Duluth $50,000
Support for a new lending director position.
Grace House of Itasca County, Grand Rapids $5,000
To provide shelter and services for people experiencing homelessness in the Grand Rapids area.
Damiano of Duluth, Inc., Duluth $30,000
To increase the staff capacity of the Damiano Center.
Community Action Duluth, Duluth $60,000
Support for community engagement and empowerment programming for low-income families.
Rural and American Indigenous Leadership, Virginia $20,000
To support women’s leadership in rural and American Indigenous communities.
Valley Youth Centers, Duluth $2,000
Support for a community event to celebrate the Hmong New Year.
Mesabi Range College, Virginia $4,950
To support an artist in residency program to help foster self-expression and a greater appreciation of diversity in Quad City area schools on the Iron Range.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Duluth $5,000
To support a weeklong festival honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrating African American culture.
Range Engineering Council, Hibbing $2,000
To support events to raise awareness on unconscious bias in schools and the workplace.
Community Action Duluth, Duluth $5,000
To provide free income tax preperation services for people with low incomes.
COMMUNITY VITALITY
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Saint Paul $5,000
Support for services to increase access to quality nonprofit management capacity-building resources in northeastern Minnesota.
Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, Virginia $3,200
To support planning efforts around the creation of a social enterprise.
APEX, Duluth $15,000
To support economic development efforts in Duluth and the surrounding area.
YOUTH IN PHILANTHROPY
The following grants were awarded by a board comprised of high school students from throughout the region, with guidance from adult mentors, to support youth-led school and community projects. These grants are made possible thanks to the Minnesota Power Foundation.
Denfeld High School - ISD #709, Duluth $1,000
To support the robotics experience that encourages science, technology, engineering, and careers for youth.
McGregor KIDS PLUS/Something Cool, Inc., McGregor $1,000
To create a program that promotes random acts of kidness in the community.
Cooper Elementary School, Superior $450
To promote a Genius Hour that allows students to experiment and learn more about how the brain works.
Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, Virginia $370
To support a community garden that will teach children about rainwater collection, conservation, plants, and vegetables while providing access to fresh produce.
McGregor Schools - ISD #004, McGregor $500
In support of a youth-run program in which students can design projects and programs that help others while increasing students' involvement in the school.
Superior High School, Superior $1,000
In support of high school science students developing and implementing an activity at the Superior School Forest for area 5th graders.
Cherry School, ISD #2142, Iron $1,000
Expand the presence of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the classroom by engaging students with bikes and bike safety.
Cooper Elementary School, Superior $600
To provide an enhanced learning environment for children that nurtures social, physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
Valley Youth Centers, Duluth $600
To provide alternative activities for youth in a safe, supervised afterschool setting.
Woodland Hills Academy - ISD #709, Duluth $600
To promote community engagement and volunteerism among young people by helping the local animal shelter.
Carlton High School - ISD #093, Carlton $1,000
To support a program in which students of differing abilities including students with Autism will work together to build a sailboat in the school shop.