The world is constantly changing, and our students are becoming less prepared to meet the demands.

Districts can place too much attention on traditional measures of success: Grades, attendance, graduation rates. We may even focus our limited resources on just getting students across that finish line of graduation. But then what? Many students are left with limited choices, unclear next steps, and very few tools to feel ready, let alone successful.

The myths of CCR separation

Often, school leaders approach career and college readiness (CCR) as an entirely separate entity. They look for a single CCR program, a single direct initiative that will cover all their students’ preparation for post-graduation life. Career and college readiness can easily become something “extra,” something separate from the core education work the school is doing.

This way of thinking restricts career and college readiness, putting it in a box and limiting what it can do. It leads to some of the most common and damaging CCR myths, including:

• “Career and college readiness is the job of the counselor.”
• “Career and college readiness is only for students who have no idea what they want to do.”
• “Career and college readiness is only a high school concept.”
• “Career and college readiness is different than core academics.”

These myths, and more like it, hold career and college readiness back from its potential to empower and engage students…in both their present learning, and their future success.

Take career and college readiness out of its box

The good news is that many districts are already doing important work that contributes to career and college readiness for students, every day. Strong academic programs, dedicated educators, student support systems, community partnerships, and meaningful learning experiences all play a role in preparing students for life beyond graduation.

Our opportunity is not about adding yet another initiative. Our opportunity is about recognizing, connecting, and strengthening the work already happening across the system. When career and college readiness is a shared responsibility embedded into the culture of a district, it becomes more than a program. It becomes a framework to help every student build the knowledge, skills, experiences, and confidence needed to navigate an ever-changing world.

Across central Minnesota, schools are finding success by moving career and college readiness beyond a standalone program and embedding it throughout the K-12 experience. The following four strategies provide a framework for creating that systemic approach.

Pillar 1: Vision and accountability

A clear vision and measurable indicators for student readiness are foundational to systemic CCR. Districts can then align strategic goals and resources, while using meaningful data to monitor progress and make decisions in service to students and community. This pillar is at the start for a reason: The vision for success, and the measurement of that success, need to be established before you start making any other big moves.

Pine River-Backus School District encountered this as they worked to develop their Portrait of a Learner in partnership with Battelle for Kids. The Portrait process asks, “what are we promising as a future vision to every student, in every grade?” It establishes competencies and dispositions to empower within every student, such as resilience, communication, and collaboration.

Along with 16 other districts in rural Minnesota, Pine River-Backus School district adopted and is mobilizing the AASA Redefining Ready indicators for career and college readiness. Research-based measures include:

• Engagement in Career and Technical Education
• Classroom attendance
• On-grade-level literacy and mathematics

These indicators create a breadth of progress measures that empower students to track their own readiness and seek out varied experiences.

Pillar 2: Academic and career planning

Students must take an active role in their learning at all grade levels, and this pillar builds a culture of goal setting and reflection from kindergarten through graduation. It offers opportunities at every grade for students to discover who they are and connect their interests, strengths, and goals with educational opportunities and future pathways. Students’ behaviors, coursework, experiences, and post-secondary options become an active choice, rather than a passive inevitability.

Verndale School District has been working to increase student voice and agency across all grade levels. As a small rural district with limited options for local business partners, Verndale has found a strong partnership with SchooLinks – a CCR digital platform for academic and career engagement.

Using the AASA Redefining Ready metrics within the SchooLinks platform has brought clarity and vision to students and families around readiness, while the Personal Learning Plan feature supports students in setting goals, reflecting on experiences, and actively planning for new learning opportunities aligned to their interests and innate gifts.

Pillar 3: Engaged partners

It’s no small feat to forge partnerships between schools, families, students, businesses, community organizations, and post-secondary institutions. However, these partner voices can help students visualize and experience their options as realities.

Staples-Motley School District has done targeted work in this area through their Hometown Careers Collective, focused on engaging community employers. Over 30 local businesses attended, talking with both students and staff about the work they do and the best path to get there.

The Hometown Careers Collective wasn’t just for the students, though: School staff got the chance to forge stronger connections with these local businesses and show them how they could be more involved as partners with the school for mentorship: work-based learning, updating equipment, sponsoring certification, and community-sponsored events.

Pillar 4: Rigorous Learning Experiences

Meaningful, high-quality learning experiences to prepare students for their next step are key to student readiness at every age, whether it’s the next grade level or graduation. We can often get stuck in the tension between learning experiences tied to academic standards and learning experiences tied to career exposure. But when districts position learning experiences around student readiness, that tension can become connection!

Sebeka School District’s approach includes a week-long readiness focus for every grade. For students in grades near graduation, this might involve highly practical skills, like writing a resume or practicing interviews for a job. For younger students, it involves talking to a local business, asking questions about how it runs, and presenting what they’ve learned. All experiences are tied back to academic and career planning through reflective conversation, empowering students to build their own connections.

Across grades, this approach gives students valuable, age-appropriate, life-ready skills such as perspective-taking, reflection, communication, and public speaking. It turns their future aspirations or interests from an abstract concept into a practical and personal toolbox. And it encourages them to start collecting those tools today.

Transform student futures through systemic CCR

The path forward does not require districts to start from scratch. It only requires a commitment to viewing career and college readiness as a shared responsibility that spans grade levels, classrooms, and community partnerships. By establishing a clear vision, empowering students through academic and career planning, engaging partners, and creating rigorous learning experiences, schools can build systems that prepare every student for an increasingly complex future.

The examples from rural Minnesota demonstrate that this work is not only possible: It’s already happening! The next step is to identify the strengths that already exist within your district, connect them through a common framework, and build a culture where every student graduates not only with a diploma, but with the skills, experiences, confidence, and direction needed to thrive in whatever comes next.

More than 100 teachers and staff from schools in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe were selected by school administration for outstanding dedication, leadership, and innovation. For their achievements, they were celebrated as Educators of Excellence at one of two special events hosted by Sourcewell on Wednesday, April 29, and Wednesday, May 6, in Blacksmith Main at The Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd.

The event recognized and awarded local educators who positively impacted students and colleagues. This year, in addition to 53 Teachers of Excellence, 49 non-teaching staff were also named and recognized as Pillars of Excellence. The event was divided into two nights with school districts in each half of the region recognized at one of the two events.

An additional award called Innovator of the Year, given by the Innovative Schools Project (ISP), was presented to Randy Thompson from Menahga High School.

Andrea Mortensen, Regional Solutions Senior Project Manager at Sourcewell, reflects on this incredible event.

“We’re proud to host the annual Educators of Excellence celebration that recognizes outstanding educators and staff whose work is both deeply meaningful and incredibly demanding,” says Mortensen. “Their dedication shapes students, strengthens communities, and makes a lasting impact every day.” 

Educators from the following districts were honored: Bertha-Hewitt, Brainerd, Cass Lake-Bena, Crosby-Ironton, Crosslake Community, Freshwater Education District, Little Falls, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Mid-State Education District, Menahga, Northland Community, Pequot Lakes, Pierz, Pillager, Pine River-Backus, Royalton, Sebeka, Staples-Motley, Swanville, Upsala, Verndale, Wadena-Deer Creek, and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

The Educators of Excellence celebrations were broadcast live on Facebook for the general public, and recordings are available to view for both April 29 and May 6.  

View event program

Night 1 photo gallery

Night 2 photo gallery

Communities across central Minnesota have a new chance to celebrate their local champions. 

Nominations are open through August 7 for Sourcewell’s new Public Service Recognition Awards. These awards will recognize outstanding individuals in regional local government, public safety, and nonprofits who help their regions thrive through bold, creative thinking and dedication. 

Eligible individuals must serve Sourcewell’s region of central Minnesota, which includes Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Awards are divided into three categories: 

• Local Government: cities, counties, townships, or other government associations
• Public Safety: municipal or tribal police departments, sheriff’s offices, fire departments, first response teams, or ambulance services
• Nonprofit: 501(c)(3) nonprofits providing services in the region 

“We’ve got to celebrate excellence wherever we see it, and when better to start than Public Service Recognition Week?” says Charitie Herbst, Senior Director of Community Solutions at Sourcewell. “Our local leaders keep our communities thriving, but they rarely get the recognition they deserve. These exciting awards will tell just a few of the many, many stories of excellence throughout our region.” 

Nominations are now open at the page below and will close on Aug. 7. Recipients will be recognized for their achievements in fall 2026. 

Learn more >

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Sourcewell is a local unit of government serving central Minnesota. As a service cooperative, it is a self-funded agency charged by Minnesota state statute to partner with education, government, and nonprofits to boost student and community success. 

For more information, please contact community@sourcewell-mn.gov.

No matter how you solve it, local students found the formula for making math fun.

Students in fifth and sixth grades — representing schools from throughout central Minnesota, including Forestview Middle School, Browerville, Pierz, Pillager, Sebeka, Osakis, Henning, Verndale, Long Prairie Grey Eagle, and Mississippi Heights — participated in the final Math Masters competitions of the 2025-26 school year on March 6 and April 24 at Sourcewell, with many local students taking home top honors.

The Math Masters mathematics competition program challenges students to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in mathematics. Students compete as individuals and on teams in eight rounds of competition. Students’ academic effort and achievement are recognized in each competition element: fact drill, individual round, and team competition.

Sourcewell Student Event Specialist Crysta Blake said teams brought their competitive nature and positive outlook to each challenge.

“Watching the students not only solve but also excel at the math questions in each round of the competition was so rewarding!” Blake said. “The impressive display of math skills and the camaraderie among the students really was a proud moment for educators to see. And we had a lot of parents and grandparents at the 6^th grade competition cheering on the kids, which added a fun element to the competition.”

Grade 5 team results

First place: Forestview Alpha

• Milo Kaiser
• Lily Morgan
• Seth Sjostrand
• Lexi Miller
• Jameson Siemers 

Second place: Forestview Beta

• Connor Kuepers
• Chase Lord
• Brady Herman
• Annie Holbrook
• Abby Friehammer

Third place: Henning

• Braxton Balbach
• Kaylee Godding
• Lane Greenwood
• Reegan Hoelscher
• Ted Larsen

Fourth place: Pierz Red

• Ben Britz
• Brantley Zupan
• Avery Seppelt
• Kaden Gunther
• Cullen Herman

Grade 5 individual results

• First place: Seth Sjostrand, Forestview
• Second place: Milo Kaiser, Forestview
• Third place: Graham Batdorf, Mississippi Heights
• Fourth place: Braxton Balback, Henning
• Fifth place: Connor Kuepers, Forestview
• Sixth place: Brady Herman, Forestview
• Seventh place: Zeke Krause, Pillager
• Eighth place: Zeb Klein, Forestview
• Ninth place: Camden Kazeck, Mississippi Heights
• Tenth place: Annie Holbrook, Forestview

Grade 5 fact drill results

• First place: Milo Kaiser, Forestview
• Second place: Connor Kuepers, Forestview
• Third place: Zeb Klein, Forestview
• Fourth place: Cullen Herman, Pierz
• Fifth place: Karter Schlegel, Pierz
• Sixth place: Chase Lord, Forestview
• Seventh place: Braxton Balback, Henning
• Eighth place: Brady Herman, Forestview  
• Ninth place: Alex Rangen, Forestview
• Tenth place: Ben Britz, Pierz

Grade 6 team results

First place: Forestview MEAKA

• Marly Shaw
• Kara Swanson
• Everett Grams
• Anelle Haataja
• Arah Halbersma

Second place: Forestview Subway Workers

• Elim Anderson
• Sullivan Bratney
• Emmaline Smith
• Stella Vang
• Ruby Shaw

Third place: Pierz Red

• Finley Virnig
• Jet Troops
• Landyn Melby
• Letty Woitalla
• Jackson Bruse

Fourth place: Osakis Silverstreaks

• Seth Moore
• Abby Otremba
• Erik Schwope
• Caleb Cozart
• Mackenzie Niehaus

Grade 6 individual results

• First place: Elim Anderson, Forestview
• Second place: Marly Shaw, Forestview
• Third place: Abby Otremba, Osakis
• Fourth place: Arah Halbersma, Forestview
• Fifth place: Sullivan Bratney, Forestview
• Sixth place: Everett Grams, Forestview
• Seventh place: Henry Kessler, Pierz
• Eighth place: Sawyer Herschey, Pillager
• Ninth place: Finley Virnig, Pierz
• Tenth place: Eva Rymsza, Forestview

Grade 6 fact drill results

• First place: Marly Shaw, Forestview
• Second place: Everett Grams, Forestview
• Third place: Elim Anderson, Forestview
• Fourth place: Delaney Jerve, Forestview
• Fifth place: Finley Virnig, Pierz
• Sixth place: Letty Woitalla, Pierz
• Seventh place: Hannah Larson, Forestview
• Eighth place: Eva Rymsza, Forestview
• Ninth place: Carter Root, Forestview
• Tenth place: Stella Vang, Forestview

Student teams from Aitkin, Pine River Backus, and Brainerd school districts will advance to the state-level Knowledge Bowl competition after placing top four in the regional senior high event this February.

All four teams (listed below) move on to the Minnesota State Knowledge Bowl tournament, which will be held in the region on April 9-10 at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd.

32 student teams from 17 different school districts competed at February’s event, which challenges participants’ knowledge of history, math, science, literature, and more in both timed written and real-time “buzz in” rounds.

“The excitement in this competition was clear!” said Crysta Blake, Sourcewell student events specialist. “These students came to show off their skills and knowledge…but they came to win, too, and their competitive drive was clear throughout the day.”

Knowledge Bowl, sponsored locally by Sourcewell, is for students in grades 6-12. Students test their memory, critical thinking, reflexes, and teamwork in day-long competitions throughout late winter and early spring.

Teams:

First place – Aitkin 1

• Tanner Koonce
• Aaron Morris
• William Vogtlin
• Tolo May
• Carsyn Miller

Second place – Pine River Backus 2

• Matilda Brozetti
• Jethro Charpeutier
• Morgan King
• Logan Poser
• Leland Tima

Third place – Brainerd 1

• Emmalyn Boesen
• Drea Diede
• Tucker Hanson
• Kyle Sandberg
• Thomas Verrips

Fourth place – Aitkin 2

• Eliot Christensen
• Reese Wendlandt
• Will Henline
• Jeffrey Brassard
• Elizabeth Morris

Local nonprofits were awarded over $740,000 in December to advance mental health, food security, homelessness assistance, and more throughout central Minnesota, thanks to Sourcewell’s Impact Funding.

Each of the eight recipients presented projects for consideration at a day of review and celebration last month in Staples, Minn. Nonprofit representatives from throughout the region voted on which projects to fund, choosing these eight for their vision and potential for community impact. The event also included updates from past funding awardees.

“Review Day is a highlight of every year for our team and our region,” said Tammy Filippi, Senior Resource Development Administrator at Sourcewell.

“It’s not just about allocating funds for community impact: It’s about coming together to share and celebrate past impact, too. It’s a chance to honor the meaningful progress our nonprofit leaders have already created, while embracing the new possibilities this day will open for them — and our communities.”

To be eligible, a project had to clearly demonstrate how it would have a direct impact on communities within Sourcewell’s service region. Votes were reviewed and ratified by Sourcewell’s Nonprofit Advisory Council, comprised of local nonprofit leaders who ensure community input is at the heart of Sourcewell’s funding process.

Sourcewell’s Impact Funding is supported by revenue generated from its national cooperative purchasing program. Program service fees generated through Sourcewell contracts are reinvested in central Minnesota communities via projects like Impact Funding.

List of projects funded:

The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes; Lakes Area Food Shelf

Community Garden

A community garden will help The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes provide nutritious fruits, vegetables and herbs to the Lakes Area Food Shelf (LAFS) in Pequot Lakes, and potentially to the new food shelf that LAFS is working to establish in 2026, as well as creating a small revenue stream for the Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes through sales of produce at area farmer's markets or food stands. This will help Outreach BLA's ability to package more meals, provide more resources to our community within the food space.

