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All DEI Events

 

This is a collection of what is deemed to be events having impacts on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  

 

See the Diversity Beam for notable DEI projects. 

 

 

Start Date Title Description Tags
Feb 21, 2026 05:30 PM Ebony Night 2026: Once Upon A Night | Rochester Branch of the NAACP presents UMR Black Student Union The third event in the Black History Month Series, Ebony Night, is an all-student-led production by the University of Minnesota Rochester’s Black Student Union. ('NAACP', 'Diversity', 'UMR')
Feb 21, 2026 10:00 AM Homeownership and Wealth Building Workshop This workshop equips community members with practical tools and knowledge to pursue homeownership and build generational wealth. ('NAACP', 'housing', 'Diversity')
Feb 17, 2026 04:30 PM Ready to Lead 2026 Spring Cohort Ready to Lead brings together a small group of people to teach the basics of how to participate in and lead meetings ('diversity', 'Civic Equity', 'leadership', 'networking', 'community engagement')
Feb 15, 2026 02:30 PM Chinese New Year Celebration Gala Chinese New Year Celebration Gala is a primary annual event of gathering in Rochester Chinese community. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the biggest Chinese holiday, carry forward the Chinese culture and promote the merge with the multiple cultures in Rochester. Usually there are about 600 people attending this event, including Chinese and other ethnics. Stage shows will feature many exciting performances such as singing, dancing, poems, sketch, dramas, instrument playing, and more, mostly with Chinese cultural and artistic style. During the stage show time, we will also have lottery to have some surprising prizes. ('diversity', 'culture', 'Diversity', 'key')
Feb 11, 2026 12:00 PM When Calendars Reflect Community Faith, Equity, and Public Education Are you seeking to enhance engagement in your school or organization? Discover how Hopkins Public Schools broke down barriers to full participation by creating and adopting an equitable calendar. ('city', 'rps', 'dmc', 'diversity', 'key', 'community engagement', 'Education')
Feb 09, 2026 11:00 AM Part 1: Immigration Justice is Public Health Background and context on immigration, authoritarianism, abolition, and public health; introduction to HIP's Immigration Justice Guide; discussion of actions you can take in your agency and community ('diversity', 'Diversity Council', 'community health', 'Diversity', 'Education')
Feb 06, 2026 06:00 PM Pulitzer Finalist Lee Hawkins--Author of I Am Nobody’s Slave Join us for this year’s premier Black History Month event featuring Lee Hawkins, Pulitzer Prize finalist, former Wall Street Journal writer, and 2026 NAACP Image Awards Nominee who is coming to Rochester, Minnesota from New York. This event is free but seating is limited so free registration is required. ('NAACP', 'Diversity')
Feb 03, 2026 10:00 AM Feb 2026 RPS Family Engagement Our focus for February is Supporting Parent, Caregiver, Family, and Staff Wellbeing: an Experiential Workshop, presented by Haeli Gerardy. Haeli is the Family Engagement Specialist and Certified Parenting Coach at Fernbrook, which is a partner with RPS School-Linked Mental Health. ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education')
Jan 27, 2026 09:30 AM Jan 2026 Mayor's International Relations Committee Meeting Coordinate the Sister Cities Program; support international affairs in the city; provide a welcoming and supportive climate for international residents ('Diversity', 'global', 'governance', 'culture', 'key', 'education')
Jan 23, 2026 07:00 PM Poetry Night Join us for a night in community celebrating poetry! ('griot', 'Culture', 'diversity')
Jan 14, 2026 12:00 PM Equity Alliance Equity Series Rochester Cultural Center The Rochester Cultural Center is a premier adult daycare facility dedicated to serving the diverse needs of our community. Our mission is to provide a safe and stimulating social environment that fosters a sense of belonging and prolongs the lives of our clients. By offering a wide range of activities and programs, we aim to promote physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being among our participants. ('city', 'rps', 'dmc', 'diversity', 'key', 'community engagement', 'Education')
Jan 13, 2026 10:00 AM Jan 2026 RPS Family Engagement RPS 5Essentials Survey; Helping Students Thrive: Supporting Positive Behavior Together ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education')
Dec 17, 2025 05:00 PM Holiday Potluck Hosted by Pata de Perro and ACHLA Join us with your family and be part of our holiday celebration and check out our state-of-the-art bike repair facility. If you can bring a dish to share, please sign up using the link below. ('ACHLA', 'diversity')
Dec 16, 2025 09:30 AM Dec 2025 Mayor's International Relations Committee Meeting Coordinate the Sister Cities Program; support international affairs in the city; provide a welcoming and supportive climate for international residents ('Diversity', 'global', 'governance', 'culture', 'key', 'education')
Dec 11, 2025 07:30 AM 4Q 2025 County Health Assessment and Planning Partnership (HAPP) 1. Welcome 2. Youth LGBTQIA2S+ Coalition Talor Gray and Katie Hackman, OCPHS 3. CHAP Newsletter Discussion All 4. Core Agency Updates CHAP Core Group 5. Community Announcements and Sharing ('CHNA', 'Diversity', 'LGBTQ+', 'Health', 'key')
Document Actions

