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Community Events/News

Start Date Title Tags Description
Feb 14, 2026 10:00 AM The Art of Detachment () Unhealthy attachment to people, outcomes, jobs, relationships, careers, even sports teams can quietly shape how we live and our quality of life.
Feb 11, 2026 12:00 PM When Calendars Reflect Community Faith, Equity, and Public Education ('city', 'rps', 'dmc', 'diversity', 'key', 'community engagement', '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.
Feb 11, 2026 10:00 AM Rochester Area Housing Alliance Feb 2026 ('RAF', 'Housing', 'housing', 'key') Topics include: Natural Gas Franchise Fee --The City of Rochester is looking at whether to create a natural gas franchise fee. This fee could help fund programs that support the community and help the City make smart, long-term investments.
Feb 09, 2026 11:00 AM Part 1: Immigration Justice is Public Health ('diversity', 'Diversity Council', 'community health', 'Diversity', 'Education') 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
Feb 06, 2026 06:00 PM Pulitzer Finalist Lee Hawkins--Author of I Am Nobody’s Slave ('NAACP', 'Diversity') 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.
Feb 05, 2026 09:30 AM Feb 2026 DMCC Board Meeting ('commerce', 'DMC', 'community') ICE Impacts; 5 Year Plan Update; Historical preservation; Housing; Annual Report
Feb 03, 2026 10:00 AM Feb 2026 RPS Family Engagement ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education') 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.
Jan 27, 2026 12:00 PM "Let's Talk Community" Lunch and Learn Series ('Education', 'civic engagement') Our first event of the series will feature Metro State’s Cyber Clinic—a hub for community focused cybersecurity initiatives. Discover how the Cyber Clinic partners with K-12 institutions, underserved municipalities, nonprofits, and small businesses to strengthen digital safety through:
Jan 27, 2026 09:30 AM Jan 2026 Mayor's International Relations Committee Meeting ('Diversity', 'global', 'governance', 'culture', 'key', 'education') Coordinate the Sister Cities Program; support international affairs in the city; provide a welcoming and supportive climate for international residents
Jan 23, 2026 07:00 PM Poetry Night ('griot', 'Culture', 'diversity') Join us for a night in community celebrating poetry!
Jan 22, 2026 06:00 PM Ramsey County Attorney Office Townhall ('openbeam', 'governance', 'civic engagement') Asian Media Access is working with our communities to host a webinar as a follow-up event from the AAUC successful Town Hall meeting, that laid our communities' stories so well.
Jan 22, 2026 06:30 PM Panel Discussion - "IBM Rochester not only changed the city but the world" ('Education',) The panel discussion, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, will feature five current and retired IBM employees talking about everything from gaming and supercomputers to quantum computing, and disks
Jan 21, 2026 10:00 AM Rochester Area Foundation - Scholarship Information ('networking', 'civic engagement') Volunteers Needed - Rochester Area Foundation Scholarship Committee
Jan 20, 2026 12:00 PM Caregiver and Parent Empowerment ('rps', 'Education') Come together with other community members online to learn about middle school academics, social growth, and relationships while supporting students as they transition to high school and graduation.
Jan 19, 2026 08:15 AM 2026 We Have a Dream Celebration ('NAACP',) Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - We Have a Dream Celebration is an annual community event held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to commemorate the life and work of Dr. King. The morning portion of the program hosted by NAACP Rochester Branch MN in partnership with Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce will take place at the Mayo Civic Center.
Jan 17, 2026 02:00 PM Dreaming Otherwise ('griot',) Join us for a free, community-centered workshop rooted in writer Nicole “Cole” Nfonoyim-Hara’s own creative process and her current work on a speculative fiction novel reimagining ancestral pasts and legacies.
Jan 14, 2026 12:00 PM Equity Alliance Equity Series Rochester Cultural Center ('city', 'rps', 'dmc', 'diversity', 'key', 'community engagement', 'Education') 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.
Jan 14, 2026 10:00 AM Rochester Area Housing Alliance Jan 2026 ('RAF', 'Housing', 'housing', 'key') Topics include: 2025 End of Year Real Estate Stats Review; Olmsted County and Rochester Highlights; Coalition 2025 Investments & Impact
Jan 13, 2026 10:00 AM Jan 2026 RPS Family Engagement ('RPS', 'education', 'diversity', 'key', 'Education') RPS 5Essentials Survey; Helping Students Thrive: Supporting Positive Behavior Together
Jan 08, 2026 07:15 AM 2026 Mayor's State of the City ('city state', 'city', 'key') Mayor Norton, joined by City, Olmsted County and Rochester Public Schools leaders, will reflect on the past year and share priorities and initiatives for 2026. The event will also feature the City’s annual Year in Review video highlighting key accomplishments and milestones from 2025.
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October 2021 Activities

FORUM  WITH INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT DR. KENT PEKEL- October 21, 6:30 to 8:00:

In the City for Good will be presenting an online forum to give all in the community an opportuniy to hear from Rochester Public Schools Interim Superintendent Kent Pekel. Dr. Pekel will give an overview of his time so far in the district, along with more information on the strategic plan he will be proposing. Interested Rochester residents may submit questions ahead of time or during the meeting to be used in a Q&A time period after his primary presentation. The October 21 forum will be from 6:30 to 8.

 

Steering Committee- Tuesday, October 5, 4:00 p.m.

Topic: In the City for Good Steering Committee

Time: Oct 5, 2021 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

 Join Zoom Meeting

Contact [email protected] for Zoom info. 