PORT of Crow Wing County, Inc. dba. PORT Group Homes; Relationship Safety Alliance

Community Connect

Community Connect, a partnership between Port Group Homes and the Relationship Safety Alliance, empowers families across Region 5 through education, support, and connection. The project provides parenting workshops, community support groups, and family events that strengthen relationships and build resilience. Together, the partners are helping families grow stronger and communities become more united.

Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project; Wellness in the Woods

Restoring Hope and Cultivating Community

Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project in collaboration with the Sacred Pathway and Wellness in the Woods programs have rolled out a project for Investing in the Next Generation that covers the spectrum of support and services for youth and families that absolutely has a 'Guaranteed Return".

Relationship Safety Alliance; Essentia Health/St. Joseph's Medical Center

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)

Relationship Safety Alliance, in partnership with Essentia Health/St. Joseph’s Medical Center, will relaunch the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program to restore trauma-informed medical and forensic services in Region 5. The program will ensure survivors age 13 and older have timely access to compassionate care, evidence collection, and follow-up support, improving health, safety, and justice outcomes across central Minnesota.

Smiles For Jake; Lakes Area Heroes

Hero Smile Kit Program

Smiles for Jake and Lakes Area Heroes are partnering to launch the Hero Smile Kit project, an innovative initiative supporting the mental health and wellbeing of local firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement across Region 5. Together, they will distribute 1,000 kits containing mental health resources, suicide prevention tools, and encouragement to those who serve. Through this effort, both organizations aim to reduce stigma, strengthen resilience, and create a ripple effect of hope throughout our rural communities.

Emily Emergency Food Shelf; Bridges of Hope

The Bridging Service Gaps in Rural Communities Project - Resource Connection Services

The Bridging Service Gaps in Rural Communities project will provide Crow Wing County residents connection to basic needs supports like nutritional support, housing assistance, employment resources, mental health referrals, and other critical supports all in one place. In partnership with Bridges of Hope and its Resource Connection Services program, residents who visit Emily Food Shelf, Lakes Area Food Shelf, and Central Lakes College will have access to nutritional support and can meet with a Resource Specialist to connect to assistance with completing important forms required to access basic needs support.

Lakes Area Food Shelf; The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes

Brainerd Lakes Area Food Shelf

The Lakes Area Food Shelf and The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes are establishing a second food shelf in the southern portion of Crow Wing County in order to bring healthy, nutrient-rich food to the families who live and work in this area.

Bridges of Hope; Lighthouse Beginnings

The Pathways Project

The Pathways Project is a new collaborative effort led by Bridges of Hope and Lighthouse Beginnings to reduce long-term homelessness in Crow Wing County. By aligning staff and resources across local service providers such as Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen and My Neighbor to Love Coalition, the project will help residents overcome barriers to stability across a continuum of care. Through coordinated case management, transportation, and outreach, the Pathways Project helps residents access basic needs supports, employment, and stable housing.

Public safety and local government entities will soon receive over $2.2 million to improve their public service through Sourcewell’s Impact Funding.

The recipients include 31 counties, cities, and townships, and 20 fire departments, police departments, and sheriff’s offices throughout Sourcewell’s central MN service region.

“These projects represent an incredible impact on our region’s communities,” said Paul Drange, director of regional services at Sourcewell. “Given the financial realities our local governments are facing, every dollar of funding counts. Every year we see more and more requests for funding, and we’re eager to answer that call.”

Funding requests were reviewed by either the Local Government Advisory Council or the Public Safety Advisory Council, then awarded by lottery until funding was exhausted. The advisory councils, comprised of local government and public safety leaders respectively, ensure that community input and fairness is at the heart of Sourcewell’s funding process.

Impact Funding helps fulfill basic needs for local government and public safety entities such as upkeep, technology, safety equipment, and other project and administrative purchases. To be eligible, a project had to clearly demonstrate how it would have a direct impact on the applicant’s community.

Sourcewell’s Impact Funding is supported by revenue generated from its national cooperative purchasing program. Sourcewell provides public agencies throughout the United States and Canada with access to hundreds of competitively solicited contracts. Program service fees generated through Sourcewell contracts are reinvested in central Minnesota communities via projects like Impact Funding.

List of projects funded:

Public Safety funding

Crosby Fire Department

Motorola APX N30 radios (20)

Communication is paramount for all emergency responses. Knowing the location and type of emergency you are responding to, knowing what resources and personnel are needed at the scene, and communicating amongst fire, law enforcement, EMS and the public will ALL be key to working safely and effectively in any emergency.

Federal Dam Volunteer Fire Department             

Side-by-side utility vehicle

The purchase of a side-by-side utility vehicle will allow our all-volunteer department to respond more effectively to emergencies in remote or hard-to-reach areas. The SxS will greatly enhance both fire and medical response capabilities across our rural community.

Fifty Lakes Fire and Rescue Department

Structural fire protective gear, and portable storage racks

This gear will allow members to perform their tasks on scene with better movement and better protection from carcinogens and heat exhaustion, leading to quicker and more efficient lifesaving efforts to serve the Fifty Lakes area.

Hackensack Area Fire and Rescue Department

Fire hall siding, soffit, and insulation

Hackensack Area Fire & Rescue will be able to upgrade its building energy efficiency and decrease operational costs, to help with this Community-Member Energy Saving Project.

Grey Eagle Fire Department

Turnout gear

Our fire department will replace outdated turnout gear with new compliant equipment to enhance firefighter safety and operational readiness. This critical upgrade will ensure our team is properly protected during emergency responses. The new gear will help us continue to serve our community safely, effectively, and in compliance with standards.

Pierz Police Department              

Patrol unit

Our project will establish a new Patrol Unit dedicated to enhancing community safety through rapid response, increased visibility, and proactive engagement. This unit will focus on reducing crime, building trust with residents, and supporting local initiatives through a presence that is both strategic and community oriented. The patrol unit will allow Pierz Police Department to utilize advanced tools and training to deliver high-impact, responsive policing.

Pillager Area Fire Protection Association             

Extrication tools - spreader, cutter, ram

Pillager Area Fire Protection Association will upgrade to modern vehicle extrication tools to enhance our emergency response capabilities. These new tools will allow our firefighters to perform faster, safer, and more effective rescues during vehicle accidents, when every second counts. This investment will directly improve public safety for our community and surrounding areas we serve.

Eagle Bend Fire Department

Motorola APX N50 portable radios (11)

Eagle Bend Fire Department will update technology and equipment, which are critical needs in protecting the health and safety of our community. Support from this funding will help to purchase portable radios, replacing our outdated supply that are rapidly nearing the end of their life cycle. This project will represent a key step towards updating the necessary emergency equipment of the Eagle Bend Fire Department.

Todd County Sheriff’s Office

Motorola APX N50 portable radios (10)

Todd County Sheriff's Office will update technology and equipment, which are critical needs in protecting the health and safety of our community. Support from this funding will help to purchase portable (hand held) radios, replacing our outdated supply that are rapidly nearing the end of their life cycle. This project will represent a key step towards updating the necessary emergency equipment of the Todd County Sheriff's Office.

Sebeka Police Department

Squad replacement

Sebeka Police Department will replace an aging squad vehicle, saving the city expenses due to frequent repairs and downtime and improving the department’s ability to respond to calls, conduct patrols, and maintain a visible presence in the community. This investment will directly support our mission to provide safe, timely, and professional policing services to the community.

Ironton Fire Department

SCBAs

This project will help us update some personal protective equipment that is in need of replacement. This will ensure proper community service for years to come. Thanks to Sourcewell for being a great partner in helping us serve our community!

Hewitt Volunteer Fire Department

Extrication tools - cutter and spreader

The Hewitt Fire Department will replace aging extrication tools with modern, battery-powered equipment to improve emergency response. This upgrade will reduce rescue times and enhance firefighter safety during life-threatening incidents. The project ensures faster, more reliable service for the entire Hewitt community.

Crooked Lake Fire Department

Turnout gear

The Impact Funds awarded to Crooked Lake Fire Department will provide Personal Protective Equipment for fire personnel, allowing them to operate safely while assisting the public during hazardous situations.

Menahga Fire Department

Fill station, CO2 Monitor, Compressor, and 6000 PSI Bottles

The Menahga Fire Department will upgrade its outdated air compressor with a modern 6,000 PSI system to meet the demands of today’s firefighting equipment. This improvement will allow firefighters to refill their breathing air bottles quickly and safely, reducing downtime during emergencies. The project strengthens our ability to protect lives, property, and the overall safety of the Menahga community.

Menahga Police Department

Squad replacement

The Menahga Police Department will purchase a new patrol squad car to replace an aging vehicle in our fleet. This investment will improve response times, enhance officer safety, and ensure consistent police presence throughout the community. The new squad car will be equipped with modern technology, helping us better serve and protect our residents.

Motley Volunteer Fire Department

Tender truck

The Moley Fire Department will replace its aging and unreliable tanker truck, a critical asset for firefighting in areas without hydrants. The newer tanker will greatly enhance the department’s ability to protect lives, property, and natural resources across the community. This upgrade will ensure faster, safer, and more effective emergency response for all residents.

Pine River Fire Department

Ranger Crew XP 1000

The Pine River Fire Department will purchase a new Side x Side (UTV) equipped with a wildland/medical skid unit, replacing its aging 2001 ATV. This upgraded vehicle will double responder capacity and enhance the department’s effectiveness in wildland firefighting and remote rescues, featuring water suppression capabilities.

Swanville Rural Fire Association               

Structural turnout gear, hoods, gloves, and boots

New turnout gear will keep new and veteran members of the Swanville Fire Department safe during fire and rescue scenes. The coats, bibs, hoods, gloves and boots will be a safety upgrade and help with fatigue during scenes. The new gear will ensure that our department is equipped to handle a wide range of emergencies when called upon.

Cass County Sheriff's Office

Mud boat, washer and dryer units

With support from Sourcewell, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office will replace aged laundry equipment in the Cass County Detention Center with modern, energy-efficient UniMac units. These upgrades will ensure continued safety and efficiency in vital public safety facility operations across the country.

Walker Area Joint Fire Department

Hoses and nozzles

With support from the Sourcewell Impact Fund, the Walker Area Fire Department will replace its outdated, 30-year-old fire hoses with modern, NFPA-compliant equipment. This upgrade will prioritize firefighter safety, ensuring crews have reliable tools when responding to emergencies.

Local Government funding

City of Pillager

Cemetary Information Management System

A Cemetery Information Management System (CIMS) is software that helps manage cemetery operations. It tracks burial plots, maintains deceased records, handles bookings and payments, and stores important documents. The purchase of this system will improve accuracy, save time, and allow easy search and reporting.

City of Walker

Towable Crack Sealer

Investing in a towable crack sealer will be a strategic and proactive approach to road maintenance. This equipment will enable the City of Walker to implement a regular, cost-effective crack sealing program that improves road conditions, extends pavement life, and reduces long-term maintenance costs. Grant funding will allow the city to acquire this vital tool and enhance the sustainability and efficiency of its public works operations.

City of Hewitt

Two Stationary Generators

Located in Region 5, Hewitt is one of many small cities leveraging Sourcewell's cooperative model to stretch limited budgets and improve infrastructure. The new generators will strengthen Hewitt's emergency response capabilities and safeguard vital municipal operations, ensuring the city remains prepared for any disruption.

Morrison County

Emergency Duress System

Morrison County will upgrade its duress alert system to improve emergency response across public-facing facilities. The new technology will enhance staff confidence and ensure faster, more reliable alerts during critical incidents. This investment reflects the County’s commitment to creating safe, secure environments for employees and community members.

Township of Sylvan

Township Hall Upgrades

Obtaining Sourcewell Impact Funding will enable Sylvan Township to complete important Town Hall upgrades, prioritizing community and staff safety. The project includes new concrete flooring and aprons for maintenance sheds to protect road equipment from damage, along with automatic garage door openers for safer staff operations. A new ADA-compliant sidewalk will also ensure equitable and secure access for all residents during important civic events like voting on election day.

Township of Parker, Morrison County

Town Hall Building Addition

Parker Township will expand its current building for new, more accessible office and storage space. With this addition, the existing building will be able to be utilized for shop and equipment storage.

Township of Ponto Lake

Township Cemetery Improvements

Ponto Lake Township will improve and modernize its township-owned cemetery, ensuring compliance with Minnesota State Statute #306. The project will include upgrading records to a digital system, replacing deteriorated fencing and entrances, improving burial access, and establishing clear policies for cremation and natural burials. These improvements will enhance safety, preserve community history, and provide families with better access to accurate and transparent cemetery information.

Township of Powers

Township Truck

Powers Township will purchase a one-and a half-ton pickup to better serve the local community.

City of Jenkins

Public Works Equipment and Upgrades

Sourcewell's Community Impact Funding will empower the City of Jenkins to invest in critical safety and energy-efficiency improvements identified in key areas of the City's public spaces, facilities, and equipment. This funding provides the dedicated Public Works personnel of Jenkins with a safe, functional facility and the proper, reliable equipment they need to respond effectively to maintenance and emergencies, enhancing public safety and accessibility. By drastically lowering energy use, reducing costly equipment rentals/repairs, and investing in safety of our public spaces and personnel, this funding will not only have a significant impact on the City's long-term general operating expenses, but will also have a major impact on the safety and enjoyment of all who live, work, play, or pass through the "Gateway to the Whitefish Chain."

City of Osakis

Water Meter Equipment

This funding will allow us to obtain the parts needed to upgrade water meters within our community to allow for accurate monthly water usage readings, and create a more reliable service to our residents.

Township of Wilson, Cass County

Snowplow Truck

Our community will benefit from an enhanced snow removal fleet with the addition of a new, state-of-the-art snow plow truck. This investment will ensure quicker and more efficient snow clearance, ultimately improving the safety and accessibility of our roads during winter weather. Residents can look forward to a higher level of service and increased peace of mind in the upcoming winter season.

Township of Crooked Lake

Plow Attachment for Road Grater

We will purchase a new snow plow and mulching head. This new equipment will help Crooked Lake Township keep our roads clear of ice and compacted snow making the roads safer during the winter months. The mulching head will allow the skidloader to be used to clear brush and small trees and mulch the debris into the ground effectively and safely.

Garrison Kathio West Mille Lacs Lake Sanitary Sewer District

Geographic Information System

The ability to purchase a Geographic Information System will be a step forward in managing the Sanitary District. It will make the District virtually paperless, provide up-to-date information, and make sure all billings are correct to help keep costs down for customers. This tool will help all staff see the same information in real time, allowing much more efficient management of the District.

City of Backus

City Standby Generator

The City of Backus will install a standby generator to ensure continuous power for essential municipal operations during outages. This project will keep public safety services, water systems, and emergency coordination fully operational when residents need them most. By investing in reliable backup power, Backus is strengthening community resilience and protecting public health and safety.

City of Crosslake

Community Park Cold Storage

The City of Crosslake is excited to announce plans for a new cold storage building at the Community Park. This facility will provide secure, weather-protected space for equipment and supplies, allowing the Parks and Recreation Department to better support programs, events, and year-round park operations. By improving efficiency and extending the life of valuable assets, the project will enhance recreational opportunities and community services for residents and visitors alike.

City of Emily

City replacement needs - security, public works, office

The City of Emily will purchase city maintenance equipment, upgrade of exterior building City Hall lights and parking lot lights for enhanced workplace safety, and upgraded workstations. This funding will support our commitment to creating safer, more productive workspaces for employees and the community.