Two types of event information being shared in the following:

1. A list of Beam aware upcoming community events of all types. 

2. A list of noteworthy past events that have one or more of the following contents: presentation slides, video recordings as well as takeaways. 

Upcoming Events
Nov 2026 RPS Family Engagement Nov 10, 2026 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM — Harriet Bishop Elementary School, 406 36th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901, USA
Olmsted County honors veterans with “Operation Green Light” Nov 11, 2026 06:00 AM - 11:30 AM — Rochester International Event Center
Restoration Glen Completion Nov 12, 2026 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM — Retoration Glen, 1730 Restoration Road SW
Discovery Square Innovation District Open House Nov 16, 2026 02:05 PM - 04:00 PM — One + Two Discovery Square
University of Minnesota Rochester State of the Campus Nov 17, 2026 08:00 AM - 09:30 AM — Two Discovery Square, 3rd Floor
Building Rochester: Celebrating Downtown Housing & Citywalk Groundbreaking Nov 19, 2026 01:30 PM - 04:00 PM — Corner of 2nd Street SW and 6th Avenue SW Rochester, MN
2026 DMC Annual Meeting Luncheon Nov 20, 2026 11:50 AM - 01:30 PM
Nov 2026 Community & City Council Forum Nov 30, 2026 05:30 PM - 08:00 PM — Chateau Theatre
Christmas Anonymous – Rochester MN 2026 Dec 12, 2026 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM — Christ United Methodist
Upcoming events…
Community News

This panel displays the latest community news. For a standalone view please click this LINK.



Rochester-Olmsted County 4(d) Affordable Housing Incentive Program - Rental property owners

Nov 5, 2026: Applications open for Rochester-Olmsted County 4(d) Affordable Housing Incentive Program

Nov 3, 2025 Application Open:  Application Open The current Rochester-Olmsted County 4(d) Affordable Housing Incentive Program application is for the Tax Assessment Year 2025 - Tax Payable Year 2026, the tax savings for this application will not be realized until the Tax Payable Year 2026.

 

Last Updated November 05, 2026



Reimagining 6th Ave West - Project Update

Nov 2026 Press Release 6th Ave. Design Open House

Sep 9, 2026 City Council Update

Mar 2 2025 City Council: Memo, Video, Presentation

Sep 2025 Press Release: City of Rochester Launches “Reimagining Sixth Avenue W” to Reconnect Downtown Mobility Network

Last Updated October 29, 2026



October 2026 City Council Study Session

Downtown Employee Parking 

Prevailing Wages for City Projects

Last Updated October 28, 2026



Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Strategic Management & Policy Considerations

Oct 26 City Council Study Session

Last Updated October 26, 2026



Council Initiated Action - City Council Civility Pledge

Oct 19, 2026 City Council Meeting Pledge

LMC - Civility Pledge

Last Updated October 24, 2026



RPS 2030 Strategic Plan Finalization

RPS Board Meeting: Oct 20, 2026 Board Finalization

RPS Board Briefings: Oct 6, 2026; Sep 15, 2026

Last Updated October 21, 2026



Co-design Information

Oct 19, 2026 Community Co-Design Leadership Training

October 2, 2023 City Council Study Session; September Co-design Meeting (Co-Design Preparation Guide, Pilot Co-Design Dashboard) 

Last Updated October 19, 2026



Graham Park Exhibition Center

Oct 14, 2026: Lodging Tax 0.5% increase proposal

Apr 24, 2026: Oak View Group to run exhibition center.

