Human Rights Commission Meeting - CivicWeb

AGENDA

Human Rights Commission Meeting

5:15 PM - Monday, February 24, 2020

City Hall Council Chambers

Page

1. CALL TO ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2.1. Approve January 27, 2020 Minutes.

2020-01-27 HRC Minutes

2 - 3

3. BUDGET REPORT 3.1. Review monthly financial report.

Financial Report 2020-02-18

4

4. EVENTS COMMITTEE REPORT 4.1. Human Rights Award - Nomination deadline was February 19, 2020.

Nominations attached. HR Award Criteria

Brown County Historical Society

New Ulm Forward

League of Women Voters

5 - 10

5. EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT 5.1. Poster and Essay Contest - deadline March 15, 2020. 6. CURRENT HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES 7. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 8. CITY COUNCIL LIAISON 9. OTHER BUSINESS 9.1. Welcoming Communities Project

New Ulm report 2020-01-27

Overview Application Form 2020-01-28

11 - 42

10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING 10.1. Next meeting scheduled for March 23, 2020. Please notify Lisa Grathwohl of

any Agenda items to be included and attendance to confirm quorum will be present.

11. ADJOURNMENT

Page 1 of 42

MINUTES

NEW ULM HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONMonday, January 27, 2020 – 5:15 p.m.

City Hall Council Chambers

Present: Dan Kalk, Sue Hunstad, Wendi Ringhofer, Tim Frenning, Larry Czer, Diane Hatman, Chad Gentz

Absent: Jackie Krehbiel, Deanna Fenske

1. Call to OrderChair Tim Frenning called the meeting to order.

2. Election of OfficersChair: Larry Czer Motion: Tim Frenning Second: Dan KalkVice Chair: Dan Kalk Motion: Tim Frenning Second: Larry CzerSecretary: Wendi Ringhofer Motion: Dan Kalk Second: Tim Frenning

3. Approval of November 25, 2019 MinutesMotion to approve Minutes: Dan KalkSecond: Larry C.

4. Approval of AgendaMotion to approve Agenda: Sue HunstadSecond: Diane Hatman

5. Budget Report - Tim FrenningFiscal Budget for 2020 is $8750

6. Events Committee One nomination received for the HRC Award for the Brown County Historical Society. Original deadline was November 21st. Because a decision was not made at November 25th meeting and the December meeting

was cancelled, nominations will be reopened and the deadline extended to February 24th. (Since that is the day of the meeting and the nominations need to be included in the Agenda distributed days before meeting, the actual deadline was corrected to February 19th.)Motion to reopen nominations and extend deadline: Dan KalkSecond: Sue Hunstad

7. Education Committee

Extend poster and essay contest deadline from March 1st to March 15th in letter to schools.

Suggested lesson plan to send to schools approved. Delivery of informational packets to schools:

Page 2 of 42

Larry Czer - St. Paul’s Lutheran School and MVLWendi Ringhofer - Jefferson, Public Middle and High School, Kids’ ConnectionDan Kalk - Cathedral, Mayor’s officeLisa Grathwohl - will send press release to NU Journal

8. Current Human Rights IssuesA case that was brought to court questioned whether unpaid interns were protected under the Minnesota Human Rights Act for hostile work environments. The act was modified to include unpaid interns.

9. Legislative UpdateNo report.

10. City Council LiaisonNo report.

11. Other Business

a. Panel on Race - New Ulm Forward. Sue Kimmel will be invited to an upcoming meeting to discuss progress and inform the commission.

b. Welcoming Communities will have a meeting on January 29, 2020 to discuss the results of a recent survey. Tim Frenning will forward the informational email.

c. Annual review of the Human Rights Commission’s Mission Statement was done with no additions.

12. Date of Next MeetingThe next meeting is scheduled for February 24, 2020 at 5:15 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

13. AdjournmentMotion to Adjourn: Sue HunstadSecond: Dan Kalk

Respectfully Submitted,Wendi Ringhofer

Page 3 of 42

2/18/2020 10:52:59 AM Page 1 of 2

Detail vs Budget ReportNew Ulm, MN Account Detail

Date Range: 01/01/2020 - 12/31/2020

Account Name Beginning Balance Total Activity Ending BalanceFiscal Budget Budget RemainingEncumbrances % Remaining

101 - GENERAL FUND

Expense

101-1000-355115 Human Rights Commission 8,750.000.000.000.008,750.000.00 100.00 %

Expense Totals: 0.00 8,750.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8,750.00 100.00 %

101 - GENERAL FUND Totals: 0.00 8,750.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8,750.00 100.00 %

Report Total: 0.00 8,750.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8,750.00 100.00 %

Page 4 of 42

CRITERIA FOR A HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD

The recipient of the New Ulm Human Rights Commission annual Human Rights award should be an individual activists, organizations or businesses in the New Ulm area that have worked toward social justice and the betterment of life for a protected class. A person or organization that has made a significant contribution to the preservation and advancement of Human Rights.

Human Rights are considered the fundamental rights that humans have by the fact of being human, and that are neither created nor can be abrogated by any government. These include cultural, economic, and political rights, such as right to life, liberty, education and equality before law, and right of association, belief, free speech, information, religion, movement, and nationality.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is the state agency within the Governor’s Cabinet responsible for enforcing the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The Human Rights Act is a state law prohibiting discrimination in Minnesota.

Every person in Minnesota is protected by the Human Rights Act because every person, based on their personal characteristics such as a person’s race or sex, belongs to one or more of the protected classes below:

Race Color Creed Religion National Origin Sex Marital Status Familial Status Disability Public Assistance Status Age Sexual Orientation Local Human Rights Commission Activity

Page 5 of 42

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/fundamental-rights.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/fact.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/education.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/law.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/association.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/information.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/nationality.html

http://mn.gov/mdhr/yourrights/mhra.html

From: George Glotzbach < newulmglg@gmail. com>

Sent: Friday, November 15, 2019 11: 30 AMTo: Lisa Pelzel < LisaP@newulmmn. gov>

Cc: Kathleen Backer < director@browncountyhistorymn. org>; Darla Gebhard

research@browncountyhistorymn. org>

Subject: [ External] Human Rights Award Nomination

TO: Human Rights Award Committee

FROM: George L. Glotzbach

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 507. 354. 2097

EMAIL ADDRESS: georglg@newulmtel. net

DATE: November 15, 2019

I NOMINATE: Brown County Historical Society ( BCHS)

BECAUSE: They have addressed two major Human Rights matters in New Ulm and Brown County: theU. S.- Dakota War of 1862 and the German / American problems here in1917 to 1920.

