Allies & Advocates

• Diversity Council: Allies & Advocates is a community response program that nurtures and supports individuals experiencing heightened anxiety, uncertainty, or incidents of hate/bias in this challenging social and cultural climate. We have been receiving communications regularly and increasingly from individuals deeply affected by what is transpiring here in Rochester, in our state, nationally, even globally. We want to be able to field these calls with empathy and wisdom. We decided to tap our greatest resource – compassionate people.

Barbershops Creating Change in the Community

• Barbershop Talk- South Minnesota: BCCC is a coalition of Black barbers, beauticians and owners in Minnesota who are advancing a more just Minnesota for their communities. For years, barbershops have been staples of communities as they provide both individual and collective empowerment, esteem and moral. These are spaces where people come for physical and communal transformation. At the core, barber and beauty shops foster intentional relationships with community members while also providing a service.

Bystander to Upstander

• Diversity Council: Bystander to Upstander Sessions are participatory scenario-based sessions that provide opportunities for individuals to learn about and practice responses to incidents they might encounter in business, on campus, and in their daily lives. Unlike traditional diversity training, these activity-based workshops focus on real-time interventions. The sessions include general instruction in courageous listening and observing, as well as culturally-specific insights and role-playing exercises with tips and tactics for de-escalation, respectful intervention, and accountability.

CDI Bridges

• Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam (CIDI): The bridges already exist. Let's CROSS them!

Community Center Northwest of Rochester (Empowerment Center)

• Center City Housing: A project for homeless families in the Rochester area is seeking funding for what the planners are calling the "Empowerment Center" to be housed in a former elementary school. Center City Housing Corp., a nonprofit based in Duluth, announced Thursday that more than 80 percent of those that participated in a campaign planning study support the idea of turning the East Gage School site into a community center, to be called the Empowerment Center.

Community Leaders Creating Change

• Diversity Council: Community Leaders Creating Change (CLCC) is a leadership training program that aims to help close that gap between the diversification of our local population and our community leadership—and to prepare those from majority groups to work effectively in a diverse environment.

Compassion Studies

• Rochester Community & Technical College: The new Compassion Studies (HUM 1500) course will explore compassion as a subject of academic inquiry--emphasizing both its timely and timeless aspects including notable historical traditions and thinkers, as well as contemporary figures and findings. Some key questions considered in this course include what is compassion; do humans have a duty to be compassionate; and why does compassion matter, to whom and to what? The course will also feature readings, discussions, videos, and lectures that address compassion as it relates to diverse subject areas.

ConnectUP!

• TBD: ConnectUP! MN is a two-day, culturally grounded gathering of curated underestimated entrepreneurs and investors that: learn and share with each other, engage in relationship-building, provide best and next practices from the field, as well as engage in active problem solving to build thriving, diverse, and sustainable enterprises and co-design an ecosystem that prioritizes equitable access to resources, capital and networks.

Conquerors Boxing

• TBD: More Than Conquerors is a new boxing program being offered for kids and young adults in the Rochester area.

Distant Relatives

• TBD: Somali Youth basketball programs are broken down by age groups: 10-12 year olds, 13-17 and 18-21. He estimates that 30 young men are involved in "Distant Relatives." Mumin conducts practices with each group about twice a week, year round, gathering at an outdoor basketball court or inside at Zumbro Lutheran Church. They also play a few tournament a year.

Asian Pacific MN Complete Count 2020 Project

• Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans (CAPM): Previous Census efforts have identified “hard to count” communities, including Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals, immigrants and refugees, and children under the age of 4. Given what we know about our API communities statewide, our Council believes that a complete count committee dedicated specifically to our community is in the interest of the state of Minnesota. Therefore, we invite you to join the API Complete Count Committee (CCC), to ensure that all API Minnesotans participate fully in the 2020 Census.

Closing referral disparities (resolution agreement with Office of Civil Rights)

• Rochester Public Schools: Need to close the disciplinary gap. Black and Hispanic students are referred to the office at a significantly higher rate when compared to white students and Asian students. Black and Hispanic students receive In-School-Suspensions at a significantly higher rate when compared to white students and Asian students. Black and Hispanic students receive Out-Of-School-Suspensions at a significantly higher rate when compared to white students and Asian students.

Envisioning a 21st Century City: Regional Issues, Global Perspectives

• Diversity Council: Diversity Council is presenting a series of talks to invite region thought leaders, decision makers and stakeholders to an evening of conversations and learning to support Diversity Council's effort to spark multi-cultural transformation impetus for SE MN.

