To meet the expectations of the legislature and the people of Minnesota, an evaluation coordinator is measuring the outcomes and value of programs, projects and partnerships supported by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) through the Minnesota Historical Society. In October 2010, the Society worked with Wilder Research to improve the Society's ability to evaluate its ACHF projects and programs.
MNHS continues to build a culture of evaluation. An evaluation manager leads institutional evaluation capacity building and provides technical assistance and support to staff who evaluate ACHF projects and programs. An evaluation associate in the Education and Lifelong Learning division facilitates evaluation efforts, specifically in K-12 education and public programs. Three interns and numerous volunteers continue to support evaluation work.
The Minnesota Historical Society continues to build a culture of evaluation. An evaluation coordinator provides technical assistance and support to staff who evaluate ACHF projects and programs. An institutional Evaluation Action Team, along with consultation from Wilder Research, helps provide strategy and direction for evaluation capacity-building efforts. Interns from the Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute at the University of Minnesota also support evaluation efforts that may include logic model design, evaluation planning, instrument design and data analysis and reporting.
MNHS continues to build a culture of evaluation. An evaluation manager leads institutional evaluation capacity building, as well as provides technical assistance and support to staff who evaluate ACHF projects and programs. An evaluation associate in the Education and Lifelong Learning Division facilitates evaluation efforts specifically in K-12 education and public programs. Three interns and numerous volunteers continue to support evaluation work.
"American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition," a traveling exhibition created by the National Constitution Center, opened on November 6, 2013, at the Minnesota History Center. The exhibition showcased how Prohibition began as a movement to improve morals, but ultimately spurred an era of disrespect for the law in Minnesota and around the country. The 5,000-square-foot exhibition was on display through March 16, 2014.
This project will result in a series of classes (provided by Minnesota Management and Budget's Enterprise Talent Development) to train the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Watershed Division to more effectively and efficiently manage watershed projects.
Collaboration between African and Asian American artists to jointly create/present a new dance drama - Resonance.
Project Resonance orchestrates new creations of music and dances to serve as a communication bridge across cultural/racial lines, to mitigate racial tensions between African and Asian communities, to illustrate the cross-cultural experience, and eventually promote Intercultural Harmony.
Resonance inspires inner/outer connections to create sustainable impacts.
Oak savanna is imperiled and threatened ecosystem with only 0.2% remaining of historically 5.5 million acres in Minnesota. This project will demonstrate the use of silvopasture to restore this ecosystem.
The groundwater contained in confined glacial aquifers provides clean drinking water to many Minnesota residents. An important factor affecting the long-term sustainability of these aquifers is how water infiltrates through clayey deposits of overlying glacial till, which act as barriers to contaminants but also limit water flow and aquifer recharge. Very little is actually known about the properties and infiltration of water through till, which hinders the ability to accurately define the sustainability of these aquifers.
Urban stormwaters contain biologically harmful contaminants of emerging concern whose abatement through best management practice ponds requires evaluation to safeguard habitats for aquatic species from mussels to birds.
Wastewater contains many environmental contaminants including pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, PFAS and micro-plastics. They are not removed by treatment plants. We propose to remove them using commercially available drinking water coagulants.
This will fund a competitive grant program for sewer projects that will help protect or restore the water quality of waters in national parks located within Minnesota.
Create a semi-automated system to acquire, process, and deliver new satellite derived water quality data (water clarity, algae, turbidity and color) for all Minnesota lakes ~biweekly and in near real-time
The Minnesota Historical Society created communication strategies and promotional materials for many of the ACHF-funded programs to increase public awareness and ensure that citizens, educators and students would use and benefit from the new programs.
Minnesota Historical Society staff created and implemented communication strategies for FY12 and FY13 Legacyfunded history projects and programs, including the "Then Now Wow" exhibit, designed with schoolchildren in mind. Increasing public awareness of these investments ensures that students, teachers and the general public use and benefit from them, giving greater understanding of Minnesota's history and legacy for the future.
MNHS staff created communication strategies and promotional materials for Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund history projects, program, and grants, including media kits for grant recipients and the creation of the annual report. Increasing public awareness of ACHF investments will ensure that students, teachers and the general public will use and benefit from them.
Per Minnesota Laws, 2011, 1st Special Session, Chapter 6, Article 4, Section 2, Subdivision 6, the Minnesota Department of Administration requested proposals to create, produce, acquire, or distribute radio programs that educate, enhance, or promote local, regional, or statewide items of artistic, cultural, or historic significance.
The Minnesota Historical Society continues to raise awareness of its Legacy projects and programs through a comprehensive communications strategy. The strategy is aimed at ensuring that Minnesotans are informed of MNHS programs and therefore have the information necessary to visit our historic sites and museums, engage in our website, use our many services, and learn about the history of our state.
MNHS staff created communication strategies and promotional materials for Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (ACHF) history projects, programs, and grants, including media kits for grant recipients. Increasing public awareness of ACHF investments will ensure that students, teachers, and the general public will use and benefit from them.
We will quantify exposure to two contaminants for 12 Minnesota raptors. Polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) and methylmercury (Hg) are bioaccumulative toxicants that cause reproductive failure in birds.
We propose to quantify the amount, type, and source of microplastics in the water, sediment, and fishes of a range of Minnesota lakes in collaboration with MN DNR.