The BCHS is uniquely created and staffed to address Human Rights matters in New Ulm and all of BrownCounty. Its charter is outreach to the local area. Its staff is local people who can identify Human Rightsissues and know how to approach remedial action. Two cases in point. Both have made a realcontribution to knowledge of the issues surrounding these two events, and enable one to apply thatknowledge to seek Social Justice towards both the people involved then, and those who become awareof of these events now.

1 U. S. DAKOTA WAR OF 1862: NEVER SHALL WE FORGET

This BCHS exhibit focuses on the war as it impacted Brown County and New Ulm in particular.

Six exhibit sections, iconic graphics, eight iPod programs, 140 artifacts, and over 1, 000 touch screenphotographs and biographies collaborate to make the exhibit memorable. These offer the viewer an

understanding of the chronology of the action and tactics used by both sides and the psychologicalimpact of the war. Historians representing the Pioneers and Dakota assure balance in the interpretationof this event, which is arguably the most momentous in the historyof the State of Minnesota. This BCHS exhibit was mounted in 2013 and continues today withspecial programs such as battlefield tours, expert speakers, and childrens' stories.

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY AWARDED BCHS THE AWARD OF MERIT

for this exhibit. This 2013 award is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservationand interpretation of state and local history.

Page 6 of 42

2 LOYALTY AND DISSENT: BROWN COUNTY AND WORLD WAR 1

America' s entry into World War 1 led to one of the nations greatest tests of the First Amendment ( the

right to Free Speech) and its limits. It is set in a climate of suspicion about the loyalty of those who

dissented from the U. S. involvement in what they saw as a European conflict. In Brown County these

were not academic questions. They affected the lives of every citizen as they made decisions about

what these fundamental rights meant in everyday life. This 2017 exhibit tells the local story andnational implications of dissent to the Human Right to Free Speech. The BCHS received two awards for

this exhibit:

THE MINNESOTA HISTORY AWARD FROM THE ALLIANCE OF LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUMS.

This award seeks to nurture and encourage an appreciation of Minnesota' s history by providing a

structure to professionalism and excellence among local historical organizations. This exhibit tells the

local story of residents who were mostly first or second generation Germans facing the prospect ofbeing drafted into fighting a war against their Fatherland.

THE LEADERSHIP IN HISTORY AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE AND LOCAL

HISTORY. This award was presented at a special banquet in Kansas city, MO in September 2018. This

award is our nation' s most prestigious competition for recognition of achievement in state and localhistory.

Page 7 of 42

Alma B. Mari n

834 S. First Street South

New Ulm, MN 56073

507) 359-4611

507) 676-0901 ( cell)

almamarinl@hotmail. com

February 16, 2020

New Ulm Human Rights Commission

New Ulm City Hall100 BroadwayNew Ulm, MN 56073

Dear Sirs,

I would like to nominate New Ulm Forward as recipient of this year' s Human RightsAward.

This organization came into being in 2018 after members of the community participatedin joint programs with Mankato' s Diversity Council, after which they felt that issues ofrace and diversity needed to be addressed in New Ulm.

New Ulm Forward' s premise is that a healthy community must celebrate and promoteacceptance of diversity by recognizing and learning about the unique differences ofindividuals. Its mission is "... to encourage a healthy community by listening to eachother, learning from one another and providing a level of understanding so thatall people feel welcome in our community, workplaces and schools'

New Ulm Forward currently has 40 people on their roster, with 10- 15 active members. They gather monthly and on special friendship -building gatherings. Some of theiractivities have included:

1) New Ulm Forward Table at National Night Out — Which included children' s

activities and discussion of diversity with the general population. Attendees fill

out surveys which become goals for further activities.

2) Family Tables — Where they invite the community to meet for a potluck dinnerand talk and listen to each other, promoting community friendships. The belief isthat if members of the community are not intentionally including some people, weare probably excluding them. All are welcome at Family Table.

Page 8 of 42

3) Book Study - Books are chosen on a variety of topics related to race, diversity, ethnicity etc. and the community is invited for a discussion.

4) Outreach lectures - Members of the community speak about New Ulm Forward toarea organizations.

5) Forge friendships to promote their mission; inviting each other to their homes andto social events. On their Facebook page, they post information that informs andeducates people about other cultures, religions, ethnic traditions etc.

6) Provide resource information — helping people with questions about things likeinsurance, library operation, taxes, driving licenses, medical facilities etc.

7) New Ulm Forward partners with the Welcoming Communities Project - this is an

event which comprises New Ulm, Springfield and Sleepy Eye promoting diversityin our communities.

8) When our community struggles with diversity either through racial remarks oractions, or just forgetting our role to be welcoming to all, New Ulm Forwardactively promotes inclusion and diversity through face to face meetings, phonecalls or letter writing.

I would also like to mention that New Ulm Forward members called and sent emails to

Brown County Commissioners requesting their yes vote for accepting refugees in BrownCounty. Sue Kimmel, a spokesman for New Ulm Forward spoke at the commissionmeeting when deliberations were going on. The Commissioners vote was unanimous infavor of accepting refugees.

I feel that New Ulm Forward' s mission and goals are closely aligned to those of yourCommission and that it exemplifies an organization that promotes and works toward theImplementation of Human Rights. I hope you consider it for the New Ulm Human RightsAward.

Sincerely

Alma B. Marin- Millan

Page 9 of 42

TO: HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD COMMITTEE

From: Dan Kalk

Telephone Number: 612- 968-4111

Date: 11 / 22/ 2019

I nominate The League of Women Voters of New Ulm for the Human Rights Award

because:

The LWV of New Ulm lives their motto of empowering all voters, defending ourfundamental democratic process of voting. LWV of New Ulm holds regular q& asessions, as well as sponsors forums for candidate debates. They inform the City ofNew Ulm regarding polling place locations, voting laws, and how to spot voter

suppression. They are a true asset to this community.

