The Minnesota Urban Debate League is an independent program of Augsburg University. We serve over 1,200 students and provide academic debate programming to 40+ Twin Cities high school and middle schools. Two of our programs are designed to specifically address the needs of immigrant communities in Minnesota: The Spanish Debate League and the East African Debate Initiative. Both programs build students’ positive cultural identity while sharpening their academic skills.
The DIAL will collaborate with Hmong artist Tou SaiKo Lee to develop “Ntiajteb Koomtes” (“Unified Worldwide” in English) – a Hmong language program based on Hmong traditional music infused with poetry and hip hop. Project activities include piloting the curriculum, developing media, and evaluating and revising the curriculum through feedback from students, teachers and linguists.
Our project will expand our successful storytelling program to 1) offer more pathways for community engagement with Southeast Asian diaspora stories and cultural arts; 2) increase the number of people we are able to engage through our storytelling program; 3) increase public dialog and engagement with Southeast Asian stories and cultural arts. Our work will bring Southeast Asian diaspora communities together to share cultural arts and stories and to increase accessibility of community stories.
The Dakota Language Project, under the guidance of our dedicated Language Instructor, Mr. Barry Hand, represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to preserve and revitalize our Dakota language. At its core, this project is designed to expand upon the successes we've achieved in language preservation. Our primary focus is cultivating the next generation of Dakota speakers with an unwavering commitment to youth-oriented instruction. Our approach contrasts traditional language learning methods that rely solely memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules.
The Dakota Language Project, under the guidance of our dedicated Language Instructor, Mr. Barry Hand, represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to preserve and revitalize our Dakota language. At its core, this project is designed to expand upon the successes we've achieved in language preservation. Our primary focus is cultivating the next generation of Dakota speakers with an unwavering commitment to youth-oriented instruction. Our approach contrasts traditional language learning methods that rely solely memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules.
Over the past 20 years, Minneola Township in Goodhue County has experienced uncontrolled flooding events. These floods have caused extensive damage to private property, public roads, and even loss of life. Storing stormwater higher in the watershed will reduce the amount and intensity of these extreme rain events. Ultimately lowering the volume and rate of storm event flows will cause less damage and improve safety. Just as important are the water quality benefits that will accrue and reduce sedimentation
and improve the health of the Zumbro River.
Our project aims to develop free online resources that teach Hmong language and culture to the public. First, printable literacy and cultural decks – for example, flashcards of the Hmong alphabet, or an overview of a prevalent Hmong tradition – available for download on our website. Our second resource include an interactive web app that teaches introductory Hmong language. Users gain literacy skills of consonants, vowels, and grammar, and can also engage in lessons that teach topics such as common greetings, introductions, survival phrases, pronouns, and more.
To hire an architect to write a Historic Structure Report to guide future restoration of the 1910 Sam S. Shubert Theatre and Shubert Building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for the Third Street Bridge, Cannon Falls, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Thompson Lake is a shallow lake located in the City of West St. Paul, within the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO). The 7-acre lake receives runoff from a 175-acre urban watershed that was developed in the 1950's and currently provides very little stormwater treatment. The eastern shoreline is within Thompson County Park, which features a fishing pier, event center, and miles of regionally connected trails. The west shoreline of the lake abuts the St. Croix Lutheran School.
To reconstruct interment records of the Lone Oak Lutheran Cemetery, a subscription service-cemetery software developer was contracted to manage cemetery records. The cloud-based solution is economical, saving on hardware costs and data storage. The yearly subscription saves on periodic high-cost upgrades. A new updated cemetery map was also generated by the service. After cross-checking the data it was entered as planned. The cemetery information has been shared with the Dakota County Historical Society, making it more accessible to the public.
This project will increase awareness about outdoor recreation opportunities at Minnesota state parks and trails among underrepresented groups by creating handicap-accessible, touch-screen kiosks, with information in multiple languages, and placing the kiosks in high-traffic, family-oriented locations.
Continue implementation of the adopted RP Master Plan: Perform a traffic study of four intersections, traffic counts, circulation patterns, and parking access /layout at 9 parking lots to provide a framework for improving access and circulation for the roughly 1 million annual visitors, with approximately 64% of users being of Asian background.
Construct segment of planned trail system and implement natural resource wetland restoration and enhancement work in collaboration with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, City of Prior Lake, and the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District. This project will leverage funds from partner agencies.
Project to include trail improvements between T.H. 61 to Bruce Vento Trail including design, engineering, demolition, grading, stormwater management, paving, landscaping and retaining wall construction as required.
Project to include trail improvements between T.H. 61 to Bruce Vento Trail including design, engineering, demolition, grading, stormwater management, paving, landscaping and retaining wall construction as required.
Supplement improvements for a trailhead facility south of Co. Rd. I including design/engineering, construction, demolition, grading, landscaping, trails, parking, building, roads, stormwater management, utilities, signage, site and play equipment, amenities, habitat restoration, access to the water trail, lighting.
Design, engineer and construct parking lot and restroom trailhead for Mississippi River Regional Trail in Pine Bend SNA in Inver Grove Heights. 2013 annual visitation: 70,900.
Construction of accessible pathway entrance into the sanctuary from Geranium Ave. E. Installation of signage at trail nodes, entries, and other prominent locations. Project may include: excavation, grading, stormwater management, erosion control, concrete footings, installation of signage, bituminous paving, and landscaping
At almost 4,000 acres, Trout Brook is the largest subwatershed in the Capitol Region Watershed District and the City of Saint Paul. The restored stream is part of the 42 acre Trout Brook Nature Sanctuary project, whose goal is to return the area back to some resemblance of its pre-industrialized valley of stream floodplain and wetlands. Monitoring results within the corridor show that phosphorus, sediments, bacteria, lead and copper are the pollutants of most concern.