Aug 2025: Groundbreaking Construction began Wednesday on a $48.7 million project at Graham Park, Rochester. The centerpiece is an 80,000-square-foot exhibition center with a performance arena seating 1,500 people.

Last Updated October 14, 2026



Housing Alliance Meeting Log

2025 Notable 

Maxfield Housing Report

Environmental Justice; 

 

Last Updated October 12, 2026



City for Good 2026 Candidates Forum Proceedings

RPS Board Candidate Forums: C4G Forum: Written responses to City for Good Questions:; League of Women Voters Video

C4G: City Council Candidates and Mayoral Candidate Video Recordings

Last Updated October 12, 2026



Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) Publications

2026, 2023, 2021, 2019 Olmsted County Housing Profiles By Minnesota Housing Partnership 

2026 MN State Profile

Last Updated October 09, 2026



2026 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) Data

healthwellnessyouth

Oct 6, 2026 School Board Meeting 

Gemini AI: Breakdown of how individual schools within Rochester Public Schools MCA test data; How did Southeast Minnesota schools do on the MCAs?

 

Last Updated October 07, 2026



RPS Balanced Budget Model

Oct 6, 2026 RPS Board Meeting: Levy

2026 Review and 2027 Enhancements: 

 Phase I of the Balanced Budget Model (BBM), launched across all learning sites and select special education programs, served as both a starting point and a critical learning stage.

AI Summary of PB ePaper Article

Last Updated October 07, 2026



Sports Complex 2026 Updates

Sep 29, 2026: Press Release - City and Altra Federal Credit Union partnership

Jul 13, 2026: City Council Study Session - Funding Options for Indoor Phase 2 

Apr 27, 2026 City Council Study Session Community Engagement Rochester Regional Sports Center, Stadium & Sports Fields

Last Updated September 29, 2026



DMC Strategic Development Proposal

Sep 2026: Strategic Priorities and Funding Framework

May 2026: Consider a recommendation to approve up to $3 million in DMC General State Infrastructure Aid (GSIA)

Last Updated September 27, 2026



Second Street LINK Transit Construction

Sep 24, 2026 DMCC Board Meeting

City, DMC PSA: Beginning September 22, traffic on 2nd Street SW will shift to maintain one lane in each direction between 18th Avenue SW and 23rd Avenue SW Affected areas

Last Updated September 26, 2026



America's City for Heath and Older Adults Needs

Sep 2026: DMCC Board Meeting

Jul 2026: AARP Tech and Aging

Mar 2026:Tech Enabled Aging In Place Talks Postings

Oct 2025 AI Summary of Dave Beal's PB Op Ed: "Include older adults in Rochester's Plans"

Last Updated September 24, 2026



CHATEAU THEATRE OPERATING ANALYSIS UPDATE

Sep 24, 2026 DMCC Board Meeting; Sep 9, 2026 City Council Action Chateau Strategy

Aug 10, 2026 City Council Study Session  Council to review planning-level capital investment needs identified through both the City’s facility assessment and the Legends Global operating analysis.

Last Updated September 24, 2026



Downtown and Public Realm Investment

Sep 24, 2026 DMCC Board Meeting 

City of Rochester Launches Minnesota’s First Operational Thermal Energy Network Through Downtown Building Energy Transition Initiative

Last Updated September 24, 2026



Home Innovation Lab - Aging in Place

Sep 2026: Tech-Enabled Housing Update at DMCC Board

May 2026: Home Innovation Lab Open House

Dec 2025 DMCC Board Meeting: The Home Innovation Lab will combine research, technology, and design to create and evaluate “tech-enabled age-in-place” living environments that improve health, comfort, and independence for older adults.

Apr 2025 DMC Real Estate Summit: Aging in place talk

Last Updated September 23, 2026