February 15, 2000Page 10 of 42

Welcoming Communities Assessment: New Ulm, Minnesota

In partnership with:

Page 11 of 42

WELCOMING COMMUNITIES ASSESSMENT: NEW ULM

Partners/Sponsors: Kristian Braekkan, Region 9 Development Commission Julie Hawker, Region 9 Development Commission Bukata Hayes, Greater Mankato Diversity Council Kyle Hoffman, Region 9 Development Commission Neil Linscheid, Regional Extension Educator Tobias Spanier, Regional Extension Educator

Welcoming Communities Assessment: New Ulm, Minnesota January 27, 2020 Authored by: Scott Chazdon, Ph.D., Evaluation and Research Specialist Extension Center for Community Vitality Edited by: Elyse Paxton, Extension Center for Community Vitality

© 2019 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to 612-625-8233.

Printed on recycled and recyclable paper with at least 10 percent postconsumer waste material.

Page 12 of 42


Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 1

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS ......................................................................................... 2

Table 1. Completed assessments by community and sector 3 Table 2. Demographics of assessment participants 3

RESULTS ...................................................................................................................... 4

Awareness ............................................................................................................... 4

Table 3. Focus group comments about awareness of inclusion 4 Figure 1. Awareness of the importance of inclusion 6 Table 4. Survey comments about awareness 6

Engagement ............................................................................................................. 7

Table 5. Focus group comments about engagement 8 Figure 2. Engagement of diverse groups 9 Table 6. Survey comments about engagement 9

Resources .............................................................................................................. 10

Table 7. Focus group comments about resources 10 Figure 3. Resources to address inclusion 12 Table 8. Survey comments about resources 13

Leadership energy ................................................................................................. 13

Table 9. Focus group comments about leadership energy 14 Figure 4. Leadership energy to promote inclusion 15 Table 10. Survey comments about leadership energy 15

Sharing power ....................................................................................................... 16

Table 11. Focus group comments about sharing power 16 Figure 5. Sharing power in planning and decision making 17 Table 12. Survey comments about sharing power 17

Policies and practices ............................................................................................. 18

Table 13. Focus group comments about policies and practices 19 Figure 6. Policies and practices to promote inclusion 20 Table 14. Survey comments about policies and practices 20

DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................. 21

Table 15. Inclusion progress for each sector and dimension 21 Figure 7. Comparison of responses from white respondents and respondents of color 22

WORKING DEFINITIONS OF TERMS............................................................................ 23

Page 13 of 42

Page 14 of 42


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In November 2019, participants from New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, and Springfield, Minnesota participated in the Welcoming Communities Assessment to document community strengths and weaknesses related to diversity and inclusion efforts. We defined inclusion as efforts to unite people and remove barriers to equal opportunity and responsibility in community and life. While our focus for this project was on inclusion based on race or immigrant status, we did not exclusively focus on race, because race intersects with other ways of excluding based on gender, disability status, income/class, religion, or sexual preference/identity. Each assessment examined six aspects of inclusion in seven sectors of community life. New Ulm residents completed 65 assessments. Some participants may have completed assessments for more than one sector.

The table below provides an overview of New Ulm’s progress across sectors and dimensions of inclusion based on numeric responses from the assessment survey. The following report also includes responses from focus group discussions and open-ended questions included in the assessment survey. Green cells in the table indicate dimensions in which the sector is making moderate progress on inclusion. Light green and yellow cells indicate slight to moderate progress, and the red cells indicate no to slight progress.

The table shows the progress made in each dimension of inclusion for a specific sector of the community. For example, the health care system appears to be on the leading edge of inclusion efforts in New Ulm.

Additionally, the table provides insight into which sectors of the community are leading or lagging in particular dimensions of inclusion. While most sectors of the community are at least slightly aware of the importance of inclusion, fewer sectors have changed policies and practices to promote inclusion in a systematic manner.

Inclusion progress for each sector and dimension

Awareness Engagement Resources Leadership

energy Sharing power

Policies and

practices Health care system 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 3.1 Law enforcement 3.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 School system 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.1 Religious organizations 2.5 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.4 Business or Chamber 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.1 1.8 Non-profit organizations 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.8 2.0 Local government 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.5

Legend:Moderate progress

(3.0 or higher)Slight to moderate

progress (2.5 to 2.9)Slight progress (2.0 to

2.4)No to slight progress

(1.9 or lower)

Page 15 of 42

Page 16 of 42

WELCOMING COMMUNITIES ASSESSMENT: NEW ULM 1

BACKGROUND

The Welcoming Communities Project is a diversity and inclusion initiative led by the Region Nine Development Commission, the Greater Mankato Diversity Council, and the Extension Center for Community Vitality, with funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. The Project grew out of an earlier initiative known as the Rural Equity Learning Community, in which five southern Minnesota communities participated in a regional cohort program to share, examine and explore inclusive best practices through education and relationship-building. The intent of the initiative was to facilitate capacity for local community action. Stakeholders convened to explore a shared interest in cultivating a more welcoming and inclusive community. Participants included: school district leaders, teachers and school board members, elected officials, city leaders and council members, business owners, public health and clinic staff, immigrant and refugee leaders, service providers, library services, parents, chamber representatives, faith community leaders, retired community members, and others.

In spring 2019, several participants from the Rural Equity Learning Community conducted further work with the Extension Center for Community Vitality to develop a user-friendly ‘community readiness assessment” geared toward rural and small communities to prioritize the dimensions of readiness most crucial for rural equity and inclusion efforts. Community readiness is defined as the degree to which a community is ready to take action on an issue. An important goal of the readiness assessment was user-friendliness. A desire existed among the workgroup to create a process that would quickly and efficiently provide constructive information about inclusion while being respectful of community members’ busy lives.

We defined inclusion as efforts to unite people and remove barriers to equal opportunity and responsibility in community and life. While our focus for this project was on inclusion based on race or immigrant status, we did not exclusively focus on race, because race intersects with other ways of excluding based on gender, disability status, income/class, religion, or sexual preference/identity.

After a review of several examples of community readiness assessments, the workgroup created one assessment that focused on six dimensions of inclusion:

1. Awareness of the importance of inclusion

2. Engagement of diverse groups in community activities

3. Resources to address inclusion

4. Leadership energy to promote inclusion

5. Sharing power in planning and decision-making

6. Policies and practices that promote inclusion

Page 17 of 42


An innovative aspect of the assessment is its focus on the following seven sectors of community life:

1. The school system

2. The health care system

3. Law enforcement

4. Non-profit organizations

5. Business community

6. Local government

7. Religious organizations

A deeper understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion in each of these sectors provides actionable information regarding which dimensions and sectors are leading — or lagging — in their adaptation to change. Lessons learned in one sector can be applied to other sectors, but only if there is knowledge and intention to do so.