City of Garrison

City Facility Updates

The City of Garrison will improve its meeting room for a more professional atmosphere. The changes will improve the way the meeting shows audience and Council receive information.

City of Grey Eagle

City Grounds Equipment & Shop Improvements

The City of Grey Eagle will enhance its maintenance operations with the purchase of a zero-turn John Deere mower and the insulation of its maintenance shop. These upgrades will improve efficiency, reduce energy costs, and support year-round operations. The project reflects the City’s commitment to maintaining public spaces and investing in essential infrastructure.

City of Hackensack

Security system and cellular power loss monitors

The City of Hackensack will enhance public safety and infrastructure reliability by installing new security camera systems at City Hall, the Community Building, and the Chamber Building, along with a controlled door access system at the Community Center. In addition, cellular power loss monitors will be added to lift stations and grinder pumps to ensure rapid response during outages. These improvements will strengthen community safety, protect critical infrastructure, and support the City’s ability to deliver essential services.

City of Lake Shore

Update Public Works and Wastewater Equipment

The City of Lake Shore will update their public works and wastewater equipment. This will help the City be able to work more efficiently and will save time and money long-term.

City of Menahga

Reroof City Hall

The City of Menahga will replace the aging roof on City Hall to ensure the safety, integrity, and efficiency of this vital government facility. This project will safeguard essential public services, records, and community spaces while reducing future maintenance costs. The improvements will help preserve City Hall as a safe and welcoming place for residents to engage with their local government.

City of Pequot Lakes

Renovation of Municipal Facility

The City of Pequot Lakes will renovate and modernize its Administration Office, the central hub for day-to-day municipal operations and public services. The project includes structural upgrades, new technology to improve delivery service, and the addition of a second emergency exit to enhance safety and building functionality.

City of Pierz

Public Works Truck Replacement

The City of Pierz will purchase a new Public Works truck to improve efficiency, safety, and reliability in delivering essential city services. The new vehicle will support critical operations such as road maintenance, snow removal, and infrastructure repairs. This investment will ensure the City can continue providing high-quality services to residents while reducing costs and downtime.

City of Pine River

City Improvements and Updates

The City of Pine River will use the Impact Funding award for City Hall Improvements to include interior paint, interior flooring, and new presentation technologies for the council chambers.

City of Upsala

Water Tower Mixer, Recreation Center Scrubber, and Snow Pusher for Skid Steer

The City of Upsala has been awarded Impact funds from Sourcewell to help improve water quality, address recreation center needs and upgrade snow removal equipment.

City of Verndale

Warning siren and generator

The City of Verndale will use the funding to purchase and install a new tornado siren and generator backup at the firehall. The siren will replace the existing outdated siren that has been unreliable the last couple of years. The generator will be used to power the siren and the fire hall in power outages. This will allow the fire hall to be used as an emergency management site.

Township of Irondale

Front End Loader with Broom Attachment

The purchase of this loader and broom attachment will greatly benefit the safety of our residents.

Township of Granite

Town Hall Accessibility & Upgrades

After losing the township town hall to arson, updates are urgently needed to facilitate private voting for all citizens. The proposed project includes creating accessible parking, converting a storage room into a restroom, adding shelving for road signs, providing furniture for individuals with disabilities, our township board and audience, installing a threshold ramp for easy access, and implementing a message center sign. These updates will aim to improve accessibility and safety while enhancing community engagement.

City of Burtrum

City Snow Plow Truck

This investment will ensure our small community can stay safe and moving forward all winter. We are truly grateful for the support that makes such a big difference in our rural city.

City of Sobieski

Grader

We will take on an upgrade project on our Grader (maintainer). The Staff at Sourcewell are very helpful and willing to go that extra mile to help smaller Cities like ours. Thanks for being the Mentor you are.

Township of Culdrum

Medium-Sized Utility Tractor

With this investment, Culdrum Township will increase our capacity to maintain safe, accessible roads. This project reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible, forward-thinking strategy to strengthen infrastructure, improve response times, and provide cost-effective, reliable service throughout the community.

Through Sourcewell's Food Security Partner Fund, administered by the Initiative Foundation, Sourcewell has provided $7,500 to every food shelf and food bank in its central Minnesota service region.

This funding, given to 28 organizations in the area, targets critical gaps in community food security. Each month more than 440,000 Minnesotans use SNAP, one of the national programs affected by budget cuts and the recent government shutdown.

"This is a critical time for our region," said Tammy Filippi, Senior Resource Development Administrator at Sourcewell. “Between the rising cost of living and lingering impacts from the government shutdown, now is the time to step up for food security in our communities. We're so thankful to the Initiative Foundation, for partnering with us on this fund and keeping rural Minnesotans fed.”

Recipient list:

Cass Lake Area Food Shelf

Federal Dam Pantry

Hackensack Area Food Shelf

Longville Area Food Shelf

Pillager Food Shelf

Pine River Area Food Shelf

Remer Food Shelf

Walker Area Food Shelf

Central Lakes College Food Pantry

Crosslake Food Shelf

Cuyuna Range Food Shelf

Emily Emergency Food Shelf

Garrison Area Caregivers Food Shelf

Lakes Area Food Shelf

The Outreach Program of BLA

The Salvation Army Brainerd

Morrison County Food Shelf

Motley Area Food Shelf

Pierz Area Food Shelf

Browerville Area Food Shelf

Long Prairie Emergency Food Pantry

Staples Area Food Shelf

Menahga Food Shelf

Sebeka Food Shelf

Verndale Area Food Shelf

Second Harvest Northland 

Second Harvest Heartland 

North Central Food Bank 

Almost 200 students from 15 central Minnesota schools discovered storytelling at Sourcewell's Young Authors Conference, Nov. 13 and 14, 2025, at Central Lakes College — Staples.

Students in grades 4-6 were invited to attend this long-running event, which was hosted across two days to accommodate a wide range of schools. Nine presenters from around the Midwest taught workshops on a range of topics, including:

• Writing
• Illustrating
• Character design
• Storyboarding
• Worldbuilding
• Publishing

Sourcewell’s student academic programs coordinator, Crysta Blake, said that students were highly engaged and eager to learn about all aspects of storytelling.

“The atmosphere was incredible this year,” Blake said. “Even from the start, with keynote speakers Trisha and Stephen Shaskan, students were buzzing with excitement to tell their stories. I’m so thankful we get this chance to nurture students’ passion for writing, creation, and storytelling.”

“It’s such a great event, grounded with great people — including the awesome CLC faculty and staff who made hosting this event possible!” 

Photo gallery >

Presenters and topics included:

Trisha Speed Shaskan and Stephen Shaskan

How to Create a Graphic Novel Character!

Creativity is accessible to everyone. In this session, Trisha and Stephen will show you how to create a character through both drawing and writing. Using simple personality questions, simple shapes, and expressions, you can bring a new character to life and have fun doing it!

Trisha and Stephen are a wife and husband team that has created a combination of over 75 books for children. They created the “Q & Ray” graphic novel series together. Trisha and Stephen love visiting schools and libraries, where they share their passion for creativity and stories.

Magdalena Mora

Storyboarding 101: Using Drawing to Get to the Heart of a Story

Storyboards help illustrators, animators, and graphic novelists develop their art and ideas. In this interactive session, Magdalena will help you get more comfortable with your own visual storytelling style through collaborative drawing activities. Students of all drawing abilities are welcome!

Magdalena is an award-winning illustrator. She illustrated “The Notebook Keeper” and “Still Dreaming/Seguimos Soñando.” She lives in Minneapolis where she spends her time reading, cooking, and working in her ceramics studio.

Dr. Tyronne Carter

Paper Rocket Fun and Book Reading

Ordinary events in your life can lead to a learning experience — and a storytelling opportunity! In this session, Dr. Carter will share the experience of writing a book and getting it illustrated and published. And (because he’s a scientist) he’ll explore how the whole experience relates to Newton’s Third Law.

Dr. Tyronne Carter is a K-8 science teacher, K-12 principal, and children’s book author. He works with America’s Fun Science, which offers hands-on science experiment activities and STEM programs for Pre-K through eighth grade.

Art Coulson

Why Does Writing Shorter Take Such a Long Time?

When you’re writing a story, every word counts! So which words do you choose? In this session, Art will show you the differences between short and long books and how each approaches writing differently. You’ll learn how to figure out the “core” of your story…and you’ll test your skills by writing a story that’s only six words long!

Art Coulson, the 2023 McKnight Fellow in Children’s Literature, has written 20 books, graphic novels and plays, including “All the Stars in the Sky,” “Chasing Bigfoot,” and “Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!” Art started his career as a journalist, writing exciting (and very short) stories for newspapers and magazines.

Candace Simar

Building a Fantasy World with Words

Learn how to create a believable, detailed, and unique fantasy world! Candace will show you how to use your imagination as a foundation for writing fictional universes. Learn the importance of creating geography, culture, and technology as you make a “Map of Secrets” that will pull your readers into your new world.

Candace Simar likes to imagine how things might have been. She combines history with her Scandinavian ancestry to create exciting frontier fiction set in Minnesota and North Dakota. Her eighth and newest novel, “Montana Matrimonial News,” was released this year.

Stacy Ebert

The Page is Your Stage

Starting a story is hard. One way to get creative ideas is to ask a simple “What if?” question and see where it takes you! In this session, Stacy will share lots of ways to create story ideas and experiment with them. You’ll get more confident as a writer and have a lot of fun in the process!

Stacy is a children’s book illustrator and writer originally from Brainerd, MN. She has experience in education, design, and picture books. She uses that experience to help young writers and artists take simple ideas and bring them to life in lively scenes, characters, and stories.

Kathleen Sheridan

Origami and You

Kathleen Sheridan is an origami teacher and owner of Origami and You. After teaching Spanish for 18 years, Kathleen decided to stop correcting papers and start folding them! She has loved origami since she was first introduced to it back in 4th grade. She teaches origami to students ages 7 to 97. She teaches at libraries, birthday parties, conferences, festivals and special events. She strives to bring a connection between herself, her students and the papercraft.

Nicholas DeShaw

Nicholas DeShaw is a proud father, educator, and traditional lacrosse coach, and “Loaf the Cat Goes to the Powwow” is his debut picture book. He is Anishinaabe (Bois Forte Ojibwe), Migiziwan Odoodeman (he is Eagle clan). Nicholas studies and speaks the Ojibwe language. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota

Over 100 high school students from central Minnesota schools attended Sourcewell's Student Leadership Conference on Oct. 23, 2025, at Central Lakes College – Staples campus.

Schools chose their attendees individually based on their potential as leaders, whether in classrooms, sports teams, or extracurricular clubs. The event focused on how young leaders are called to be authentic and informed as they work to improve their communities.

The conference focused on the concept of GiANT — an international program that explores leadership voices, unique strengths, and the settings where each voice can excel. Students stepped up in every session as they identified their leadership skills, in both traditional and unusual settings.

“I’ve never seen students more engaged at this event,” said Crysta Blake, Sourcewell’s Student Academics Coordinator. “Across 10 different schools, everyone was eager to listen and respond to the presenters, including our fantastic keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Morris. Students even stayed late to keep talking with him!”

“Today was great,” said one student from Pine River-Backus. “I’m a freshman and I felt like I was a senior.”

Presenters and topics included:

Dr. Stephen Morris | Keynote: Passing the Torch, from Protest to Promise

Your voice matters: Make it real. In this session, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of your power to shape democracy, learn how to connect history to today’s civic action, and leave with a simple framework for initiating positive change. Take up the mantle and become an authentic, informed voice of reflective patriotism!

Keri Johnson | Discovering Your Leadership Voice

Get to know your voice as a leader and how to use it. In this session, you’ll learn the five leadership voices and how to recognize them, and you’ll build confidence in using your own voice to become a stronger leader. You’ll also identify the voices around you and understand what it’s like for others to be led by you.

Jane Peterson | Find Your Voice. Use It Effectively.

Your voice is essential to your team’s success. In this session, you’ll explore different ways to communicate and listen as a leader. You’ll discover how to lead with integrity, hold your team accountable, and be a servant leader. Discover how your thoughts, words, and actions impact your chance of success.

Hallie Pond | Unlock Your Leadership Potential — Impact Through Service

Uncover your unique strengths, connect your passions to purpose, and make a real difference in your community! In this session, you’ll explore how leadership, resiliency, and service intersect to create meaningful impact — guided by the Japanese concept of Ikigai ("your reason for being"). Gain confidence in your unique ability to lead with service and purpose.

Learn more about local student events at mn.sourcewell.org/education/student-programs

Almost 100 students from central Minnesota schools spent the day immersed in science at Sourcewell's annual Young Scientists Conference, Oct. 2, 2025, at Central Lakes College – Staples campus.

Students in grades 4-6 experienced a wide variety of scientific topics firsthand. Science and technology professionals from around Minnesota hosted nine different presentations showcasing their careers and areas of expertise, from reptiles to rocket science.

Sourcewell’s student academic programs coordinator, Crysta Blake, said students were clearly excited and invested throughout the day, ready to make the most of the hands-on experiences.

“This year’s theme was ‘Science in Action,’ and that was obvious from the start!” Blake said. “By the end of the first session, the majority of students had already been onstage and involved. Students were so excited to interact with the topics and presenters, and we heard over and over how they were eager to tell their siblings, parents, and even grandparents about the day’s events.”

“We hope that excitement for science stays with them for a long time.”

Presenters and topics included:

Keynote

Dr. Tyronne Carter

America’s Fun Science | Interactive STEM Event

Experience the joy of science exploration in a hands-on, on-stage environment! Dr. Tyronne Carter, “Dr. Fun,” will both entertain and inform you through onstage science demonstrations of many different concepts in chemistry, physics, and more!

Dr. Tyronne Carter is an experienced teacher, principal, STEM instructor, and author and the founder of America’s Fun Science, a company that has been making and sharing tools for science learning across Minnesota for ten years. Its programs help promote team building, leadership, self-confidence, creativity, and joy. 

Kya Meunier

Snake Discovery | Snake, Rattle, and Roll!

Meet Minnesota’s reptiles! Join us to gain a greater understanding of our native Minnesota reptiles, and how they are important to the environment by watching a salamander eat, debunking turtle myths, touching snakes, and more! Learn why reptile conservation is important, and how you can help keep these beautiful creatures safe and healthy.

Snake Discovery provides engaging and educational programs at libraries, schools, nature centers, state parks, and more! Our programs allow people to interact with real reptiles from our backyards or around the world. Students are welcome to touch (and even hold) the ambassador animals for a truly hands-on experience.

Mike DeLuca

Geology | Rocks and Minerals

Let's explore the fascinating world of rocks and minerals! We'll discover how they form and make up our amazing planet, and how to look closer to tell them apart. Get ready for an exciting hands-on experience with rock specimens and take one home with you to remember this incredible adventure!

Mike DeLuca has worked in mining, mineralogy, and education. He has a master’s degree in earth science mineralogy and he teaches geology around the country. He has worked with the Bureau of Land Management and the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum.

Megan Raschka and Jennifer Behm

Bell Museum | Beak Investigation

Minnesota’s birds have adapted to a bunch of different environments and lifestyles. You can tell the differences between them by the smallest details — even the shape of a beak! Learn about adaptation and the life all around us through hands-on exploration activities!

Megan Raschka and Jennifer Behm are part of the Statewide Engagement team at the Bell Museum. Their goal is to bring the Bell Museum’s natural history and astronomy programs throughout the entire state to help create a museum without boundaries!

Brenden Swanson

Fenworks | Esports and Drone Racing: Not Just Playing, but Learning

Get ready to explore the exciting world of esports and drone racing and discover how STEM concepts come to life! Prepare to dive into the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industry and learn how video games can be used for learning, teambuilding, and competition. You'll be amazed by the opportunities for training and careers available to you. Let's get started!

