The Somali community in Rochester, MN is by far one of the most connected cultural groups in the region. Our project hopes to untangle the rich culture that is often hidden from the public sphere in Rochester, MN. Unity begins with knowing your neighbors. Through the Humanities Center's Cultural Grant we will implement a program to inform and teach our fellow neighbors about the Somali culture. Our platform will be based on speakers, multimedia, tv programming, and print.
This project will connect Somali youth to their rich cultural heritage through arts and language. The Somali Youth Cultural Empowerment project will ensure youth learn their native Somali language and culture through classes taught by Somali teachers and will participate in the cultural tradition of Danta Dance. A dance group will perform at cultural events, with music performed live from previous members of the Somali supergroup, Waaberi, and thus, share Somali art culture with Minnesotans.
The Somali Museum of Minnesota will curate and present two new monthly series of public programs designed to amplify, celebrate, and preserve Somali culture. The first series will be gallery-based and draw from the museum’s collection to offer Somali language, cultural and history instruction targeted to Somali families and school age youth. The second series, designed for a broader audience, will present artist talks and demonstrations, dance performances, exhibitions, and poetry readings.
The goal is to develop a “Basic Somali Language and Culture Class” curriculum. This course will be a tailored 20 – 30-hour training for people in the business community as well as Somali youth. Each class session with have an element of language and an element of culture.
A project that helps families express their feelings through poetry, sharing historical perspectives on disability within the Somali Community. We will invite school administrators, teachers, and community members and discuss the social stigma of disabilities and mental health through innovative strategies. In our parent to parent peer support, we have event nights where parents gather informally and express their daily barriers for the first half of the session, and then we go through resource sharing the second half of the session.
The Minnesota State Legislature asked the Minnesota Humanities Center to award arts and cultural heritage grants to the Somali community through the competitive grant process. Legacy funds are appropriated to the Humanities Center to support such work. A small portion of each appropriation was reserved by the Humanities Center for direct expenses related to administering the grant. Should any portion of this reserve be unused, the difference will be awarded to the respective organizations.
Soomaal proposes to do Spearwave - a monthly intimate exhibition and gathering space for conversations about art and culture. We hope this gesture will foster interconnectedness, and, using Spearwave as a foil, allow these artists a fresh opportunity to experiment with new ways of bringing to you the fruits of their artistic conceptions. In this program 3 Somali emerging artists will get the opportunity to learn, explore and exhibit a concept from beginning to end product.
Manage cost share program by encouraging producers within the DWSMA to implement Nitrogen Best Management Practices and perennials, cover crops and/or extra side dressing.
Provide first half of annual rent payment (2018-2019) to landowner to allow City to implement nitrogen BMPs on field immediately upgradient of high nitrate public supply well.
Educate well owners on the proper operation and maintenance of their wells, prepare and send letter to owners of properties in moderate and high vulnerability portions of the DWSMA and educate property owners in the DWSMA on issues related to source water
Design, print and mail request for information for 40 unknown wells located within the DWSMA, Bayerl Water Resources to facilitate two wellhead meetings on virus study, create letters to appropriate agencies, explore feasibility of training for local fire
Conduct well survey, Develop wellhead protection information for newsletters, handouts and website; and contact tank property owners on placement and best management practices to prevent contamination of groundwater resources.