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The community readiness assessment, renamed the welcoming communities assessment, was conducted as a focus group discussion process. During a two-hour session, held on November 5, 2019 in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, participants from three communities — New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, and Springfield — were provided with an overview of the evening and then split into seven discussion groups based on the seven sectors of the community.

Each group then went through the assessment process, which took about an hour. It included open-ended discussion questions, as well as survey questions that participants were asked to complete in a booklet format. The booklets were customized for each of the seven sectors. While participants in each focus group represented each of the three communities, the survey booklet captured information only about the individual respondent’s community.

Sixty-five participants from the three communities completed the assessment on November 5. Between November 5 - January 10, other community members were invited to complete the assessments online. In total, 223 assessments were completed, with 66 completed for New Ulm (some participants may have completed assessments for more than one sector). Table 1 shows the number of completed assessments by both community and sector.

Page 18 of 42


Table 1. Completed assessments by community and sector

Sector All

communities New Ulm Sleepy Eye Springfield School system 82 21 34 27

Health care 29 6 7 16

Law enforcement 24 5 11 8

Local government 20 9 5 6

Non-profit organizations 22 10 6 6

Religious organizations 23 10 5 8

Business community 23 5 11 7

Total 223 66 79 78

Table 2 displays the demographic breakdown of those who completed assessment surveys. Individuals may have completed surveys for more than one sector. Each community’s response had a much higher proportion of women than men. The racial/ethnic backgrounds of survey respondents were mostly in line with the overall proportions of each racial/ethnic group in each community. In New Ulm, however, none of the respondents were Hispanic or Latino, and Hispanics comprise 4 percent of the city population. In terms of length of residence, respondents tended to be long-term residents. The average length of residence was more than twenty years, with New Ulm having the lowest average length of residence among the three communities.

Table 2. Demographics of assessment participants New Ulm Sleepy Eye Springfield

Gender

Male 30% 28% 25%

Female 69% 70% 74%

Race/ethnicity (people could mark all that apply, percents in parenthesis are population comparisons from the 2017 American Community Survey)

American Indian 0% (<1%) 0% (<1%) 5% (1%)

Asian American 2% (1%) 2% (<1%) 0% (1%)

Black or African American 6% (<1%) 0% (<1%) 0% (<1%)

Hispanic or Latino 0% (4%) 14% (12%) 2% (3%)

White 93% (96%) 84% (91%) 98% (96%)

Average length of residence (years) 20 27 31

Page 19 of 42


RESULTS

The findings below are organized according to the six dimensions of inclusion, with comparisons among the seven sectors of the community for each dimension. Each of the dimensions of inclusion was measured with three questions using a scale of 1=not at all, 2=to a slight extent, 3=to a moderate extent, and 4=to a great extent. Both the focus group discussions and survey included an option for people to describe their community’s progress regarding each dimension. Some of these open-ended comments are included next to each dimension.

Awareness The group discussion question about awareness asked about the ways each sector has shown awareness of the importance of inclusion, and looking forward, what more each sector can do to increase its awareness of inclusion.

In response to this question, focus group participants shared the following thoughts:

Table 3. Focus group comments about awareness of inclusion

School system • Need more teacher training about inclusion, including training for working with children with disabilities.

• To promote awareness, people need to experience what it is like being excluded.

• Have more everyday conversations about inclusion, and engage young people.

• Add a student commissioner on New Ulm Human Rights Commission.

• Get high schoolers engaged with the EDA — Northfield has high school students on all types of community boards.

• Have to get inclusion efforts outside the walls of the school.

Health care system • Rules and regulations re: inclusion, but are they effective? • Need to diversify workforce. • Public health has a strong focus on racial equity, but when

government leads things it doesn’t always go well — government can convene but not necessarily lead.

Religious organizations • LGBT people have not been able to find a church home.

• Catholic churches tend to be more inclusive.

Law enforcement • Law enforcement needs to communicate to new residents about when it's appropriate to argue being pulled over.

• Law enforcement officers encounter people in less than ideal situations.

Page 20 of 42


• Coffee with Cops program in New Ulm is a good model. If a person calls and requests it, a police officer will bring coffee to their location and visit with them.

Local government • Need to diversify workforce in local government

• The New Ulm Human Rights Commission was mentioned several times as a reliable and helpful partner in expanding engagement with new groups and people in New Ulm

• Job retention — work with business owners

• More everyday conversations about inclusion, and need to engage young people

• Add student commissioner on New Ulm Human Rights Commission

• Get high schoolers engaged with the EDA — Northfield has high school students on all types of community boards

• Have to get inclusion efforts outside the walls of the school

The assessment survey had three statements to measure awareness:

• [Sector] is aware of the need for inclusion efforts. • [Sector] provides opportunities for training about new cultures. • There are opportunities in [sector] for long-term and new residents to come

together and learn from each other.

Participants responded to each statement using a scale of 1=not at all, 2=to a slight extent, 3=to a moderate extent, and 4=to a great extent.

Figure 1 displays the results for each sector in New Ulm. The strongest awareness of inclusion efforts was in health care and law enforcement, with average responses of 3, a moderate level of awareness. There was less awareness reported for business, non-profit organizations, and local government.

Page 21 of 42


Figure 1. Awareness of the importance of inclusion Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

Table 4 below lists the comments made by individual survey respondents from New Ulm about awareness in each sector of the community. There were no comments about awareness in the health care sector.

Table 4. Survey comments about awareness

Law enforcement • In New Ulm, the law enforcement are friendly so it makes people [feel] safe and encourages them to come closer to them for help.

• New Ulm could use more training opportunities regarding diversity and cultures.

• Even though there isn't much ethnic diversity in New Ulm, they have done a great job at addressing other issues like mental health.

School system • Awareness by administration is increasing.

Religious organization • Different church groups differ on this point. Some [are] more aware, others don't care much.

• More of individual people responding not a "program"

• The religious community is the place where I see the most opportunity in New Ulm to do work around racial justice. It's just a matter of getting people to talk to one another and to collaborate.