Fenworks is a company that focuses on leveraging the power of technology to create an immersive, community-driven experience that propels students into the future of digital competition and STEM education through high-tech activities such as esports and drone racing.

Crystal Kapphahn, Rod Opheim, Donald Brusewitz, and Scott Braith

Lakewood Health System | Life-Saving Science in Action

How do medical teams help people, in everyday appointments and in emergencies? Use an ultrasound machine to literally see your own heart beating, watch emergency medicine like CPR demonstrations firsthand, and explore an ambulance to learn everything it can do to help save lives!

Since 1936, Lakewood Health System has made it their business to ensure the health and well-being of their patients and communities. Located in Staples, Minn., they're focused on an entire spectrum of care, not just helping people get well, but staying well, at every stage of life.

Russell Strachan

Aerospace | Space & Aviation: Understanding What’s Up!

It’s not rocket science…or is it? Explore the vast world of space exploration and aviation with a former NASA engineer! Learn the nuts-and-bolts of spacecraft development, plus the latest advances in aviation. And that's not all: You'll also discover the many career opportunities that await you in this field. Buckle up and get ready for an adventure that you'll never forget!

Mr. Strachan has earned two degrees in aerospace engineering, and has worked in the military, government, education, and commercial worlds. His experience includes the Global Positioning System (GPS), the CIA, and the NASA Space Shuttle Program. He is also a substitute teacher in math and science at Brainerd and Pequot Lakes schools.

Curtis Robertson

Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference | FIRST Robotics

Robotics is a fast-growing field of competition that helps develop a love for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Come learn how high schools competing with the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) are changing the future for students. Come see a competitive robot in action, talk with some students currently involved with FRC, watch videos on what competitions look like, and see how FRC is a program that’s open to EVERYONE!

Curtis Robertson is a technology education teacher and technology coordinator at Upsala Area Schools, a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) lead mentor, and a representative for the Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference and the Minnesota Robotics Coaches Association.

Kathleen Sheridan

Origami and You

Kathleen Sheridan is an origami teacher and owner of Origami and You. After teaching Spanish for 18 years, Kathleen decided to stop correcting papers and start folding them! She has loved origami since she was first introduced to it back in 4th grade. She teaches origami to students ages 7 to 97. She teaches at libraries, birthday parties, conferences, festivals and special events. She strives to bring a connection between herself, her students and the papercraft.

“When we first imagined WonderTrek, it wasn't just about walls and exhibits. It was about creating a space where every child could feel the spark of curiosity come alive,” said Shannon Wheeler, Pequot Lakes Schools early childhood coordinator and WonderTrek board member. “A place where questions are celebrated, imaginations are stretched, and families can connect, explore, and grow together.”

That idea is at the heart of WonderTrek, and it’s why Sourcewell became the project’s lead contributor and strategic investor. The museum will house the Center for Interactive Play and Learning, an interactive space paired with engaging programming for kids and adults to explore the power of play and develop deeper connections through shared discovery.

“It's a beautiful place where kids are going to be able to learn from their play, enjoy time with their families, and just really be together as a community,” said Sourcewell’s Chief Regional Solutions Officer and WonderTrek Board Chair Paul Drange. “That's why we're doing this. It’s going to enhance what's already happening in this great community, in this great region. And it's just an honor and a privilege to be a part of it.”

Sourcewell’s support reflects its commitment to helping communities create meaningful opportunities for families. Dedicated to boosting student and community success, the organization recognizes that learning begins long before a child enters a classroom and continues throughout life. Out-of-school experiences — especially those rooted in play — stimulate early brain development and lay the foundation for lifelong learning and long-term success.

“Learning doesn’t wait for the first day of school, and it doesn’t stop when the bell rings,” said Sourcewell CEO Dr. Chad Coauette. “So that is what makes this so exciting, because we also all know that kids learn best when they're free to explore and play.”

The WonderTrek vision began in 2015 with a magazine article and an image of CNC mills in the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota that caught Coauette’s eye. He shared it with Drange, and the two toured the Mankato museum, imagining what something similar could look like closer to home.

“This idea started as a simple question: If not us, who? If not now, when?” said Coauette.

That question grew into a decade-long journey of partnerships with educators, local leaders, and organizations across central Minnesota. Now, with kids digging in ceremonial dirt and shovels in hand, that vision is becoming reality.

With more than $6 million already raised, WonderTrek is in the final fundraising phase to open its doors in early 2026. To learn more about the museum’s vision, plans, and how you can support is future, visit the WonderTrek Museum website.

Sourcewell is proud to announce that it has been named a Top Workplace in Minnesota by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, for the tenth consecutive year. At the Star Tribune's Top 200 Recognition Luncheon on June 12, Sourcewell was also honored with a No. 6 ranking out of 73 organizations in the mid-sized employer category (150-499 employees) on the 2025 Top Workplaces list.

This recognition follows the Sourcewell’s recent inclusion on the  2025 USA Today Top Workplaces list for the second year in a row.  

Each year, employers have an opportunity to be recognized as a Top Workplace based solely on employee feedback gathered through a confidential survey conducted by Energage, a third-party employee engagement technology partner. The survey measures engagement, organizational health, and job satisfaction, including whether employees feel respected and supported, empowered to grow, and enabled to execute. 

Sourcewell CEO Dr. Chad Coauette said this year’s recognition is a testament to Sourcewell’s commitment to fostering a work environment where everyone feels valued and motivated over the last decade.  

“We’ve been intentional about creating an organizational culture where people feel supported, empowered, proud of the work they do, and the impact they make” said Sourcewell CEO Dr. Chad Coauette. “This recognition is a tribute to the dedication of our staff, leadership team, and Board of Directors who have shaped and sustained our workplace culture.” 

Over the past 11 months, Sourcewell has experienced incredible and strategic growth, welcoming approximately 135 new employees. Its staff now includes team members who live in 28 states across the country. 

The Star Tribune 2025 Top Workplaces list is available on the Star Tribune website (nongovernment site) and was published in a special section on Thursday, June 12.  

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About Sourcewell  

Sourcewell empowers public employees through dynamic solutions and services that drive efficiency and impact. As a government organization serving thousands of public agencies across the United States and Canada, Sourcewell understands the day-to-day challenges public employees face. From cooperative contracts and related solutions, to education and community resources, Sourcewell is committed to providing high-quality service while supporting community success. Visit sourcewell-mn.gov to learn more. See current job openings at sourcewell-mn.gov/careers. 

Ray Gildow, host of Lakeland Currents, is joined by representatives from Sourcewell for a conversation about how the organization serves central Minnesota. The group discusses Sourcewell’s contracted services, including day care and adult foster care licensing, zoning administration, and mental health transition services, and how you can get in contact with them to find out if they can help your community.

Watch episode >

Can math be fun? 194 (100 + 90 + 4) (97 x 2) (776 ÷ 4) local students say “Yes.”

Students in fourth through sixth grades – representing schools from throughout central Minnesota, including Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties – participated in the final Math Masters competitions of the 2024-25 school year on March 6, April 22, and April 25 at Sourcewell, with many local students taking home top honors.

The Math Masters mathematics competition program challenges fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in mathematics. Students compete as individuals and on teams in eight rounds of competition. Students’ academic effort and achievement are recognized in each competition element: Fact Drill, individual round, and team competition.

Sourcewell Student Academics Coordinator Crysta Blake said competitors brought their competitive nature and positive outlook to each challenge.

“Watching the students hammer through all those math questions was pure delight!” Blake said. “Their smiles and high energy were contagious, making each event not only an impressive display of math skills, but also incredibly fun. It was truly a joy to see such enthusiasm and determination in action. Hosting this event at Sourcewell was a fantastic experience: It was so great to see students in the building each day.”

Grade 4 team results

First place: 4^th Baxter Blue

• Connor Kuepers
•  Simon Erickson
• Caleb Gillen
• Grayson Swenson

Second place: Royalton Gold

• Simon Brixius
• Tyler Ruley
• Edwyn Nelson
• Haylie Lanners
• Isabel Barthel

Third place: Henning School

• Braxton Balbach
• Kaylee Godding
• Lane Greenwood
• Reegan Hoelscher
• Teddy Larsen

Grade 4 individual results

• First place: Simon Brixius – Royalton Gold
• Second place: Connor Kuepers – 4th Baxter Blue
• Third place: Addy Loidolt – 4th Pierz Black
• Fourth place: Zeb Klein – 4th Baxter Warriors
• Fifth place: Gavin Krippner – 4th Pierz Black
• Sixth place: Alexis Miller – 4th Baxter Warriors
• Seventh place: Tyler Ruley – Royalton Gold
• Eighth place: Braxton Balbach – Henning School
• Ninth place: Ben Britz – 4th Pierz Red
• Tenth place: Oliver Przybilla – 4th Pierz Black
• Eleventh place: Landon Dancer – Royalton Maroon
• Twelfth place: Bennett Turnberg – 4th Sebeka Trojans
• Thirteenth place: Simon Erickson – 4th Baxter Blue
• Fourteenth place: Teddy Larsen – Henning School
• Fifteenth place: Mason Rustad – Blackduck

Grade 4 Fact Drill results

• First place: Jameson Lust – Royalton Maroon
• Second place: Simon Brixius – Royalton Gold
• Third place: Tyler Ruley – Royalton Gold
• Fourth place (tie): Connor Kuepers – 4th Baxter Blue
• Fourth place (tie): Zeb Klein – 4th Baxter Warriors
• Sixth place: Simon Erickson – 4th Baxter Blue
• Seventh place (tie): Oliver Przybilla – 4th Pierz Black
• Seventh place (tie): Ben Britz – 4th Pierz Red
• Seventh place (tie): Cullen Herman – 4th Pierz Red
• Tenth place (tie): Isabelle Ross – Blackduck
• Tenth place (tie): Mason Rustad – Blackduck
• Twelfth place: Grayson Swenson – 4th Baxter Blue
• Thirteenth place (tie): Logan Wilson – Blackduck
• Thirteenth place (tie): Aryan Clark – 4th Sebeka Trojans
• Fifteenth place: Cooper Funk – 4th Sebeka Trojans

Grade 5 team results

First place: The Odd Evengers

• Marly Shaw
• Ruby Shaw
• Sullivan Bratney
• Elim Anderson
• Stella Vang

Second place: Mississippi Heights Gold

• Sam Haverhals
• Elliott Leverson
• John Anderson
• Levi Blake
• David Johnson

Third place: 5^th Pierz Black

• Jet Toops
• Finley Virnig
• Braelyn Adamski
• Noah Bridewell
• Nolan Cebulla

Grade 5 individual results

• First place: Marly Shaw – The Odd Evengers
• Second place: Colton Betancourt – Royalton Gold
• Third place: Sam Haverhals – Mississippi Heights Gold
• Fourth place: Jorgen Miller – Pillager Maroon
• Fifth place: Sullivan Bratney – The Odd Evengers
• Sixth place: Levi Blake – Mississippi Heights Gold
• Seventh place: Finn Howard – Team Affiliate 2-Mississippi Heights
• Eighth place: David Johnson – Mississippi Heights Gold
• Ninth place: George Anagnos – Team Affiliate 1-Mississippi Heights
• Tenth place: Elim Anderson – The Odd Evengers
• Eleventh place: Mac Dilly – Henning School
• Twelfth place: Ava Roline – Cardinals
• Thirteenth place: Samuel Freelove – Pillager Maroon
• Fourteenth place: Evan Elstran – 5th Pierz Red
• Fifteenth place: Alaric Jones – 5th Lindbergh 2

Grade 5 Fact Drill results

• First place: Marly Shaw – The Odd Evengers
• Second place (tie): Elim Anderson – The Odd Evengers
• Second place (tie): Finley Virnig – 5th Pierz Black
• Second place (tie): Sam Haverhals – Mississippi Heights Gold
• Second place (tie): Levi Blake – Mississippi Heights Gold
• Second place (tie): Landdyn Melby – 5th Pierz Red
• Seventh place (tie): Vesu’veus Eagle – 5th Lindbergh 2
• Seventh place (tie): Finn Howard – Team Affiliate 2–Mississippi Heights
• Ninth place: Jackson Bruse – 5th Pierz Red
• Tenth place (tie): Elliot Nelson – Royalton Maroon
• Tenth place (tie): Talon Kavanaugh – Pillager Gold
• Tenth place (tie): Cecelia Vandermay – 5th Sebeka Trojans
• Thirteenth place: Keagan Andres – 5th Pierz Red
• Fourteenth place (tie): Mykenna Martin – Pillager Maroon
• Fourteenth place (tie): Rhianna Nevala – 5th Sebeka Trojans
• Sixteenth place (tie): Jorgen Miller – Pillager Maroon
• Sixteenth place (tie): Makayla Menze – Henning School
• Sixteenth place (tie): Eliza Thelen – 5th Lindbergh 3
• Sixteenth place (tie): Evan Elstran – 5th Pierz Red

Grade 6 team results

First place: 6th Sebeka Trojans

• Shantel Simonson
• Kendall Peterson
• Paige Johnson
• Samson Tumberg
• Rowan Donnay

Second place: 6^th Pierz Black

• Rosabella Warnke
• Brody Williams
• Kylah Loxterkamp
• Kira Okroi
• Rylan Wolthuizen

Third place: 6^th Pierz Red

• Everett Henderson
• Anna Schmidtbauer
• Clark Steiner
• Alainna Voss
• Audrey Knutson

Grade 6 individual results

• First place: Rowan Donnay – 6^th Sebeka Trojans
• Second place: Sheila Tierney – Henning School
• Third place: Corey Wojciechowski – Cardinals
• Fourth place: Kira Okroi – 6^th Pierz Black
• Fifth place: Kylah Loxterkamp – 6^th Pierz Black
• Sixth place: Everett Henderson – 6^th Pierz Red
• Seventh place: Anna Schmidtbauer – 6^th Pierz Red
• Eighth place: Rosabella Warnke – 6^th Pierz Black

Grade 6 Fact Drill results

• First place (tie): Anna Schmidtbauer – 6th Pierz Red
• First place (tie): Rowan Donnay – 6th Sebeka Trojans
• Third place (tie): Corey Wojciechowski – Cardinals
• Third place (tie): Maevy Doboszenski – Pillager Maroon
• Fifth place (tie): Rosabella Warnke – 6th Pierz Black 
• Fifth place (tie): Kira Okroi – 6th Pierz Black
• Seventh place: Sheila Tierney – Henning School
• Eighth place: Jaxon Schmidt – Royalton Gold

Rock Ridge, a relatively new school district on Minnesota’s Iron Range, is taking a new approach to career readiness.

Created in 2020 through the merger of rival school districts Eveleth-Gilbert and Virginia, Rock Ridge invested deeply in its facility and programs to meet the changing career landscape of the Iron Range. The district set a goal for 80 percent of its graduating students to be ready for the workforce — no small feat. Meeting that goal would take not only a modern learning facility, but also a curriculum that could make the most of it.

Rock Ridge found that opportunity in Metier, an experiential learning and lifestyle design program based on giving students a variety of career experiences: as many as possible, as soon as possible.

“All you’re really doing is taking the question they’re not asked until 18, and sliding it down to 15,” says Jordan Herman, one of the program’s co-creators. “A lot of schools offer plenty of opportunities, but kids won’t know what they want or how to pick. By the time graduation’s on the horizon and they’re thinking seriously about it, we’ve missed some of their best years of self-exploration. We need to be starting that journey way, way earlier.”

Rock Ridge embraced that philosophy. It has implemented all four grades of Metier’s curriculum, which spans the formative years of middle school. Roughly 2,100 Rock Ridge students have participated in the Core Exploration program for fifth and sixth grade, while almost 3,500 students have participated in the Career Exploration program for seventh and eighth grade. It has offered them each exposure to numerous opportunities and experiences: some of them familiar, most of them not.