Intercultural Cities Initiative (ICI)

• City of Rochester, MN: The Intercultural City Initiative is a bold effort on the part of a wide variety of organizations and individuals to align the collective power, creativity, expertise, and energy of our cities toward a future of inclusive growth. Inspired by the comprehensive and coordinated approach of the Council of Europe Intercultural City program, Minnesota’s Intercultural City Initiative is focused on using high leverage influence strategies to realize this future faster.

J2G Become a Cohesive Connected Region

• J2G Regional Committee: Objective: Foster Dialogue to Forge a Shared Regional Identity and Explore Benefits and Alternatives for Comprehensive Regional Planning & Development

Jeremiah Program (Campus for Single Mothers and their Children)

• Jeremiah Program: Jeremiah Program Rochester-Southeast Minnesota launched its campaign for a campus in Rochester to serve 40 single women with children from Southeast Minnesota, with the assistance of a gift from the Sisters of Saint Francis, Rochester, MN.

Mayo High School School Within a School (SWS)

• Mayo High School: Help at-risk students succeed in school and life.

Regional Video Projects

• Journey to Growth Partnership: The Regional Community Video project is collaboration between Journey to Growth (J2G) and SE MN Together. Over the past 18 months a committee of regional leaders have been meeting on a regular basis discussing ways to promote a unified message about our Southeast Minnesota region. These meetings led the team to travel throughout the region. It was discovered each community had fascinating unique features, from how the town was formed to how the town has changed. SE MN Together (SEMNT) has been hosting regional meetings throughout Southeastern Minnesota. J2G and SEMNT discovered they were on a common path in regards to marketing our region and decided to collaborate on the Regional Community Video Project (RCVP). The goal of the Regional Community Video Project (RCVP) is to further move us towards becoming a more connected and cohesive region while celebrating our uniqueness through creativity and storytelling.

Rochester Racial Justice Toolkit

• RRJ: The Toolkit is a compilation of articles, guides, news, videos, social media, and other tools from several online sources on racial justice and Black Lives Matter activism. The site is a work in progress with ongoing updates and contributions to each section. Please contact us with any suggestions or resource contributions! The Toolkit is an online social justice resource rooted in a committment to radical love and service to the Rochester, MN community. ​

Targeted Business, Workforce Participation and Prevailing Wage Strategies

• City of Rochester, MN, DMC : To further increase participation rates of targeted businesses and workforce on DMC projects, four priorities have been identified that are outlined below. (1) Build capacity of Targeted Businesses located in Southeastern Minnesota (2) Assess gaps with existing subcontractors to determine market opportunity. (3) Recruit women and minorities from workforce to start their own companies. (4) Host workshops to educate entrepreneurs, provide consulting services for WMBVE certification process and assist with bid process to win contracts on DMC projects.

America’s Community for Health

• DMC EDA: Interlocking between DMC, Olmsted County and Rochester City and Community organizations to ensure social impacts are factored into DMC project evaluation process and City Comprehensive Plan (P2S).

Cradle to Career

• United Way of Olmsted County and Rotary Clubs of Rochester: Every child and young adult succeeds cradle to career, through shared purpose, alignment and accountability among community partners This is the purpose of the Cradle to Career initiative in Rochester, Minnesota. Education is a powerful strategy to improve educational outcomes resulting in healthy individuals, families and community who have economic stability with productive careers and contribute positively to a civic and equitable society.

Digital Equity IT Infrastructure

• Rochester Area Nonprofit Consortium: Increase access to and effective use of technological devices and programs among communities experiencing barriers in the Rochester area. To do this, we will generate immediate and longer-term solutions related to the following barriers to access: 1) technological devices/hardware with appropriate software installed (computers and tablets); 2) affordable, reliable internet; and 3) culturally appropriate education to support digital literacy.

Diversity Council Education Equity Plan

• Diversity Council: Educational Equity exists when all individuals are fully prepared for the roles of their choice, regardless of personal or social circumstances. Educational Equity requires systems of support that result in full access to opportunities that lead to personal growth.

For a Better Us

• Rochester Area Family Y: A plan to: Being a great partner, Strengthening communities, Advocating for the Y, Inspiring others, Providing leadership, Volunteering your time, treasure, and talents

Improve health insurance coverage for minority groups in Southeast Minnesota

• TBD: While MNsure boasts of plummeting uninsured rates among Minnesotans, a closer look shows that certain minority populations who have been left behind, in particular Latinos

In City for Good (In the Shadow of Growth)

• In the City for Good Steering Committee: City for Good is coalition of eight Action Groups addressing deficiencies in the DMC plan: Living Wages, Transportation, Affordable Housing, Sustainability, Social Services, Education, Social Justice and Historic Preservation.