• The religious organizations in my community may reflect different "purposes" - some my be there to serve a certain segment and are less likely to look for ways to serve others

3.0 3.0

2.6 2.52.3 2.2

1.9

Health caresystem

Lawenforcement

School system Religiousorganizations

Business orChamber

Non-profitorganizations

Localgovernment

Page 22 of 42


with "programs" their purpose is to serve their congregation on spiritual issues - this isn't a criticism.

Business • Business is aware of problems approaching as white/middle class person instead of looking at it in their shoes.

• I think there is [an] opportunity to do much better.

Non-profit organizations • Need to be very intentional about recruiting board members.

• Actively develop/solicit grant applications that will serve a diverse population.

• Non-profits/orgs need to offer networking events in a mingling/high table layout. Tables - people gravitate toward tables and people they know (chamber event).

• Need to advertise online/social media on how to join their orgs. Difficult for people to find info when they're new to a community.

• There are a lot of organizations where people can interact however all the participants are homogeneous.

• We need to break down some of the boundaries to get inclusion. I think we talk about it, but we are less active at doing it and creating it.

Local government • Being inclusive is necessary for economic growth. But who leads this effort? Is that the local gov't role?

• Needs to be a topic frequently brought up. Sometimes it is hard to think differently when always doing the same thing.

• New Ulm human rights commission yard signs.

• Other than the HRC signs, New Ulm local government hasn't really addressed this issue.

• There is very little awareness of culture in New Ulm unless it involves German culture or drinking beer. Any effort to bring any sort of awareness or education into the community is met with resistance.

Engagement The group discussion question on engagement asked about the ways each sector most successfully engages diverse groups in community activities, how each sector addresses barriers to participation in activities (barriers such as language, child care, transportation, meeting times), and looking forward, what each sector can do to promote participation.


Page 23 of 42


Table 5. Focus group comments about engagement

School system • Use United Way funds to pay activities fees.

• Developed Booster Club.

• Get information at orientation.

• Early Childhood provides programs little or no fee, provides daycare.

• Liaison in Sleepy Eye is helpful.

• More people need to walk alongside to mentor folks through the process.

• Staff need to be educated on what other services and resources are available.

• Paid position as school/community liaison.

Health care system • Constantly working on engagement, but financial challenges, etc.

• Better at being reactive, not proactive.

Business community • Sharing information on community issues.

• Have businesses partner to work on better inclusion.

Religious organizations • MLC college trying hard -- MOU with inner city schools for services and cross-cultural learning community. MLK day for that purpose, workshops, sessions.

• Trouble with retention because of a lack of amenities for people of color.

• People are afraid to start a business.

• Comfrey home schooled families in town. Grocery store has Hispanic section.

• Deliver meals through church, Spanish to English classes and lunch to practice English.

Law enforcement • Coffee with Cops is a program that's been going on in New Ulm. If a person calls and requests it, a police officer will bring coffee to their location and visit with them. Sleepy Eye was interested in doing something similar.

Local government • Boards and commissions need to reach out to find people from different populations.

• Advertise more and better.

• When doing surveys, go out to low income parts of town, offer meals at convenings, be more intentional.

• Tendency to things the way they’ve always been done. It takes less effort.

• How are we identifying leadership ability? We need diverse representation on boards.

Page 24 of 42


The assessment survey had three statements to measure engagement:

• Community members, including immigrants and people of color, participate in broader [sector] activities.

• [Sector] leaders actively seek information about the needs of immigrants or people of color in the community.

• [Sector] uses a wide range of methods to inform everyone about activities.


Figure 2 displays the results for each sector in New Ulm. Overall, perceptions of engagement were weaker than perceptions of awareness. The strongest reported engagement with diverse groups in New Ulm was in health care, followed by the business community and schools. Responses for the four other sectors averaged around 2, a slight extent.

Figure 2. Engagement of diverse groups Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

Table 6 below lists the comments made by individual survey respondents about engagement in each sector of the community. There were no comments about awareness in the health care system or the school system.

Table 6. Survey comments about engagement

Law enforcement • Attempt to be visible and "engage.” Example: city festival presence etc. However, this doesn't mean connecting with diverse populations.

Religious organization • Again - mostly one on one opportunities.

2.92.5 2.5

2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9

Health caresystem

Business orChamber

School system Non-profitorganizations

Lawenforcement

Religiousorganizations

Localgovernment

Page 25 of 42


• Some religious organizations do. Some probably not so much.

Business • New Ulm Community Calendar.

• Not sure I see enough adjusting to community preference. Do things on business time.

Non-profit organizations • Get community (audience) input and feedback. Be open to doing things differently.

• New Ulm advertises everything the same way on Facebook or in the journal. Facebook is okay if you know to be a member of that page. Otherwise if you have not liked the page, you will not know they are having an event. Therefore, it is hard to get new people.

• Asking what people really want and need. Change to give the services people really want and need.

• Sometimes funding can play a role translation service cost money.

Local government • Pretty standard. Same as it was for years. Except the technology has made it easier.

• New Ulm human rights commission participating in parades, Brown City Fair, National night out.

• New Ulm could utilize the community access channel to engage the wider community. The mayor could appoint diverse groups to boards and commissions.

Resources The group discussion question about resources asked about the resources (time, money) in each sector to address inclusion, and looking forward, what each sector can do to access resources.


Table 7. Focus group comments about resources

School system • Backpack program.

• Kit for couch surfers/homeless kids.

• School store with clothing.

• District in Sleepy Eye doesn’t chart for milk.

• Liaison at Sleepy Eye.

• Crisis nursery in New Ulm.

• Free pre-school program for qualified (scholarships).

Page 26 of 42


• Applied for grants — received $ for inclusion work (FFA in Sleepy Eye).

• Homeless program in New Ulm.

• Need to keep applying for grants.

Health care system • Greater Minnesota forgotten, metro-centric. • Need to broaden scope and outreach.

Business community • Have the business community cooperate for ESL.

• Inclusion should include multiple languages from businesses.

• Barrier for disabled people in downtown businesses.

• Availability of transportation for low-income people is lacking.

• Need to include child care at events and businesses.

• Need for financial education in Spanish.

• Make awareness of language translator availability.

Non-profit organizations • United Way funds used to help youth, ECFE fees little to no cost.

• Paid liaison staff person in Sleepy Eye.

• Food bags on Fridays.

• Clothing boutique — clothes, personal care products.

• Free milk program.

• Preschool scholarships.

• Sought grants for money for birthday party packs.