That last part is by design. “Metier is the first class designed for students not to like it,” says Jordan. “Kids get to try one bite of a bunch of things, some of them really far ‘out there’ — a career they’d maybe never encounter until years after graduation. They won’t like everything they try. They probably won’t even like most of it! But that’s the point. The experience is the point. They try a buffet and find the dishes they do like.”

“We’ve been asking students the wrong question: ‘What do you want to do after graduation?’ We show them a range of wages and send them out, saying ‘good luck!’ It doesn’t help anyone. We can’t ask students about their ideal careers…fuzzy unknowns they’ve never actually seen. We have to bring the experiences to them. Let them get their hands on a unique project, solve a problem, just play in that space for a few hours at a time. Give them the chance, and they’ll find their passion for themselves.”

“Rock Ridge has been nothing short of fantastic in their implementation and buildout,” says Jordan. “They’re supporting the whole child with this approach, using Metier as the foundational tool that connects their college and career readiness system. Rock Ridge’s embrace of this program — and the philosophy behind it — is something to celebrate, and its future potential is robust.”

For Rock Ridge, Metier is a tremendous investment and statement of purpose for its students. It’s also an example of how the program has grown from its central Minnesota roots. Originally devised by two Cass County teachers, the program is now used in almost two dozen districts throughout Minnesota…and expanding further each year.

“A career and technical education grant opened up 11 schools in a pilot form…we’ve been able to work with them through the rest of Minnesota’s service cooperatives,” says Jordan. “We’re so excited to see other schools and other regions picking it up. Through Sourcewell and the other cooperatives, we’re able to work together and serve the whole state.”

“It’s really something to celebrate.”

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Learn more about bringing Metier to your students at sourcewell.org/college-career-readiness/metier.

More than 100 local teachers and staff members from schools in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties were selected by school administration for outstanding dedication, leadership, and innovation. For their achievements, they were celebrated as Educators of Excellence at two special banquet events hosted by Sourcewell on Wednesday, April 30, and Wednesday, May 7, in Blacksmith Main at The Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd.

These events recognized and awarded local educators who positively impact students and colleagues. This year, in addition to 53 Teachers of Excellence, 49 non-teaching staff were also named and recognized as Pillars of Excellence. The event was split into two nights: April 30 celebrated Teachers and Pillars in the northern half of the region, while May 7 featured recipients from the southern half.

An additional award called Innovator of the Year, given by the Innovative Schools Project (ISP), was presented to Nicole Harmer from Brainerd High School.

Cody Pulju, a teacher and coach from Menahga Elementary School, was one of the event’s honorees.

“It was a wonderful evening filled with gratitude, professionalism, pride, and renewed motivation to continue making a difference in the lives of students,” says Pulju. “Shout-out to Sourcewell for hosting such a meaningful and inspiring banquet!”

In addition to Menahga, educators from the following districts were also honored: Bertha-Hewitt, Brainerd, Cass Lake-Bena, Crosby-Ironton, Crosslake Community, Freshwater Education District, Little Falls, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Northland Community, Pequot Lakes, Pierz, Pillager, Pine River-Backus, Royalton, Sebeka, Staples-Motley, Swanville, Upsala, Verndale, Wadena-Deer Creek, and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

The Educators of Excellence celebrations were broadcast live on Facebook for the general public, and recordings are available to view on Sourcewell’s Facebook page for both April 30 and May 7.

View event program

Photo gallery

Local students gathered to be celebrated at the 2025 Students of Character celebration, held April 23, 2025, at Madden’s on Gull Lake.

Forty-five juniors and seniors from high schools throughout the area – including Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties – were honored at a special event hosted by Sourcewell recognizing students for their impact throughout their schools and communities. Each honoree was selected by staff from their school and presented with a $750 scholarship, made possible by business and community donations.

“This is one of my favorite events each year,” says Sourcewell CEO Chad Coauette. “Our students are incredible people who have given so much to their communities: It’s fantastic seeing those communities come together to give them something back as a show of support. We’re honored to be a part of recognizing these students, and we’re excited to see the impact they’ll have in the years to come.”

The Students of Character Celebration was by invitation only; however, the event was broadcast live on Facebook for the general public. A recording of the complete event can be viewed on the Sourcewell Facebook page.

Event recording

Event program

Photo gallery

Josslyn Hansen is the region’s top speller this year.

The Wadena-Deer Creek seventh grader took first place at the 2025 Regional Spelling Bee, hosted by Sourcewell, on March 19. Hansen was declared the winner after successfully spelling the word “anatomical” in the final round. Hansen now moves on to represent the region in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, at the end of May.  

The top three regional finishers were:

• Champion – Josslyn Hansen, seventh grade, Wadena-Deer Creek
• Runner-up – Ava Kyro, seventh grade, Sebeka
• 2nd Runner-up – William Craig, eighth grade, Pequot Lakes

Each year, Sourcewell hosts the Regional Spelling Bee for third through eighth graders of member schools in the five-county service area of Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties. The winner earns an all-expenses-paid trip to the national spelling bee for themselves and a parent/guardian.

“Everyone showed up playing to win,” said Sourcewell Student Academics Coordinator Crysta Christensen. “The competition was respectful, but definitely fierce! You could feel the importance of this event for each student, especially in the tense final rounds. Congratulations to Josslyn, and to all our competitors who made it this far.”

Each participant was a finalist or champion in their respective district. The representation formula is one speller per 1,000 students based on K-12 enrollment, which also includes private and parochial schools within the geographical boundaries of a district.

Congratulations to all regional spelling bee participants:

• Thomas Ostrowski, fifth grade, Aitkin
•  Autumne Haus, eighth grade, Bertha-Hewitt
• Malakyi Foty, third grade, Crosslake
• Brinley Lake, sixth grade, Menahga
• Storm Boyd, seventh grade, Onamia
• William Craig, eighth grade, Pequot Lakes
• Trip Toops, seventh grade, Pierz
• Eirinn Ballou, seventh grade, Pierz
• Lincoln Zajac, fifth grade, Pierz
• Wyatt Dropps, sixth grade, Pine River-Backus
• Hunter Scheel, seventh grade, Royalton
• Ava Kyro, seventh grade, Sebeka
• Ryan Macheel, seventh grade, Staples-Motley
• Emmitt Phillips, eighth grade, Swanville
• Josslyn Hansen, seventh grade, Wadena-Deer Creek

Student teams from Pequot Lakes, Pierz, Nevis, and Aitkin school districts will advance to the state-level Knowledge Bowl competition after placing top four in the regional senior high event this February.

A team from Pequot Lakes placed first, with Pierz taking second, Nevis third, and Aitkin fourth. All four move on to the Minnesota State Knowledge Bowl tournament, which will be held April 10-11 at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd.

Crysta Christensen, Sourcewell student academic coordinator, said competitive spirit was high as 30 student teams from 17 different school districts rose and fell in the rankings throughout the day, each vying for a chance to advance.

"The atmosphere was electric," Christensen said. "These students aren’t just knowledgeable – they’re excited to test themselves and compete, and eager to share what they know. They may have been answering trivia questions, but there’s nothing trivial about the passion these teams displayed."

Knowledge Bowl, sponsored locally by Sourcewell, is for students in grades 6-12. Each team of students works to answer questions on many topics including history, math, science, and literature. Students test their memory, critical thinking, reflexes, and teamwork in a series of events including written questions plus real-time “buzz in”-style quiz rounds.

Competitions are held throughout late winter and early spring, with top teams in grades 9-12 advancing to the Minnesota State Knowledge Bowl competition in April.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Every young child has heard this question, just like every high school senior hears a similar question: “What are you doing after graduation?” Often, it’s the first time since childhood they’ve been asked directly about their future goals. Except now, the question is suddenly very relevant and, for many graduating seniors, the answer is worryingly unclear.

“We need to be starting that conversation earlier,” says Katie Tackmann, K-12 school counselor at Verndale Public School. “There are plenty of options, either for joining the workforce or further education or training, but students might not know about them. Many students aren’t shown the bigger picture, leaving them to make these critical, career-altering decisions ‘by default’ as graduation approaches.”

Career pathways offer students a way to think about and act on those future plans long before graduation. Each school’s program differs, but at its core, a career pathways program reframes students’ course options to help them see how each one can contribute to a future career. The program also offers additional real-world practical experiences to give students concrete examples of a given career.

Katie and Heather Lehmkuhl, Verndale’s other K-12 school counselor, worked with teachers and staff at their school to incorporate each of the school’s courses into four career pathways:

• Agriculture, manufacturing, and natural resources
• Business
• Health and human services
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)

Students are able to choose their courses and work toward a certain career pathway, then supplement their in-class learning through experiential learning with local businesses.

“We build off of so many more pieces beyond class choices,” says Heather. “Field trips, job shadowing and internship opportunities, and speakers who explain different career options and make them come alive for interested students. Students get the chance to see real-world examples of their potential careers, and they get guidance on which classes will help them prepare.”

When Katie and Heather introduced the idea of career pathways to Verndale high school students last spring, the reactions were very positive. According to Katie:

“You could just see the realization on the students’ faces. ‘Oh, I get it now! There’s a reason I’m taking this math course or that English class.’ These students are so accustomed to just taking a course for the sake of it, just because that’s what’s available. But here, they can see the thought and reason behind taking a specific class. As a result, they have more buy-in to that class.

In fact, since introducing their career pathways program, Verndale has seen a spike in student engagement in career exploration, job shadowing trips, internships…and even daily classes. With the opportunity to connect the dots and visualize their career journey, students are often more willing to commit to it.

“We’ve talked to students more about college and career options this year than ever before,” says Heather. “They’re a lot more interested and driven in their education. They’re focusing more on what they’re doing in school, and where they’re going after graduation.” 

Revolutionizing how their students prepare for graduation was no small task. “A few years ago, we were told to dream big for our career pathways program,” says Katie. “And we wanted to do big things. We’re a small school, though, so dreaming big can be a tall order. Sourcewell’s involvement changed that.”

By working together with Sourcewell’s team of career consultants, Katie and Heather gained access to resources and expertise they didn’t have before, and a partner in planning and execution of their program. “Our career consultant Toni has made a huge difference,” says Heather. “She’s brought us resources, and she connects us with other schools in the region to help us compare notes. She always helps us figure out each challenge and keep moving.”

For her part, Toni Hidalgo is happy to help. “Verndale is fantastic to work with. They have a clear vision for their pathways program, and they’ve taken that initiative. Heather and Katie tell me what they’re looking for, or what they’re hoping to achieve, and I can connect them to the schools, the businesses, or the resources they need. They’ll take that and run with it: They always find a way to make it work.”

Toni works with several school districts to help them implement career pathways programs. She and her colleagues at Sourcewell are now helping almost 20 school districts in central Minnesota make career readiness a tangible, actionable concept for area students.

“These career pathways programs offer young people something unique: a drive and a desire to be in that space,” says Toni. “Attendance is better, and students are seeing higher employment rates beyond graduation. When you can offer them a plan to follow, students thrive.”

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Sourcewell’s Career Consultant Program offers consulting services to school districts throughout Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties to help them implement career pathways initiatives, plus other student career readiness programs.

To connect with a career consultant, please contact Sourcewell at education@sourcewell-mn.gov.

Over 300 students from central Minnesota schools got firsthand experiences writing, learning, and growing their voices at Sourcewell's Young Authors Conference, Nov. 14 and 15, 2024, at Central Lakes College – Staples campus.

Students in grades 4-6 were invited to attend this long-running event, which was hosted across two days due to large registration sizes. Eight presenters from around the area shared their experiences as professional authors, covering storytelling topics like dialogue, characters, illustration, songwriting, and more.

Sourcewell’s student academic programs coordinator, Crysta Christensen, said that this event was focused on giving students a chance to develop their own writing skills, style, and voice, by helping them find their strengths as authors and by potentially opening them up to directions they hadn’t considered.

“We want every student to know that their storytelling voice is unique,” Christensen said. “This event is all about encouraging students to tell the stories that matter to them, in their own way. We’ve been so lucky to have keynote speaker Dawn and the other presenters share their expertise across these two days, and the response from our young authors has been spectacular.”

Photo gallery link >

Presenters and topics included:

Dawn Quigley   |   Keynote Presenter

Dawn Quigley, Ph.D. and citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, ND, is an educator and former Indian Education program director who spent over 18 years teaching English and reading in K-12 schools.

Dawn is an award-winning author of books like “Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-To-Be Best Friend,” “Apple in the Middle,” “Joey Reads the Sky,” “Native American Heroes,” and “Red Bird Danced” (forthcoming). Dawn has over 30 published articles, essays, and poems. Dawn lives in Minnesota with her family, where she loves to read, write, and sometimes cook healthy meals.

Abby Cooper  |  Writing is Magical

In this introduction to speculative fiction, students will explore many exciting ways to sprinkle magical elements into stories. They will brainstorm ideas for magical characters, settings, and objects, and discuss how to account for magical elements in a way that makes sense to readers. Students will then begin crafting a piece of writing. Come ready to be creative – we’ll have a magical time!

Abby Cooper is the author of four middle-school novels: “Sticks & Stones,” “Bubbles,” “Friend or Fiction,” and “True Colors.” A former school librarian, Abby is the founder of A Book of My Own, a new non-profit that aims to increase book ownership across Minnesota. Visit her online at AbbyCooperAuthor.com.

Art Coulson  |  Bring Your Characters to Life

What makes a character memorable? This session aims to find out. Together we’ll explore the traits of a great character in a book or story and how we can add detail and depth to the characters we create. You’ll leave with some handy tools to help you get the characters out of your head and onto the page in ways that will make everyone want to know them better.

Art Coulson, the 2023 McKnight Fellow in Children’s Literature, has written more than a dozen books, graphic novels and plays, including “Chasing Bigfoot,” “The Reluctant Storyteller,” and “Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!” which was named a best STEM book by the National Science Teaching Association and featured on Reading Rainbow.

Jason Walz  |  Let’s Make a Comic!

Comics are an exciting way to tell stories, but they can also be very daunting. Whether you’ve been making comics for years or you have never even dreamed of trying it before, you will leave this class feeling like a comic book rock star. You’ll leave this session with new skills and plans for creating comic stories of your own. Join us for an exciting experience full of encouragement, support, and fun.

Jason Walz is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels “Last Pick,” “Last Pick: Born to Run,” “Last Pick: Rise Up,” “A Story for Desmond,” and “Homesick,” which was nominated for an Eisner award. In addition to cartooning, Jason has also been teaching within special education for over twenty years. His latest book is a YA graphic novel for Penguin Books about depression and loss (with lots of monsters thrown in for good measure).

John Coy  |  Let’s Talk: How Dialogue Can Improve Your Writing

Dialogue can tell a lot about character, plot, and emotion. We’ll write lots and have fun as we discuss the importance of dialogue in creating effective scenes, develop different ways of presenting dialogue, and discover ways to make writing dialogue fun, easy, and effective.

John is the author of young adult novels, chapter books, and nonfiction and fiction picture books. He has received numerous awards for his work and loves working with students to share some of the techniques he’s learned. John lives by the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

Ken Lonnquist |  Voice, Tone, and Rhythm: Make Your Writing Sing!

Whether you write prose or poetry, drama or comedy – or even songs! – you need to tune in to your own voice. In this session, you’ll write a brand new song with Ken while learning about how to identify your own voice and perspective, keep it focused, and choose descriptive words that feel fresh and unique to your voice.

Ken brings laughter and song to audiences of all ages, exploring themes of nature, human nature, and current events. He has toured North America and his songs have played on NPR, Air America, documentaries, and more.

