Minnesota Civic Youth is dedicated to helping kids and young adults develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and desire to be informed, active citizens. We do this by engaging them in authentic civic experiences and activities that respect their viewpoint and celebrate their voice. We have three primary program areas: Kids Voting Minnesota Network, Governing Youth and Teens Speak Out.
Minnesota’s 12 regional public library systems, which encompass 350 public libraries in all areas of the state, benefit from a portion of the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Through State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, each regional public library system receives a formula-driven allocation from the annual $2.2 million Minnesota Regional Library Legacy Grant.Kitchigami Regional Library (KRL) is a consolidated regional public library system in north central Minnesota.
The goal of this project is to establish load reduction requirements for impaired waters and to develop restoration strategies to improve water quality for impaired waters and protection strategies to maintain the quality of water for water bodies meeting standards.
The Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) is a tool that can identify water pollution problems based on the type and abundance of selected plants or animals. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) uses IBIs for fish and macroinvertebrates (stream-dwelling insects and other critters) in streams to help determine whether these waterways are impacted by water pollution. The DNR has developed a similar tool for fish in lakes and uses a tool for aquatic plants as supporting information on lake biological health.
Learning Law and Democracy will enhance civic education across Minnesota by increasing the value of teachingcivics.org through redesigned architecture and an updated look and feel along with the addition of new lessons and user instructions. Student programs supported with this grant will also experience a redesign to capitalize on the renovated State Capitol and new Senate Building and will benefit from new partners and teachers with increased capacity to teach through professional development.
The Legacy Field Trip Support Fund helped 22,014 Minnesota students in 284 schools experience field trips at Minnesota historic sites and museums statewide in FY16. The high cost of transportation prohibits many Minnesota teachers from taking their students on field trips. The Legacy Field Trip Support Fund offsets transportation costs to all MNHS historic sites and museums. Eligible schools (those with 25 percent or more of students enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program) are reimbursed $4 per student, allowing more students access to field trips.
As a strategic document, the Legacy Strategic Agenda (LSA) has four goals that build on achievements realized during the first five years of Legacy funding. Over the next four years, the LSA strategic priorities in education, grants, partnerships and unfamiliar stories will be acted on, measured and sustained at the community level. A dedicated LSA Collaborative representing a cross-section of the history community meets quarterly around the state to guide the work of LSA Priority Action Teams and to share successes.
MNHS is engaged in cultivating meaningful relationships with adult audiences as lifelong learners, members, donors, volunteers and supporters. The Writing Your Family Legacy Conference, held in partnership with the Loft Literary Center, returned for a second year. Participants learned how to research, write and preserve their family legacy at this all-day event. In FY17, the new MNHS Prime experiences launched for the lifelong learning audience, and included a history and dinner program series.
In spring 2017, a new program, History Today, will launch. The program uses the History Live!
Appropriations from the Clean Water Fund allow the Minnesota Department of Health to expand and improve the way groundwater and drinking water protection is implemented at the local level. In 2015, $300,000 was allocated to update wellhead protection areas within groundwater management areas. From 2016 onward, funding will be dedicated to the Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS) initiative which will provide groundwater and drinking water information and management strategies on a HUC 8 watershed scale.
MNHS continues its collaboration with Macalester College and the Somali community. Working closely with the Somali Museum of Minnesota, interviewer Ibrahim Hirsi began conducting eight final interviews for a Somali oral history project. Plans for FY17 include the completion of the project, which now consists of 57 interviews with Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
Maintaining Existing Holdings - A Parks and Trails Strategic Objective is a program area representing DNR's commitment to one of the four pillars identified in the 25 year Legacy plan. The Legacy plan calls this Take Care of What We Have, and identifies its purpose to provide safe, high-quality park and trail experiences by regular re-investment in park and trail infrastructure, and natural resource management.
The Metro Big Rivers (MBR) partners successfully completed their work with the Phase 7 / ML2016 OHF appropriation. MBR exceeded original acreage goals by 14% and completed work on a total of 1,199 acres. Partners protected 145 acres through fee title acquisition and 194 acres through permanent conservation easement, restored 241 acres and enhanced 619 acres.
MBR 7 expended 99% of the OHF funds granted and leveraged the grant by 49% with almost $2 million in other funds.
This project will establish a groundwater monitoring network in the 11 county metropolitan area. The network will provide information about aquifer characteristics and natural water trends by monitoring healthy aquifers (non-stressed systems). The project will also develop an automated system that captures groundwater level and water use data. This system will enhance evaluation of changes in aquifers that are stressed by pumping from existing wells.