Religious organizations • New Ulm has more information resources.

• Schools have more resources because they have a strong incentive to do this work. Churches don’t have the same incentive.

• Programs for ethnic meals.

• Thrivent 250 team cards are a resource.

• Immersion trips to learn to know/respect other cultures.

Law enforcement • It wasn't a surprise to anyone that the law enforcement in both communities was composed of white males. The law enforcement representatives see that issue and would like to have more diversity on their police force. However, they suggested that two issues were barriers to this: 1.) the private cost of law enforcement training and licensing, 2.) the more general labor shortages in rural Minnesota. One comment was: "we would like to hire someone other than a white male, but that's who has applied for our openings."

Page 27 of 42


Local government • We have limited people to get their regular work done — outreach is above and beyond our regular work and it takes extra time.

• We need to leverage community spaces more.

• Human Rights Commission (New Ulm) budget is increasing each year.

• Be intentional about recognizing groups — assign liaisons — make it part of people’s job description.

• Have a “teach to fish” mentality rather than just addressing the situation of the moment.

• Do we really know what populations of color we have?

The assessment had three statements to measure resources:

• [Sector] accesses resources from inside as well as outside the community to support inclusion efforts.

• There are strategic or action plans in place to address inclusion in [sector].

• The [sector] budget commits financial resources to the values of inclusion.


Figure 3 displays the results for each sector in New Ulm. The health care sector was perceived to have the most resources to address inclusion, followed by the schools. For the remaining sectors, there was a perception that resources were relatively scarce for addressing inclusion.

Figure 3. Resources to address inclusion Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

2.8

2.42.2

2.11.9

1.8 1.7

Health caresystem

School system Business orChamber


Lawenforcement


Localgovernment

Page 28 of 42


Table 8 lists the comments made by individual survey respondents about resources in each sector of the community to address inclusion. There were no comments about resources in the health care system or law enforcement.

Table 8. Survey comments about resources

School system • Sleepy eye more so than the others.

Religious organization • All these questions are difficult in my impression of the religious organization I am primarily with in New Ulm. We attend church in North Mankato where there is a purposeful try to [reach] Somali families in our immediate area that is seeing some results in my opinion.

Business • Education on language barriers and importance in locate industry.

• Options for learning 2nd languages.

• Community resources for interpreters.

Non-profit organizations • Develop better ability to advocate for change, in a positive and professional manner.

• New Ulm toward us addressing inclusion issues in the community otherwise not aware of any other non-profit orgs.

• I don't know what current non-profits are doing to allocate resources to minorities. In New Ulm, I do not think there is a specific effort to include people of color in the general everyday non-profits around.

• This is always pushed to the bottom of the budget for most non-profits, as money and other resources are tight.

Local government • Really, it's up to local individuals. I don't see this as a priority for local gov't in my community.

• Increasing budget to spend on resources. Taking the time to include everyone.

• New Ulm could apply for grants to help get the resources needed to fund this effort.

Leadership energy The group discussion question for leadership energy asked about leadership in each sector, the role of leadership in promoting inclusion, and looking forward, what each sector can do to strengthen inclusive leadership.


Page 29 of 42


Table 9. Focus group comments about leadership energy

School system • New Ulm staff very involved with the conversation on race (Bukata).

• Complete the World’s Best Workforce.

• If you can hire diverse individuals for staff positions.

• Provide leadership to community about the value of diversity and inclusion.

• Not a lot of tools, resources, energy coming from community for inclusion.

• Without conflicts in school, the issues of diversity and inclusion doesn’t come up.

Health care system • Major lack of diversity in leadership, on boards, etc.

Religious organizations • Try to bring in new ideas.

• One member said clergy don’t talk about it, but individuals want inclusion.

• Sudanese sign in their language and help write songs in their melodies.

• Church sister went to Kenya where they swapped houses

Local government • New energy is needed — many leaders are comfortable with their work and they might not have confidence to move outside their comfort zone

• Many older people want the community of the 1950s back and can’t cope with change. This isn’t really true about our community leaders though.

• Hard to get people to understand the difference between equality and equity.

• Really need change beyond individuals, need a change in guiding organizational culture

The assessment had three statements to measure leadership energy:

• [Sector] leaders understand the importance of inclusion in [sector].

• [Sector] leaders are willing to look outside of [sector] for new ideas and ways to promote inclusion and equity.

• [Sector] leaders encourage the development and support of future leaders of color.


Page 30 of 42


Figure 4 displays the results for each sector in New Ulm. The health care sector was perceived to have the most leadership energy to address inclusion, followed by the schools. For the remaining sectors, there was a perception that leadership energy to promote inclusion was relatively weak.

Figure 4. Leadership energy to promote inclusion Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

Table 10 lists comments made by individual survey respondents about leadership energy in each sector of the community. There were no comments about resources in the health care system, school system, or religious organizations.

Table 10. Survey comments about leadership energy

Law enforcement • Some people may like to go into law enforcement school but lack the finance.

• Not enough diversity in law enforcement. This is connected to labor shortage.

Business • I would say struggling to draw in interest.

Non-profit organizations • Need to develop more leaders/potential leaders. This is not a quick fix, it requires time to gain experience. Strive to get diverse group entered into leadership development programs.

• As people of color should be asked intentionally to be in leadership.

• Equal is not always equitable.

• Bridging Brown county offers leadership training and now chosen to include cultural training.

Local government • Again, this isn't valued or a value so it's hard to lead a change that isn't seen with benefit.

2.8

2.42.2 2.1

1.91.8 1.7

Health caresystem



Lawenforcement


Localgovernment

Page 31 of 42


• New Ulm could look into providing training for city leadership to educate on this topic.

Sharing power The group discussion question for sharing power asked about efforts to include all residents in planning and decision making in each sector, and what each sector can do to ensure that all residents are included in planning and decision making.


Table 11. Focus group comments about sharing power

School system • Parents allowed to be involved with various committees

• Trust with school liaison

• School Board Advisory committee

• Strategic planning effort

• New Ulm struggles with getting any diversity involved. Lacks diversity period.

• Lots of surveys asking parents for feedback.

• School board representative person of color

• In New Ulm, provide staff member who could make the connections with people of color.

• Potentially ask for ethnic/race classification on surveys to know if we are getting input.

Health care system • Always the same folks at the table — how do we broaden the net?

• Need for more focused outreach.