Stacy Ebert  |  A Pickle is Worth a Thousand Words: Illustrate Expressive Characters with Page-Turning Personality!

Illustration is a game-changer! In this session, you’ll get a glimpse into the world of illustration and learn how to show a character’s feelings and personality using two important techniques: facial expressions and lines of action. We’ll practice using these techniques to make any character – like the pickles from Stacy’s latest book – feel dynamic and full of personality.  

Stacy is a children’s book illustrator and writer originally from Brainerd, MN. She works with major NYC publishing houses alongside professionals who have edited and directed books like “Fancy Nancy” and “Pete the Cat.” She loves playing piano and spending time with her family. Learn more at: www.stacyebert.com

Ty Chapman  |  Writing a Scene with Conflict

How do you write conflict into a story? How can you make it exciting and relatable? In this active session, we’ll jump right into generative writing exercises and get comfortable making big creative choices together. You’ll learn about setting, character building, and writing an effective scene, and how you can use each of those to build conflict and resolution!

Ty Chapman is the author of multiple children’s books and a poetry collection. Ty was a 2024 Cave Canem fellow, 2022 Center for Arts + Social Justice Fellow, and a Mirrors & Windows fellow. He holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults through Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Over 90 students from central Minnesota schools attended Sourcewell's Student Leadership Conference on Oct. 25, 2024, at Sourcewell.

Students in grades 9-12 were selected individually by their schools to attend. Invitees were chosen based on the potential they showed as leaders in their classrooms, sports teams, and extracurricular clubs. The event focused on how each young leader could create positive impact throughout their school and community.

The foundation for the event was the concept of GiANT Worldwide – an international program designed to help individuals understand their leadership voices, their unique strengths, and the settings in which each can excel. Conference sessions focused on helping attendees identify their leadership skills, whether in traditional or less-publicized forms.

“It was a joy to see students find their leadership voices in real time,” said Crysta Christensen, Sourcewell’s student academic programs coordinator. “These students were already showing up for each other as leaders in small everyday moments, without even thinking about it. This event showed them skills they might not have seen in themselves, and it energized them to develop those skills even further. We’re honored to be a part of that discovery.”

Presenters and topics included:

Jane Peterson | Finding Your Voice and Using it Effectively

Being a team leader is hard, but your voice is essential to your team's success. In this session, you'll discover how to lead with integrity, hold your team accountable, and be a servant leader. Explore different ways to effectively communicate and see why what you think, say, and do truly matters.        

Rachel Logan and Lisa Worden | Advocating for Yourself and Others 

Have you ever felt the need to speak up but couldn’t find the words? We’ll address those situations in this session, talk about why it can be hard to speak up, and together, explore phrases to keep in your back pocket so you feel even more confident advocating for yourself and those around you.

Keri Johnson | Discovering Your Leadership Voice 
Discover your foundational leadership voice and why it matters. Learn to recognize the five leadership voices and build confidence in using your own to become a stronger leader. You'll also identify the voices around you and understand what it’s like for others to be led by you.

View photo gallery >

A 3D printer, a plasma cutter, and a hydroponics lab. Coding tools, circuitry kits, and a dozen varieties of programmable robot. A laser engraver, LEGO engineering sets, and a kit that can turn a banana into a touchpad.

These are just a few of the modern teaching tools that can help students connect with abstract technical concepts…as long as their teachers have the spare resources, training, and time to learn and teach each tool. That’s a big ask, but for central Minnesota educators, STEMbound just might be able to help.

STEMbound (formerly TechMobile) offers educational STEM tools and training to teachers in school districts throughout central Minnesota. The program, run by Sourcewell, is targeted toward making STEM topics more relatable, exciting, and accessible for students in smaller school districts. According to Angie W., a STEM teacher in Verndale School District:

“Most small schools just don’t have the resources and capability to teach hands-on STEM lessons like these. When I go to other places and tell my peers about the equipment my students are using, they say ‘you are SO lucky.’ And I am. There’s no way my kids would have access to these things without STEMbound. My school just doesn’t have the buying power, and I don’t have the time.”

Broadening access to that equipment was the founding mission of the program, says Amy Huebsch, a member of STEMbound’s consultant team. “How can we help students in smaller, more rural districts access the same opportunities as students in Brainerd or Minnetonka?” says Amy. “Regardless of where they live, regardless of school size, can they still get that same hands-on experience?”

The STEMbound team has worked for years to establish that catalog of STEM teaching tools, activities, lesson plans, and expert consultants who can help bring them to life. Expert consulting in particular has become a major focus, as the topics and tools become increasingly complex. Without partnership from an experienced user, some tools can take too much time or effort to be worth including in a lesson plan.

That time and effort is one of the biggest barriers to use, according to Amy:

“It’s often intimidating to new users. As we’ve grown, we’ve had to make sure we’re delivering what schools are actually asking for. We don’t want to just be saying ‘here’s this bright shiny piece of equipment: Good luck relating it to your lesson!’ We want to help bridge that gap for teachers and students, to make sure there’s that connection to the real world, to other areas of learning and life.”

That expertise (available as either consultant-led or consultant-supported learning) was a massive encouragement to Angie at Verndale as she was getting started with the program. At first, she only tentatively used a tool or two, and kept to lessons that she felt confident learning and leading herself. But with the help of the consulting team, she was able to take on other tools to engage students in new ways:

“My students were so interested in coding, but I haven’t done much of it myself. Thanks to the STEMbound team, I never feel like I’m flying solo, and I can give the students a taste of the subjects that get them excited. It’s so comforting to have the consultants in the classroom, or a phone call away, if I get stuck.

And it’s not just about the lesson itself. I had a fantastic planning session with the consulting team in August where we went through my whole year. We looked through their offerings and where I could fit the right tools into my lesson plan. Not as an obligation, but a conversation: ‘How can we help you teach?’

For Amy, that conversation is what makes the modern version of the program special.

 “When TechMobile started out, the name fit: It was a van full of equipment that you could rent. It’s become so much more since then. We’re not just the delivery people, we’re also the experts who can help make STEM topics come alive for your students. We can help you move in the direction you want.

When we call the program STEMbound, it’s about that goal. It’s about the tools, yes; but it’s even more about what you and your students can accomplish.”

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Sourcewell’s STEMbound program offers low-cost edtech equipment rentals and consulting services to educators in school districts throughout Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties. Educators can learn more about the program, consultants, and catalogue of available equipment by visiting the main STEMbound webpage.

For more information on the program, please contact Rachel Johnson at rachel.johnson@sourcewell-mn.gov.

When Sue Nanik began her career at Sourcewell – then known as North Central Service Cooperative – she was one of only 12 employees. Now, 28 years later, she has retired as the leader of a dedicated human resources (HR) team, overseeing the acquisition, development, and well-being of nearly 400 employees across the nation.

Over her tenure, Nanik took on various roles, from working with the health insurance pool and student programs to building the HR team and serving as interim executive director. She also contributed to major organizational milestones, such as the expansion of Sourcewell’s cooperative purchasing program and the construction of its headquarters.

“Sue’s steady leadership has not only supported the growth of the organization but also fostered a culture where people feel valued and empowered,” said Chad Coauette, Sourcewell CEO. “Her contributions have had a lasting impact on our culture and will continue to shape Sourcewell’s success for years to come.”

From humble beginnings to lasting impact

Nanik joined Sourcewell in 1996, a time when the organization was just starting to explore its potential.

“It’s been exciting but also challenging to manage and deliver on that kind of growth each year,” she shared, reflecting on the expansion of Sourcewell’s services and the transformation of its workforce.

She witnessed the growth of Sourcewell’s cooperative purchasing, which took off during the 2008 economic downturn. “Cities and counties were looking for more cost-effective ways to purchase, and we were able to meet that need at the right time,” she said, adding that cooperative purchasing not only supported public agencies, but also enabled the organization to reinvest in the region.

In 2011, she was a key leader in the construction and expansion of Sourcewell’s headquarters, resulting in a modern facility that now serves as a welcoming space for meetings, trainings, and community.

Shaping a culture of support and inclusion

While Nanik wore many hats during her time at Sourcewell, perhaps her most impactful contribution was building the HR team from the ground up.

“I was HR. It was just me to begin with,” she recalled.

Under her leadership, the team established systems for talent acquisition, onboarding, and all-staff training programs centered around leadership, communication, and culture.

“Sourcewell continues that work to this day through initiatives like situational leadership training,” she explained. “Being able to expand that team and put people in place to carry on that work is one of my greatest achievements.”

Her work also earned her the Outstanding Service Award from the Minnesota Service Cooperatives in 2021, a recognition that still holds special meaning to her.

“When you love the work that you do, you’re not thinking about the recognition,” Nanik said. “But receiving that award was a real honor, especially because it reflected the relationships I’ve built both inside and outside of Sourcewell.”

Excited for the future

Though stepping away from day-to-day leadership, Nanik remains optimistic for Sourcewell’s future, particularly for initiatives like Community Bridgemakers and AscendRural.

“As new people and new ideas come in, Sourcewell should be in a good place to bring some of those new ideas to life,” she said. “Something we haven't thought of today could be something that we're putting our efforts behind five years from now.”

Personally, Nanik is excited to step off the “bullet-fast train” of leadership and embrace a slower pace of life.

“I’m looking forward to spending time with family and friends, volunteering, traveling, and exploring new hobbies,” she said. “And, frankly, enjoying the freedom to do whatever feels right on any given day.”

Local public safety entities have been awarded more than $500,000 for collaborative projects through Sourcewell’s new Public Safety Impact Funds program, which provides dedicated funding for law enforcement, fire departments, ambulance services, and first-response teams in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties.

“We are honored and excited to expand our impact funds to our public safety partners in the region. We see the difference these organizations and individuals make every day,” said Paul Drange, chief regional solutions officer at Sourcewell. “We are confident these additional resources will help to make our region a safer and more secure place for families, residents, and visitors. We deeply value the partnership and foresight that goes into making these enhancements possible.”

Separate from Sourcewell’s Community Impact Funding – which awarded nearly $3 million to nonprofits and local governments in June – the Public Safety Impact Funds program was specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by these essential services.

In the past, public safety entities had to compete for funding alongside other local government projects. With this new program, these entities could apply for up to $250,000 in funding per fiscal year. To be eligible, the project must have involved at least one other entity – such as a neighboring public safety agency, local unit of government, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, or nonprofit – promoting a collaborative approach to strengthening public safety within the region.

“This funding empowers our public safety entities with the essential resources and modern equipment they need to protect our communities,” said Amy Piekarski, resource development administrator at Sourcewell. “Through these collaborative projects, entities in our five-county region can address specific needs that no one entity could tackle alone."

Requests for funding were reviewed by members of the Public Safety Advisory Council and were awarded through a lottery process. From lifesaving extrication tools to advanced cloud-based public safety platforms, these funds will equip law enforcement and first responders with the tools needed to better protect their communities.

Public Safety Impact Funds projects

Remer Volunteer Fire Department and Remer Area Ambulance Service

$57,000 to purchase new electric extrication tools and lift bags. These tools are vital for responding to vehicle accidents, enabling first responders to efficiently rescue individuals in critical situations.

Lakes Area SWAT Team

$226,200 to the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office, Wadena Police Department, Staples Police Department, and Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office, to update safety equipment for the Lakes Area SWAT team. This funding will equip officers with protective gear and tools.

Crow Wing County Law Enforcement Consortium

$250,000 to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Baxter, Brainerd, Breezy Point, Crosby, Crosslake, Cuyuna, Deerwood, Nisswa, and Pequot Lakes to implement the 365Labs Public Safety Platform. This cloud-based system will modernize regional public safety operations, enhancing communication and collaboration.

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That’s certainly true for Jessica Foss, a paraprofessional at Pierz Schools in Pierz, Minnesota. She’s been working in special education for 19 years, but only recently had a chance to move towards becoming a teacher herself.

“I’ve always had a passion for working with kids. I started in daycare, graduated with a childcare diploma, then I found a knack for helping in the classroom.

I had phenomenal support from special education teachers. Just working in the classroom, I’ve had them tell me I should consider going back to school. But with the cost of the classes and the books, I wouldn’t have been able to afford that. ”

A new opportunity, called the Special Education Teacher Pathway program, changed that. When Jessica shared her career goals with her principal, he directed her towards the program, which offers funding to eligible school district employees in Sourcewell’s five-county area of service to help them gain a special education degree and licensure and work towards teaching in the region. Now with the added support of the program, Jessica is building more and more momentum towards her goals.

The Special Education Teacher Pathway program is made possible by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education. Sourcewell, in collaboration with several university partners and the support of districts in the service area, applied for and received $1.2 million in funding to invest in “growing their own” regional special education teachers over the next five years. According to Christine Grams, school workforce specialist at Sourcewell and manager of the pathway program:

“Every rural district knows the challenge of trying to attract employees to the region, but there are often qualified candidates working right there in the district already: Tier 1 or Tier 2 teachers, paraprofessionals, or other school employees. This program gives them a chance to contribute to their district in new and needed ways, while helping them develop their own careers as well.

With this approach, school districts can also elevate dedicated employees who already have ties to the community. That’s great for sustaining existing relationships, and it’s great for retention in an era of burnout. These participants already know the work and they already know the students. They just need the training and the licensure.”

Since the program opened during this past summer, Christine and her team have already helped almost 50 participants like Jessica accelerate their journey towards special education licensure. They’re excited to help others in years to come and to see the impact in area classrooms, schools, and communities.  

“This job is in high need, and there’s always a spot for you,” says Jessica. “More and more kids are needing extra support, and that’s not going away. It’s a heavy job, definitely, but it’s always worth it to be making that difference in a child’s life. To see the joy on their face, and to be a small part of making that lightbulb click.”

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Sourcewell’s Special Education Teacher Pathway program provides funding for eligible school district employees in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties to pursue special education degrees leading to licensure. Candidates must demonstrate a desire to work as special education teachers in the region following program completion.

Eligible employees may indicate their interest in the program by completing the program interest form.

For more information on the program, please contact Angie Bennett at angie.bennett@sourcewell-mn.gov.

As the new school year approaches, educators are doing everything they can to prepare.

That same commitment brought nearly 300 educators from across central Minnesota to last week’s 2024 Sourcewell Educator Summit, where they engaged with fellow educators and education leaders on diverse topics including student support, dysregulation, career readiness, AI, achievement, racial identity, educator self-care, and more. At the top of the list? Helping both students and teachers cultivate a sense of stability in the classroom.

“When we go through a crisis, we lower our needs and priorities to the bare minimum — whatever we need to do to get by,” says Dr. Mario Acosta, educational coach and one of two keynote speakers at the Summit. “And we’ve seen that in schools across the world from 2020 onward. Personal connections were fractured between students, teachers, and parents…and those connections are only just now starting to heal.”

But personal connections are at the core of academics, and without them, students can wind up adrift in an impersonal system. Dr. Acosta talks about this further in a recent episode of Sourcewell’s Ed Soul podcast:

“In a post-pandemic environment, kids are struggling to know how to be motivated in school. They’ll say ‘I have things the teacher gives me to do, but I don’t always want to do them; I don’t understand why I should.’ And if you’re the kind of kid who just knows they have to jump through these hoops to be successful, then you’ll do it. But more kids — most kids nowadays, even — are not going to do it blindly just because they’re ‘supposed’ to. We have to give them a better reason.”

“In my last school, our lead custodian was one of the most important people in the building. He related to all the kids. Everyone knew his name – they called him Mister Eddie. All the kids knew him. He was cheerful, he fist-bumped every kid every day. The kids kept our building clean for Mister Eddie.”

For Dr. Acosta, that goal is at the core of his work with Marzano Resources and the High Reliability Schools Network: giving educators permission to slow down and forge personal connections with their students. By making space for students as individuals, educators can give them concrete reasons for learning even in the midst of impersonal, standardized systems.