 

Housing Team- Monday, October 11 7:00 p.m.

Our next In the City for Good Housing Team meeting will be on October 11 at 7 pm. We will be discussing the proposed Unified Development Code with Ryan Yetzer, Interim Deputy Director, Community Development for the City of Rochester leading the discussion along with others in the Community Development area. We will especially focus on what some of the proposed changes could mean related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and the role of ADUs in addressing the concerns around the affordability of workforce and senior housing. This will be an online meeting, with the link to be sent out later this week.

 

Age-Friendly- Oct 12th and 26th 2:30 to 4:00

Meeting Information:

Age-Friendly Olmsted County Planning Group

Tues. Oct 12 and 26

2:30pm - 4pm

 

Contact [email protected] for Zoom info

 

Social Services/Social Justice- Watch for info of upcoming November meeting

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Purpose of the site
A sub-site of Community Beam, the City4Good website is being prototyped by openBEAM.net  to help the "In the City For Good initiative" to better collaborate.
Community Status/News

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



City Council and Mayor-Better Public Hearing Meeting

Feb 9, 2026 Study Session: Report, Video, Presentation

Summarizing interviews, survey responses, scorecard and public forum 

Last Updated February 27, 2026



Hope at Home

Nearly $60,000 has been distributed to help prevent evictions

Last Updated February 26, 2026



2026 and 2025 Action Plan Updates

Feb 2026 Action Plan Update

Jan 2025 City of Rochester’s Action Plan, first implemented in 2021, serves as our roadmap for success. It outlines current initiatives aimed at advancing City Council's Strategic Priorities. 

Last Updated February 26, 2026



Downtown Historic District Investment

Feb 23, 2026 City Council Study Session 

DMCC Board Meeting Dec 10, 2025

  • Request Memo
  • Video Recording
  • Presentation 

Last Updated February 26, 2026



Olmsted County Press Release:

We are Water MN Traveling Exhibit Feb 25 thru Apr 20, 2026

Last Updated February 19, 2026



Rochester Area Volunteer Administration

2026: April 15 Volunteer Fair

2023: RAVA October 19 2023 Meeting Notes; RAVA Meeting Notes: 6/15/2023 featuring inclusive language and use of pronouns; 2. 2021 survey announcement 

2021: Survey

Last Updated February 18, 2026



DMC 2025 5 Year Plan Updates

Feb 5, 2026 DMC Board Meeting: Final DMC Plan Update

Dec 15, 2025 DMC Board Meeting  :Request for Action; Video Recording; Presentation';2025 5-year plan draft

References: Nov 2025 City Council Study Session Materials; Feb 2026 DMCC Annual Report

Last Updated February 10, 2026



MDH 2026 Announcements

MDH Regional Listening Sessions March 5, 2026 

Feb 2026 MDH Minnesota Health Equity Networks Newsletter

 

Last Updated February 07, 2026



Braver Angels News

Listen to (and learn from) the other side

  • Feb 2026 Citizens Commission on Immigration Outreach
  • Mar 2025 Newsletter: End birthright citizenship?
  • Apr 2024 Braver Angels Newsletter: 2024 National Convention; National Debate: Should we be colorblind?

 

Last Updated February 04, 2026



Rochester as a Compassionate City

Feb 2, 2026 City Council Meeting

Council Initiated Action - Reaffirming Rochester as a Compassionate City

Last Updated February 03, 2026



2025 YE Housing Statistics

Jan 2026 Housing Alliance:

2025 Real Estate SEMN Marketing Data

2025 Coalition Investments

 

Last Updated February 02, 2026



RPS Family Engagement Opportunities

Jan 2026 Announcements

Family Engagement, Caregiver and Parent Empowerment 

Last Updated January 30, 2026



Community Health Improvement Plan Update

2026 CHNA Info: Jan 2026 Newsletter

2025 Community Health Needs Info: Admin Message, Oct 2025 Newsletter 

Ref: PB Report

Last Updated January 29, 2026



Black History Month Series of Events

Black History Month Press Releases: 

2026, 2025, 2024,

2023, 2022, 2021 

Last Updated January 28, 2026



Rochester Announcements

Jan 2026 Immigration Enforcement Updates

Jan 2024: The City of Rochester welcomes applications for the Community Building Fund.  This fund is all about supporting projects, programs, and events in the city that actively promote equity and inclusion.

Last Updated January 28, 2026



RPS Strategic Plan and Goals Review

Strategic Plan Goals Review  

  • Background
  • Presentation Slides
  • Part 1 Goals and Part 2 Goals

Last Updated January 23, 2026



Collider Foundation Updates

Jan 2026 Newsletter: Notes from the Executive Director; Thanks to Our Supporters; Our events; What's New

Last Updated January 18, 2026



Lifestyle Wellness

2026 Healthy Brain Community Workshops: strengthen memory and cognitive health

March 2020: Rochester Mayor Proclamation  

Last Updated January 18, 2026



Restorative Justice Circle Collaboration with RPS

RPS Family Engagement Jan 2026 Intro

Gemini Perspectives of PB Op Ed

2025 Restorative Justice Circle Training; RPS Collaboration to improve school attendance

2024 Project Legacy Collaboration

 References: About Restorative Justices; 

Last Updated January 17, 2026



Chateau Theatre Upkeep

Jan 2026 City Council Study Session

Dec 2025 DMCC Board Meeting

Feb 2025 DMCC Board and  City Council Proceedings

References: AI summary of PB Reporting  

Last Updated January 13, 2026