Religious organizations • Include many houses of faith into activities.

• The churches need to personally invite. They need to listen instead of talking.

• People are afraid of losing control. The congregation is feeling the call, provides for needs and are welcoming but not necessarily the clergy.

Local government • For public hearings, getting word out is huge.

• Getting real input means slowing things down, but it is better to slow things down.

• Many people don’t communicate or engage — a silent majority — and you can’t assume you know what they are thinking.

• People don’t want to talk or speak up, but they might respond to text messages or email.

Page 32 of 42


• Media is important, but not everybody gets the newspaper, so other outlets are important.

• Nixle — text messaging service is great, but have to be careful about overuse.

The assessment had three statements to measure sharing power:

• [Sector] has authentic relationships with organizations representing people of color to provide input into programs and advocacy.

• The leadership of [sector] reflects the demographics of the broader community.

• [Sector] actively creates opportunities for immigrants or people of color to become decision makers.

Participants were asked to respond to each statement using a scale of 1=not at all, 2=to a slight extent, 3=to a moderate extent, and 4=to a great extent.

Figure 5 displays the results for each sector in New Ulm. The health care sector was perceived to have the most capacity to share power. For the remaining sectors, there was a perception that sharing power in planning and decision making was relatively weak.

Figure 5. Sharing power in planning and decision making Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

Table 12 lists the comments made by individual survey respondents about sharing power in each sector of the community. There were no comments about resources in the health care system or school system.

Table 12. Survey comments about sharing power

2.8

2.1 2.11.9 1.8 1.8

1.5

Health caresystem


Lawenforcement



Localgovernment

Page 33 of 42


Law enforcement • We are trying to share power. Sometimes difficult to find populations.

Religious organizations • Make sure the decision making groups are as diverse as possible. May need to aggressively recruit in order to get this.

• I don't think people are being intentional about inclusion because I don't think they see the need. People need to feel that their ideas matter. If no one considers their ideas then they won't give it.

• Users need to be included in all the levels of decision making.

• Woman?

• We need to collect more data and train people how to effectively collect data.

Business • Never realized how much was happening until my current job informed me.

• We could do better by inviting requests for business desired or that they travel to find. What takes people out of community?

Non-profit organizations • Make sure the decision making groups are as diverse as possible. May need to aggressively recruit in order to get this.

• Users need to be included in all the levels of decision making.

• Woman?

• We need to collect more data and train people how to effectively collect data.

Local government • This hasn't really hit the community yet, as far as local government, but it's coming.

• Efforts are made: stakeholder, meetings, public hearings, community surveys but people so often don't put together how. Can this be improved?

Policies and practices The group discussion question about policies and practices asked about policies or practices in each sector that help or hinder inclusion efforts, and what each sector can do to make policies and practices more inclusive.


Page 34 of 42


Table 13. Focus group comments about policies and practices

School system • Policy comes from MN Department of Education and state school board.

• New Ulm has three different school systems, one public and two private.

Health care system • Workforce shortage limiting inclusion efforts.

Business community • Need for the sharing of policies between businesses involving diversity and inclusion.

• Have policy options for floating holidays and leaves of absence.

Religious organizations • It has gotten better because now women are more involved.

• Policies hinder inclusion

• Dream: churches work with EDA to bring in potential hires and have them live in their homes.

• Don’t want inclusion to be a means of compromise.

Law enforcement • Some of the discussion involved answering questions for the new resident about when it's appropriate to argue being pulled over.

• Another topic was that law enforcement doesn't get to choose which calls to answer. Meaning law enforcement officers encounter people in less than ideal situations frequently.

• Coffee with Cops is a program that's been going on in New Ulm. If a person calls and requests it, a police officer will bring coffee to their location and visit with them. Sleepy Eye was interested in doing something similar.

Local government • How do we work equity into street cart policy.

• Hoops of business licensure — bureaucracy is hard for everyone, but especially hard for people who weren’t born and raised here.

• Oktoberfest — it was opened up to Food Trucks — had more options than the German plate!

• Concern that inclusion/equity work would be perceived as partisan. National politics and divides have crept in to local politics.

• There is a huge need for bilingual people in local government — we’ve learned that many immigrants did not have a GED or diploma which prevented them from applying to government jobs where this was a requirement. Some counties are removing this requirement for health workers.

Page 35 of 42


The assessment had three statements to measure policies and practices:

• [Sector] uses an equity lens or inclusion-related questions when developing policies and practices.

• [Sector] has benchmarks around leadership development and retention of people of color.

• [Sector] regularly assesses the impact of its policies or practices on immigrants or people of color.


Figure 6 displays the results for each sector in New Ulm. The health care sector was perceived to have a moderate level of policies and practices to promote inclusion. For the remaining sectors, there was a perception that policies and practices were not addressing inclusion as strongly.

Figure 6. Policies and practices to promote inclusion Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

Table 14 lists the comments made by individual survey respondents from New Ulm about policies and practices to promote inclusion in each sector of the community. There were comments only about non-profit organizations and local government.

Table 14. Survey comments about policies and practices

Non-profit organizations • Develop policies that force development of inclusive environment. Term limits, etc.

• They can ask more people of color to be a part of making the policies or ask them what they think of the policies.

• If we do not change and open up to recruit more diverse people - we will not grow.

• Term limits, change the policies.

3.1

2.1 2.0 2.01.8

1.5 1.4

Health caresystem

School system Lawenforcement


Business orChamber

Localgovernment


Page 36 of 42


Local government • Government policies should be equal to all. Are inclusive languages/verbage needed — or are the policies just need to be simplified.

DISCUSSION

Table 15 provides an overview of New Ulm’s progress across sectors and dimensions of inclusion based on numeric responses from the assessment survey. Green cells indicate dimensions in which the sector is making moderate progress on inclusion. Light green and yellow cells indicate slight to moderate progress and the red cells indicate no to slight progress.

It is useful to read the table both across and down the rows. Reading across, the table shows the progress made in each dimension of inclusion for a specific sector of the community. The health care system appears to be on the leading edge of inclusion efforts in New Ulm. Law enforcement was perceived to be moderately aware of the importance of inclusion, but weaker on all the other dimensions. This pattern was similar for religious organizations. Local government was reported as making no to slight progress across all the dimensions of inclusion.