Of course, Dr. Acosta acknowledges, educators are already trying to do that. The question isn’t whether teachers and staff want to connect with students and make them feel welcomed, supported, and safe. The question is whether they’re given time and resources to do so. If requirements force the class to keep moving, it becomes harder to connect with students who miss a step. There becomes only one correct way to learn.

“We are busy chasing content, because that’s the requirement, that’s what’s mandated,” says Dr. Acosta. “But if we’re given a little bit of time to make sure we connect with the kids, the kids learn that we see them as people. Not just ‘here’s this content, take this quiz, pass this test,’ that kind of thing.”

“Our educators have a thousand things to do, from class planning to team planning to test passing. We need to empower teachers to put the classroom dynamic at the top of the checklist. Then we can focus on providing a high-level education. If we get those relationships right, we can do a lot more for every student.”

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Dr. Mario Acosta is an author, national presenter, and award-winning educator with more than 20 years of experience. To learn more about his work, resources, and upcoming events, visit his Marzano Resources profile.

Almost $3 million was awarded to local nonprofit and government agencies through Sourcewell’s Community Impact Funding this June.

Eleven nonprofit organizations will receive a combined total of over $650,000 while 39 local government agencies will receive over $2.25 million in funding.

“We are immensely grateful to be a part of this empowering work,” said Paul Drange, chief regional solutions officer at Sourcewell. “These public entities and nonprofit organizations are critical to the communities they serve, and every dollar of funding counts.”

The selection and allocation of funds for local government agencies followed a similar structure to last year’s process: requests were reviewed and approved by the Community Solutions Advisory Committee, then projects were awarded by lottery until funding was exhausted. Drange explained that this process helps fulfil basic office and service area needs such as office furniture, flooring, technology, and other administrative needs.

Nonprofit applications followed a similar practice from prior years: Applications were reviewed by Sourcewell staff and its Nonprofit Advisory Council, with eligible projects advancing to Review Day, held June 18 at Sourcewell. Over 80 staff members, volunteers, and board members of nonprofit organizations in Sourcewell’s five-county area of service (Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties) heard each project proposal and then voted on and ranked projects for funding.

“Overall, we were able to award almost an additional million dollars this year compared to last year thanks to a record year for our cooperative purchasing,” said Drange. Community Impact Funding is supported by revenue generated from a national cooperative purchasing program. Sourcewell cooperative purchasing provides public agencies throughout North America with access to hundreds of pre-negotiated, competitively solicited awarded contracts for products and services.

“Every request that was confirmed to meet program requirements was funded. We’re tremendously pleased with that result, and excited to see the impact these funds can make in each community.”

Nonprofit funding

Project: Forever Horses
Organizations: Pohl Children’s Scholarship Foundation and Mounted Eagles
Description: $25,100 to provide funding for children and their families experiencing illness or grief to participate in equine related activities free of charge. “Forever Horses” provides horsemanship as a release or avenue to face difficult emotions related to illness or grief. 

Project: Connection Clubs
Organizations: The Brainerd Baxter Youth Center and Wellness in the Woods
Description: $40,000 to empower youth to be outlets for the change they want to see happen. With adult guidance, Club youth are tasked to identify specific issues they wish to address, create a plan, and implement their community service projects. In collaboration with support specialists from Wellness in the Woods, Club members learn skills in group dynamics and practice social skills needed to generate civic engagement experiences promoting youth voice within their communities.

Project: Children's Mental Health Respite Camp
Organizations: Northern Pines Mental Health Center and Morrison County Health and Human Services
Description: $100,000 to bring a one-of-a-kind Children's Mental Health Respite Camp. Children can participate in all the adventures of summer camp, while having their mental health and social needs supported.

Project: Making a Difference in the Lives of Our Seniors
Organizations: Breath of Life Adult Day Center and Woodland Good Samaritan
Description: $21,500 to create a beautiful wheelchair accessible space, open to local community for entertainment, gardening, visiting, and fellowship. The newly created space will make a positive impact throughout the region.

Project: Reducing hunger and food insecurity in Hispanic-Latino community
Organizations: Lutheran Social Services and Lakewood Health Systems
Description: $100,000 to launch a project aimed at reducing hunger and food insecurity among vulnerable Hispanic-Latino individuals, families and seniors throughout Region 5. Community Impact Funds will be used to purchase ingredients, equipment, and supplies to prepare and distribute more than 10,000 culturally inclusive meals to at least 500 unique Hispanic-Latino individuals. Lutheran Social Services and Lakewood Health System will promote this project, conduct surveys, and refer/screen participants for additional health-related social needs.

Project: Resource Center
Organizations: Bridges of Hope and Emily Area Food Shelf
Description: $75,142 to form a Resource Center at the current Emily Food Shelf location, where families and individuals can meet with Bridges of Hope Resource Specialists, gain access to a computer lab, and enroll and attend various personal and professional development classes and trainings. Funding will support the furniture and technology needed to create a welcoming, comforting space for Resource Specialists to conduct outreach in Emily, mitigating barriers to transportation and establishing an accessible entry point to wraparound support services.

Project: United for ALICE
Organizations: Lakes Area United Way and United Way of Morrison County
Description: $35,000 to serve households that earn more than Federal Poverty Guidelines yet are still facing financial instability given their wages and the costs of everyday needs. The Lakes Area United Way and United Way of Morrison County will use ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) data for local communities to create a new and accurate understanding of poverty in the service area and inspire change and generate innovative solutions with community partners and stakeholders.

Project: Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS)
Organizations: Wellness in the Woods and Horizon Health
Description: $50,974 to provide the Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) to seniors in Todd, Wadena, Crow Wing and Morrison Counties. This evidence-based program will assist seniors in identifying mental health challenges and resources to support them. Resource materials will be provided to all potential participants to utilize outside of the PEARLS program as well.

Project: Finding HOPE through smile advocacy
Organizations: Smiles for Jake and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center
Description: $50,000 to expand access to mental health resources, educate youth through summer camp programs, and integrate K-12 mental wellness programming in schools. Funding allocated for Smile Box distribution, youth engagement activities, and educational initiatives can make a lasting impact on mental health awareness and support in the community.

Project: United Way Backpack Attack
Organizations: United Way of Douglas and Pope Counties, Tri-County Community Action Partnership and Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Schools
Description: $60,000 to bring the United Way Backpack Attack program to students. Funding will provide participating students with kid friendly food every Friday to ensure that children have access to food on the weekends. The community will be strengthened through increased volunteer engagement and reduced food insecurity for local families.

Project: Community Connect
Organizations: Relationship Safety Alliance and Port Group Homes
Description: $96,412 for Community Connect, a collaborative effort between the Relationship Safety Alliance and Port Group Homes, aiming to fortify familial bonds and foster unity in Region 5. Through educational workshops, support groups, and innovative events, families will be empowered to navigate challenges with resilience and solidarity. The program aspires to create a supportive environment where families can flourish, leaving a lasting impact on the community’s well-being and cohesion.

Government entity funding

Purpose: Infrastructure improvements
Organization: Todd County
Description: $50,000 to bolster infrastructure and enhance public services. With investments in road equipment, upgraded office furniture, technology and field laser gear, efficiency and quality of services for our residents increase. This strategic allocation underscores Todd County's commitment to progress and community well-being.

Purpose: Aldrich Community Center improvements
Organization: City of Aldrich
Description: $48,000 to encourage further community activity at the Center, which is currently utilized for meetings of the Aldrich City Council, the local 4-H Club, and the Aldrich Lions Club.

Purpose: City hall upgrades
Organization: City of Riverton
Description: $50,000 for updates to the infrastructure to its century old city hall, with upgrades to its climate control, insulation, and roofing system, as well as technology updates for its City Clerk and tablets to serve as city council packets allowing for a reduction in paper waste and an increase in efficiency.

Purpose: Well rehabilitation
Organization: City of Baxter
Description: $50,000 to assist the city with the costs affiliated with the rehabilitation of existing wells, which will ensure Baxter residents, businesses and other residents in the Brainerd Lakes area will have access to quality domestic water, whether that is in their Baxter homes or while they are conducting business within the City of Baxter.

Purpose: Communications equipment
Organization: City of Pillager
Description: $39,667.62 to purchase and install a standby generator system, a phone system, and office equipment. This equipment will improve response efficiency to ensure the safety of residents and visitors as well as improve communication among staff to be able to service the community more successfully.

Purpose: Waste management
Organization: City of Upsala
Description: $50,000 to purchase a pre-owned dump truck to improve sanitation for the city.

Purpose: Accessibility and safety upgrades
Organization: City of Randall
Description: $30,291.44 to improve handicap accessibility, employee safety and efficiency. Adds technology upgrades to city hall and Bingo Park Community Center.

Purpose: Hybrid meeting infrastructure
Organization: Morrison County
Description: $50,000 for technology enhancements to enable the seamless facilitation of hybrid meetings, accommodating both in-person and remote participants, thereby fostering greater inclusivity and efficiency in our operations.

Purpose: Health and safety improvements
Organization: City of East Gull Lake
Description: $50,000 to remediate potential health hazards at city hall, replace problematic equipment used by Public Works Department, and be put to use in other meaningful ways that will positively impact the community.

Purpose: Town hall renovations
Organization: Leaf River Township
Description: $40,635.21 for town hall renovations to make the building safe and ADA compliant for all to use.

Purpose: Technology and furniture improvements
Organization: City of Grey Eagle
Description: $47,964.58 for new computers and furniture for the city hall and maintenance equipment needed to perform the job duties of the city.

Purpose: Infrastructure improvements
Organization: City of Motley
Description: $47,889 to replace aging SCADA computer system ensuring the reliability of safe drinking water within the community, and for the purchase of a new snowplow and dumpbox to outfit a new city truck, enhancing their ability to maintain safe and clean streets year-round.

Purpose: Snow removal improvements
Organization: City of Verndale
Description: $50,000 to purchase a wheeled loader and snow pusher. Having this equipment will make snow removal much more efficient as the snow can be pushed into a pile instead of loading it into a truck and trailer.

Purpose: Roof and window replacements
Organization: City of Nisswa
Description: $50,000 for a new roof and window system to address ongoing water issues in the building. These improvements to city hall were made possible due to Sourcewell's Community Impact Funding program. The City of Nisswa appreciates partnering with Sourcewell to make projects like this possible!

Purpose: Community center upgrades
Organization: City of Burtrum
Description: $50,000 to enable significant upgrades and safety enhancements to the community center. This generous funding marks a pivotal step to better serving the community.

Purpose: City hall upgrades
Organization: City of Jenkins
Description: $50,000 for city hall upgrades. The renovation project will focus on safety, energy efficiency and improving accessibility. The city is thrilled and extremely grateful to Sourcewell for this funding, which emphasizes the importance in maintaining and improving the city’s ability to provide local government services.

Purpose: Street cleaning and snow removal
Organization: City of Clarissa
Description: $50,000 to purchase a skid loader along with a sidewalk sweeper, snow pusher, pallet forks, and dirt bucket for maintaining and keeping the city of Clarissa looking beautiful and safe.

Purpose: Communications upgrades
Organization: City of Pequot Lakes
Description: $50,000 to improve access to public meetings and information for residents by upgrading technology and equipment in the council chambers, conference rooms, and city offices. These upgrades will support the expansion of e-government services, making it more convenient for citizens and reducing administrative burdens. Additionally, the investment will contribute to improve health and well-being in the workplace, offer flexibility and remote work options, boost morale, and reduce employee turnover costs.

Purpose: A/V upgrades
Organization: City of Emily
Description: $48,573.98 for an upgraded A/V system for the city council chambers and the purchase of an electric sweeper and purchase and installation of a two-post hydraulic lift for the city maintenance shop. The awarded funding will allow the city to improve communications with the public and provide added safety for maintenance staff.

Purpose: Office technology
Organization: Wadena County
Description: $31,275 to enhance existing office technology. The funds will be used to build on an existing technology platform (Paycom) used by the county to reduce financial risk and add additional features to make the county more efficient.

Purpose: Ventilation and flooring
Organization: City of Fifty Lakes
Description: $45,520 for interior office safety and aesthetic improvements in city hall and technological upgrades to increase work productivity and security. A large portion of the funds will go towards upgrading the municipal bar’s ventilation system for clean, healthy air flow throughout the building and commercial flooring to withstand heavy foot traffic.

Purpose: Emergency siren updates
Organization: City of Staples 
Description: $50,000 to update the emergency civil defense sirens in the city as well as adding one to the Dower Lake Recreational Area.

Purpose: Bathroom installation
Organization: Buh Township
Description: $27,267.90 to complete the installation of a full bathroom in the town hall. The funding was awarded to Buh Township by Sourcewell in Staples through the Community Impact Fund. The residents of Buh Township are grateful for the support of Sourcewell in making this project complete.

Purpose: IT improvements
Organization: City of Crosby
Description: $50,000 for IT and communication improvements at its facilities to increase its capacity of communication to maintain its high level of customer service while supplying better connectivity for community members. The improvements will facilitate improved communication among staff and members of the community.

Purpose: Signage updates
Organization: City of Browerville
Description: $28,928 for new electronic signage in the City of Browerville, a resource to share upcoming events and connect the public with community information and resources.

Purpose: Skid steer replacement
Organization: City of Sebeka
Description: $48,000 to replace skid steer with a New Holland L328 skid steer without placing an additional tax burden on residents, thanks to generous Community Impact Funding from Sourcewell.

Purpose: City building updates
Organization: City of Bertha
Description: $50,000 for needed updates in city owned buildings. These updates will be enjoyed by all who use the facilities in town.

Purpose: Technology updates
Organization: City of Hackensack
Description: $50,000 to update the city's technology and safety measures, improving efficiency in city departments and enhancing safety in city hall, on the streets, and in the community building.

Purpose: Material transfer
Organization: Ideal Township
Description: $50,000 to aid 12 cities and townships in the area by creating an efficient way to transfer materials without traveling the distance into Brainerd. The program keeps woodlands free of debris and helps the planet by using efficient recycling techniques. It has created employment and is self-sustaining as an entity within the township.

Purpose: Security enhancements
Organization: City of Royalton
Description: $48,105.31 to install a controlled access system to provide enhanced security of the city building and safeguarding of private and non-public data. Badge key cards will be implemented for authorized access to various areas by city staff, elected officials, and contractors. The system will provide accountability and traceability should an incident involving safety or fraud occur.

Purpose: Equipment and storage expansion
Organization: Crow Wing Township
Description: $50,000 to maintain infrastructure. Crow Wing Township’s equipment/storage garage expansion project will enhance our ability to provide and maintain good quality public roads.

Purpose: Sewer equipment
Organization: City of Walker
Description: $50,000 to purchase a Jetter. This award allows the sewer department to create meaningful impact for the City of Walker residents by having scheduled cleaning of sewer pipes, keeping them free of debris, roots, and other obstructions.

Purpose: Security and technology improvements
Organization: City of Osakis
Description: $50,000 to install security cameras at the city beach and city hall. Along with that, the computers at city hall and the police department will be getting a much-needed upgrade along with upgraded software. To help preserve the 88-year old city hall building, there will be tuck pointing done on the building.

Purpose: Building improvements
Organization: City of Breezy Point
Description: $50,000 for city council chambers/community room improvement project to better facilitate public meetings and overall public engagement with their governing body as well as improve the use of the space for private and community gatherings. As the city's sole polling location, the remodel will also greatly improve the facilitation of over 2,200 registered voters each election.

Purpose: Infrastructure improvements
Organization: Darling Township
Description: $41,883.90 to enhance facilities and technology infrastructure. From eradicating mold and upgrading structural elements to implementing virtual meeting equipment and improving landscaping, this initiative aims to create a more efficient, transparent, and comfortable environment for residents and government staff.