Locks of Compassion

• Catholic Charities: Considering a lock is defined as a device that restricts access and confines, you may wonder how it can possibly be associated with compassion. But, did you know a lock can also be a symbol of promise, enduring friendship and love? A lock links and unites one to another. In many parts of the world “love locks” attached to bridges and even metal trees have expressed uniting one to another. The “Locks of Compassion” project will re-create a symbolic expression of unity regarding a spirit of compassion for the refugee children and families we serve. With a gift of $10 you will be provided a lock to decorate with signs, symbols, and words of compassion.

Pathways Toward Prosperity and Well-Being Program

• Olmsted County Community Services: Using $525,000 in state grant funding from the state, Olmsted and Dakota counties are seeking to create a model aimed at helping families out of poverty. Instead of providing individual programs for children and others for their parents, the project will look at family needs as a whole and work to create a path to support two generations at once.

Project FINE (Focus on Integrating Newcomers through Education)

• FINE: FINE brings together resources and workforce solutions from across an 11-county region in Southeast Minnesota that promote inclusivity. Training sessions will also be held for employers on best practices for hiring and retaining diverse employees.

City for Good Education: Pathway for parents to have more involvement with their children's education

• CIty for Good: TBD

Creating a 21st Century Community Space

• Diversity Council, Rochester Area Nonprofit Consortium, CMRC: A Place for All. Third Sector's shared space concept would provide a common entry point to community resources through its "front door" concept. Seeking 40,000 - 50,000 sf of public space for 3 core uses.  Community Cultural Center providing interactive gathering spaces for civic engagement, education, celebration.  Community Front Door offering a centralized entry point for individuals seeking access to community resources and activities.  Nonprofit COOP functions as the enterprise, funding general operations for the entire facility while creating operational efficiencies for NPOs.

Diversity In Action Initiative

• Diversity in Action: Program to assist students that aren’t necessarily college bound with getting into areas that don’t require a 4 year degree. He has links with employers looking for young people who are interested in being plumbers, carpenters, electricians and etc. He is looking at how to work within the schools here in Rochester to expose young people to alternative careers. I thought that the two of you might be a good connection since quite a bit of his consideration would be working with youth from diverse backgrounds as well as supporting educators in working with the students.

Food for Thought for Diversity Wellness

• Diversity Council/Lotus Foundation: Food and nutrition is important to all people. Access to nutrition is especially important to marginalized groups. This project educates people how good food can be made available. This project will promote and help identify affordable, good tasting, nutrient-rich foods" to difference cultural groups. Taking into account: (1) embracing cultural traditions (2) learn from each other (3) combine with other healthy living ideas.

Identification and intervention for adverse childhood experiences in our local community - A Study

• Olmsted County Public Health Services, Rochester Public Schools, Mayo Clinic: To develop local ACEs screening and intervention programs for children and evaluate the impact of these new intervention programs on the mental health and developmental trajectory in children.

Legal Defense Fund

• First Unitarian Universalist Church: We propose that a legal defense fund be established, to be used to provide legal assistance to persons at risk of detention and expedited removal by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch of Homeland Security.

Love Music, Hate Racism - Minnesota

• TBD: TBD

One Olmsted: Embrace diversity as an asset

• County of Olmsted, MN: A new Olmsted County initiative is aiming to create a foundation of support to overcome disparities in services throughout the county. A draft of a "One Olmsted" resolution has been making the rounds among some volunteer county boards, with tentative plans to seek support from the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners early next month. The proclamation stating "the time is now to embrace diversity as an asset" strives to reaffirm the county's commitment to equity and acknowledging "every facet of human difference." It's a new take on existing practices.

Pathways to Equity

• Community Mobilization Resource Coalition (CMRC) / Diversity Council: Pathways to Equity works with marginalized populations to build integrated navigation solutions at the community level. It establishes, compensates, trains, and nurtures liaisons and navigators within ethnic populations who are charged with forming enduring relationships with and increasing cultural understanding among service providers, civic structures, and businesses.

Social Justice Coalition

• Diversity Council: Explore to build a coalition of organizations with shared intention to advance the rights of all individuals in the region, convening around the desire to build awareness and collaboration,improve responsiveness, and help one another thrive.