Reading down the table provides insight into which sectors of the community are leading or lagging in particular dimensions of inclusion. Several sectors of the community were reported to have at least slight awareness of the importance of inclusion, with the school system having the most. In terms of engagement, all sectors of the community were reported to be fairly engaged with diverse groups, with the exception of local government.

Table 15. Inclusion progress for each sector and dimension

Awareness Engagement Resources Leadership

energy Sharing power

Policies and

practices Health care system 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 3.1 Law enforcement 3.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 School system 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.1 Religious organizations 2.5 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.4 Business or Chamber 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.1 1.8 Non-profit organizations 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.8 2.0 Local government 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.5

Legend:

Moderate progress (3.0 or higher)

Slight to moderate

progress (2.5 to 2.9

Slight progress (2.0

to 2.4)

No to slight progress (1.9

or lower)

Page 37 of 42


It is also important to note if there were differences in responses based on the respondents’ race or ethnicity. Across all three communities and sectors, 178 respondents reported their race or ethnicity. One hundred sixty responses were from white people and 18 were from people of color. Figure 7 compares the average responses of whites and people of color regarding the six dimensions of inclusion. While averages were higher for whites than those of color, this difference only reached statistical significance for leadership energy and sharing power. This is likely because of the relatively small number of responses from people of color. Given this assumption, it is worth noting that perceptions of inclusion among people of color were not as positive as those of white respondents when considering the overall findings from New Ulm.

Figure 7. Comparison of responses from white respondents and respondents of color Average responses on a scale of 1=not at all, 2=slight extent, 3=moderate extent, 4=great extent

This assessment is intended to encourage discussion about strategies for moving forward with inclusion efforts in New Ulm. Below are a few discussion questions to think about to guide the conversation.

• What surprises you in this report, and why? • What’s missing in this assessment of inclusion in New Ulm? • What are you noticing with regard to your strengths as a community? • What areas need improvement? • Where do you think New Ulm can make the biggest impact in inclusion efforts?

2.7 2.6 2.5

2.9

2.3 2.32.5

2.3 2.3 2.2

1.8 1.8

AWARENESS ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES LEADERSHIP ENERGY*

SHARING POWER*

POLICIES AND PRACTICES

White respondents Respondents of color *p<.05

Page 38 of 42


WORKING DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Below are our working definitions of terms shared during the Welcoming Communities Assessment.

Inclusion. Creating spaces to grow as individuals, sectors, and community through sharing, learning, collaboration and action to unite people and remove barriers to equal opportunity and responsibility in community and life. While our focus for this project is on inclusion based on race or immigrant status, we are not exclusively focusing on race, because we know that race intersects with other ways of excluding based on gender, disability status, income/class, religion, or sexual preference/identity.

Equality. Treating everyone the same. Seems like a great idea, but it only works if everyone started out at the same place.

Equity. Ensuring that everyone has what they need to be successful -- that there are policies, practices, and procedures in place to promote equitable outcomes.

Racism. We aren’t just talking about individual acts of bigotry, we are talking about policies and practices that allow inequity. Sometimes we aren’t aware that policies or practices can promote inequity.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

Please send a message to Scott Chazdon, evaluation and research specialist, at [email protected].

Page 39 of 42

mailto:[email protected]


Page 40 of 42

1 Welcoming Communitites Project – Overview & Application Form 012820.doc

Welcoming Communities Project - 2020PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The purpose of the Welcoming Communities Project is to provide a platform for equity and inclusion learning through hands-on activities with stakeholders, subject matter experts and community members. The monthly cohort will provide a framework for communities to build relationships, learn inclusive community practices, tools, and skills based on outcomes gathered through a community-wide assessment. Sessions will be facilitated in partnership with the Greater Mankato Diversity Council, the U of MN Extension Center for Community Vitality, and the Region Nine Development Commission. Potential themes include:

Leadership for Equity and Inclusion Understanding Bias, Race and Cultural

Competency Small Town Economics Engaging the Community

Small Community Dynamics Creating a Welcoming Community Community Stewardship Community Visioning: What's Possible?

COST: It’s free! The program is brought to you through the Blue Cross Blue Shield - Healthy Connections grant.

PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES: Sleepy Eye, Springfield, New Ulm, and other communities in the Brown county. Interpreters available, on request.

LOCATION: Sleepy Eye Event Center 110 12th Ave NE, Sleepy Eye, MN 56085

MEETING SCHEDULE: 5:30 – 9:00 p.m. 2nd or 4th Thursday of the month. (2nd Thursday alternate date in case of inclement weather). Cancellation – mirror school closings.

Thursday, February 27Thursday, March 12 or 26 Thursday, April 9 or 23

Thursday, May 14 or 28(summer break/community project)Thursday, September 10 or 24

WHO CAN APPLY? Individuals may submit an application form for themselves or someone else Applicants should be residents or employees of Brown County Apply today! There is limited seating for each community group with a waiting listing

APPLICANT COMMITTMENT Participants will be expected to attend all sessions. Assignments outside of class sessions may be required Participants must be motivated and committed to serve the community Participants are committed to participating in and/or leading further equity and inclusion efforts in their local

community upon completion of eight sessions

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 17, 2020

SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO: Online: https://www.rndc.org/welcoming-communities-2020-application/ In person: Local Chamber of Commerce office in New Ulm, Sleepy Eye, and Springfield By email: [email protected] (Subject: WC Application) QUESTIONS: Julie Hawker (507) 469-4552

Page 41 of 42

https://www.rndc.org/welcoming-communities-2020-application/

mailto:[email protected]

2 Welcoming Communitites Project – Overview & Application Form 012820.doc

APPLICATION FORM

First Name: __________________________________ Last Name: _________________________________

Address: _____________________________________ City: ________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________ Email: ______________________________________

Eligible Community: New Ulm Sleepy Eye Springfield Other: ___________________

Community Affiliation: Community Resident Work in the Community

The questions in this section are optional. Answers will be kept confidential.

Gender: ____________________________

Age Group: 18-25yrs 26-35yrs 36-45yrs 46-55yrs 56-65yrs 66+yrs

Race/Ethnicity: White African American/Black Hispanic/Latino Pacific Islander Asian Native American Other: ______________________

Other identities that describe you:

Why would you like to participate in the Rural Equity Learning Community? (required)

QUESTIONS: Julie Hawker (507) 469-4552 (Welcoming Communities Coordinator)

Page 42 of 42

Documents

Human Rights Commission Meeting - CivicWeb