Purpose: Warning siren additions
Organization: City of Wadena
Description: $50,000 to improve and add outdoor warning sirens to provide full coverage to residents and visitors.

Purpose: Equipment purchase
Organization: Powers Township
Description: $50,000 to purchase a skid steer machine. This machine will clear rights-of-way for better visibility, perform spot repairs on public roads, remove snow around bridges and culverts, and handle storm damage debris removal within the township community.

Purpose: Town Hall improvements
Organization: Ponto Lake Township
Description: $40,000 to increase paved area around town hall. The Ponto Lake Town Hall serves as a meeting space, facility for local elections, and Air Link landing pad for emergency medical services. Increasing the paved area around the building not only creates a safer working environment for volunteer EMS workers, but also improves accessibility for all residents.

Purpose: Mental Health Impact Funds
Organization: Region 5 counties
Description: $500,000 to enhance mental health resources by developing and enhancing co-response and jail services throughout all counties in the region. This project will work closely with law enforcement and jail staff to reduce mental health crises by engaging individuals with needed services and resources to reduce barriers and increase not only mental health stability, but stability in other areas of an individual’s life.

For the ninth year in a row, Sourcewell has been named a Top Workplace in Minnesota by the Star Tribune. Adding to this achievement, Sourcewell has earned national recognition from the USA Today as a Top Workplace and received four Top Workplaces Culture of Excellence Awards for Work-Life Flexibility, Compensation & Benefits, Leadership, and Purpose & Values.

Each year, employers have an opportunity to be recognized as a top workplace based on results of an anonymous employee survey. Sponsored by Energage, the survey measures engagement, organizational health, and job satisfaction.

To qualify for the Star Tribune Top Workplaces, a company must have more than 50 employees in Minnesota. Over 5,000 public, private, and nonprofit organizations were invited to participate, and 149,176 employees shared their views. The USA Today Top Workplace recognizes organizations nationwide with at least 150 employees that prioritize people-first cultures. More than 7,000 employers nationwide were invited to take the challenge, and 1,531 employers received recognition.

Sourcewell CEO Dr. Chad Coauette said this year’s recognition is a testament to Sourcewell’s continuous commitment to fostering a work environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to make a meaningful impact.

"Being recognized as a Top Workplace for the ninth year in a row speaks volumes to the dedication, passion, and pursuit of excellence by our entire team,” Coauette said. “We are incredibly proud of creating a workplace culture that continues to inspire and empower our employees as we grow and make an even bigger impact."

The Star Tribune 2024 Top Workplaces list is available at the Star Tribune website (non-governmental site) and was published in a special section on Sunday, June 23. A complete list of USA Today Top Workplaces can be viewed on the USA Today website (non-governmental site).

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Sourcewell, headquartered in Staples, Minnesota, partners with education, government, and nonprofits to boost student and community success. Created in 1978 as one of Minnesota’s nine service cooperatives, Sourcewell offers training and shared services to central-Minnesota members. Throughout the United States and Canada, the organization offers a cooperative purchasing program with hundreds of awarded suppliers on contract.

See current job openings at sourcewell-mn.gov/careers.

Out of central Minnesota’s top five in-demand careers, three are in healthcare, with nursing in the top spot. Almost every healthcare provider in the area needs more qualified nursing staff. But even though healthcare is consistently a top career choice for high school graduates, financial and logistical barriers make it hard to connect that interest with opportunities.

Four school districts in central Minnesota are looking to change that.

Brainerd, Crosby-Ironton, Pequot Lakes, and Pillager school districts have partnered with Sourcewell to launch the Nurse Aide Training Program, which will give their high school students far greater access to nurse aide training and certification. “We’re excited to announce that our first cohort, made up of ten students from the area, has finished the course,” says Maggie Velasco, director of career and college readiness at Sourcewell. “Once they pass state certification through Central Lakes College, they can start work as certified nursing assistants immediately.”

“These participants want to be in nursing, and this district-led program removes many of their barriers to entry,” Velasco says, citing the obstacles that often separate potential healthcare workers from the training they need. “Students get to tackle hands-on patient care in a safe, convenient, and supportive environment. Before they’ve even graduated high school, they already have this experience under their belt.”

That focus on earlier career exploration is more important now than ever before, according to Brianna Erickson, who is part of Sourcewell’s Career Pathways Program team that has helped develop and deploy this training. “Courses like the Nursing Aide Training Program engage students in their career choices before they’ve left high school,” Brianna says. “In the past, students could wait until college to ‘figure things out’. That’s not feasible anymore for most people. We want to open as many doors as possible right now, while students still have the guidance and support structure to make the most of their experience.”

In fact, the Nurse Aide Training Program opens plenty of occupational doors on its own: It can be the first step for numerous careers in healthcare. Anyone who wants to work in patient care, whether as a nurse aide, a doctor, an LPN, an RN, or another role, can benefit from hands-on experience. Patient care hours are an especially foundational requirement of many healthcare careers and degrees, so participating students will find yet another career obstacle easier to overcome.

Programs like this can make a massive difference in the region for both prospective workers and the providers looking for them, and the team is eager to expand the program’s involvement to other school districts and beyond, to make the most out of all the hard work that’s gone into development. “The Career Pathways Program team at Sourcewell has done an outstanding amount of work to make this program happen,” says Velasco, referencing Brianna Erickson and her colleagues, Amy Sjoblad, Maria Ervasti, and Toni Hidalgo. “We couldn’t have done it without these four women. In fact, Amy Sjoblad wrote the grant that was ultimately awarded funding.”

“I’d also like to thank our course instructor, Susan Mathison-Young from Advanced Care at Home, LLC; the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the grant provider; and Good Samaritan Society assisted living center, which has been hosting the program at GSS - Bethany,” says Velasco. “They had an empty care bay that they haven’t had the staff to fill, so they’re letting us use it to train future staff in the meantime.”

“We hope this program is so successful that they soon need it back!”

Registration is now open for the Fall 2024 cohort of the Nurse Aide Training Program. Eligible participants must be high school students in Brainerd, Crosby-Ironton, Pequot Lakes, or Pillager school districts.

If you have questions about student participation, logistics, or bringing a similar training to your own school district, please contact Maggie Velasco for further information.

 “I am the most excited about bringing the strength of the Blue Cross organization to our 6,000+ members,” said Better Health Collective Board of Trustees Chairperson, Scott Veronen. “Blue Cross is a leader in the health insurance industry, and we are very excited to partner with them. Blue Cross provides a cutting-edge approach to health care which will greatly benefit our members.”   

A rigorous selection process

Every four years, the Better Health Collective, which is sponsored and serviced by Sourcewell, conducts a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a health plan administrator to meet the evolving needs of its members. Blue Cross was awarded the contract following a meticulous, three-month solicitation process.

“We went through a very rigorous RFP process with three strong responses from three great companies,” Veronen shared. “The scoring of the RFPs was very close with Blue Cross coming out on top.”

The RFP evaluation committee, made up of Sourcewell risk management specialists and three Collective members, evaluated three within-scope proposals. Key assessment criteria included affordability, innovation, transparency, and collaboration. An outside actuarial firm also reviewed each proposal, providing insights for an impartial, strategic decision.

 “This RFP process ensures the best care and costs for our members,” Veronen added. “I would also like to thank HealthPartners for the many years of partnership, and the care we provided to our members through this partnership.” HealthPartners previously served as the Collective’s health plan administrator.

Expanding wellness while ensuring continuity

Blue Cross is set to further empower schools, unions, and other public entities to cultivate a culture of wellness. In addition to comprehensive insurance coverage, members will have access to programs for mental health, chronic disease prevention, and other initiatives designed to support healthier living.

One standout feature of the new partnership is Coupe Health, a leading solution in health plan design. Coupe Health offers end users greater control and price certainty over health care choices. Using the Coupe Health mobile app or online portal, users can find health care facilities and providers, and see the cost of medical services upfront. This simplifies the search for care and empowers individuals to find and select low-cost, high-quality care.

 While the health plan administrator is changing, Better Health Collective members will retain their current insurance plans with minimal administrative impact on benefits administrators. Plan components will remain largely the same, including billing, Smart Plans, Health Source Solutions, Progyny, Omada, and the WellRight portal. Enrolled members will gain access to a larger network of care providers and specialists, both in and outside of Minnesota.

About the Better Health Collective

The Better Health Collective, an independent, state-certified government organization, provides high-quality group health insurance solutions to public entities in Minnesota. Members receive comprehensive health coverage that offers rate stability and compliance, while their employees benefit from affordability, transparency, and choice. The Better Health Collective is open to Minnesota public entities with more than 25 enrolled employees. To learn more, visit the Better Health Collective online or contact your broker.

More than 120 pieces of art were on display by students in grades 4-12, representing the Brainerd, Browerville, Menahga, Pequot Lakes, Pillager, and Sebeka school districts. 

Winners from each category will be entered into the Minnesota State Fair in August.

Grades 4-6: 

1^st – Glowing Planet by William Myers Grade 6 Browerville 

2^nd – Seaglass by Jackson Simonson Grade 4 Sebeka 

3^rd – Lake by Audrey Welle Grade 5 Browerville 

HM – Untitled by Scarlette Dickinson Grade 6 Pillager 

HM – Geode by Emma Cardini Grade 4 Sebeka 

Grade 7-8 Crafts: 

1^st – Green Hornet by Devin Iten Grade 8 Browerville 

Grade 7-8 Printmaking: 

1^st – Flag by Gavin Spencer Grade 8 Browerville 

2^nd – Stencil Cartoon Giraffe by Lucy Rickbeil Grade 8 Browerville 

Grade 7-8 Pottery & Ceramics: 

1^st – Acorn by Adrienna Kuschel Grade 7 Sebeka 

Grade 7-8 Drawing 

1^st – Globe of Tranquility by Eli Rinde Grade 7 Browerville 

2^nd – Summer Lips by Lucy Rickbeil Grade 8 Browerville 

3^rd – Zebra by Madison Glover Grade 7 Sebeka 

Grade 7-8 Sculpture 

1^st – Sock Block by Rachel Jagush Grade 7 Browerville 

2^nd – Nuclear Eclipse by Mcayden Brown Grade 7 Browerville 

Grade 7-8 Digital Art 

1^st – Doobles by Aurora Erickson Grade 8 Menahga 

Grades 7-8 Painting 

1^st – Beach with Birds by Rachel Jagush Grade 7 Browerville 

2^nd – Abstract Tree by Reed Winter Grade 7 Browerville 

Grades 9-12 Pottery 

1^st – Tea Party by Anaka Schroeder Grade 12 Pequot Lakes 

2^nd – Sun and Moon by Sophia Borchert Grade 9 Browerville 

3^rd – Tiger’s Cup by Sophia Borchert Grade 9 Browerville 

Grades 9-12 Drawing 

1^st – Dissection by Madison Cochran Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

2^nd – Corbin’s Snack by Taliea Honga Grade 10 Menahga 

3^rd – Eastern Bluebird by Violette Anderson Grade 10 Menahga 

HM – Dismemberment by Madison Cochran Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

HM – Morning Shadows by Avery Freie Grade 10 Browerville 

Grades 9-12 Digital Art 

1^st – The Circus by Natalie Pikula Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

2^nd – Pop of Wonder by Kodi Raiche Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

3^rd – Static Path by Alan Skare Jr Gare 10 Menahga 

HM – Albinoism by Katie Ledoux Grade 11 Pequot Lakes 

Grades 9-12 Printmaking 

1^st – Dynamite by Liza Moses Grade 12 Sebeka 

2^nd – Voices Unleashed by Avery Kern Grade 12 Sebeka 

3^rd – Winter Wonderland by Bailee Lillquist Grade 12 Sebeka 

Grades 9-12 Sculpture 

1^st – Secret Hide-A-Way by Athena Swann Grade 11 Pequot Lakes 

2^nd – Reverence Through Suffering by Lilija Corbett Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

3^rd – Majova’s Mask by Zoe Clasemann Grade 9 Browerville 

Grades 9-12 Photography 

1^st – Conifers by Shaina Huhta Grade 12 Sebeka 

2^nd – Luna by Avery Freie Grade 10 Browerville 

3^rd – Horsin’ Around by Alayna Ostrowski Grade 12 Pequot Lakes 

HM – Along the Line by Avery Kern Grade 12 Sebeka 

HM – Flower Design by Jordin VanOurkerk Grade 11 Sebeka 

Grades 9-12 SPED 

1^st – Beautiful Wolf Howling at the Moon by Hailie Maki Grade 11 Menahga 

2^nd – Fire Queen Revolution by Cameron Quinn Grade 11 Menahga 

3^rd – Flying Colors by Cameron Quinn Grade 11 Menahga 

Grades 9-12 Painting 

1^st – Raven by Emma Schott Grade 12 Pequot Lakes 

2^nd – Wishing on a Scar by Madison Cochran Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

3^rd – Grand Marais by Taliea Honga Grade 10 Menahga 

HM – Longevity by Kodi Raiche Grade 10 Pequot Lakes 

Grades 9-12 Mixed Media 

1^st – Lethal Company by Coleen Malone Grade 10 Sebeka 

2^nd – White Tipped Shark by Belle Wattenhofer Grade 10 Menahga 

3^rd - Spanish Aqueduct by Ines Alvarez Hernandez Grade 10 Sebeka 

Grades 9-12 Crafts 

1^st – Star Bouquet by Dezirae Stanky Larson Grade 12 Browerville 

2^nd – Cool Owl by Itzamar Alamo Grade 9 Browerville 

This year, 277 local students in grades 4-6 participated in the final Math Masters competitions of the 2023-24 school year in March and April at Sourcewell.

They’ve run the numbers, and the results are in: These students are masters of math.

Students in fourth through sixth grades – representing schools from throughout central Minnesota, including Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties – participated in the final Math Masters competitions of the 2023-24 school year on March 7 and April 25 at Sourcewell, with many local students taking home top honors.

The Math Masters mathematics competition program challenges fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in mathematics. Students compete as individuals and on teams in eight rounds of competition. Students’ academic effort and achievement are recognized in each competition element: Fact Drill, individual round, and team competition.

Sourcewell Student Academics Coordinator Phillip Olsen said the students participating in both local events rose to the challenge, showing up in bigger numbers than ever and displaying a clear drive to compete.

“This year’s Math Masters competitions were well attended with some incredibly high scores and fierce competition,” Olsen said. “The students bring such a high level of energy to the day, and they love to celebrate. We had record numbers in both the 4^th and 5^th grade events, which were held simultaneously and brought in nearly 250 students. I look forward to seeing this program grow even more in the future!”

Grade 4 team results

First place: Little Falls 1

• Alaric Jones
• Vesu’veus Eagle
• Jack Miller
• Soren Kleinschmidt
• Sean Laflamme

Second place: Aitkin 1

• Jayde Anakkala
• Zoe Asmus
• Mason Gerhart
• Thomas Ostrowski
• Evangeline Wentlandt

Third place: Hibbing Blue

• Keaten Cedar
• Brady Raiber
• Elizabeth Kafut
• Magnus Tunink
• Johannah Bergan

Grade 4 individual results

• First place: Abbott Snow – Hibbing White
• Second place: Keagan Andres – Pierz Red
• Third place: Robbie Kalmar – Little Falls 3
• Fourth place: Jackson Bruse – Pierz Black
• Fifth place: Colton Betancourt – Royalton Maroon
• Sixth place: Keaten Cedar – Hibbing Blue
• Seventh place: Bentley Host – Aitkin 2
• Eighth place: Kymani Braxton – Little Falls 3
• Ninth place: Alaric Jones – Little Falls 1
• Tenth place: Mason Gerhart – Aitkin 1
• Eleventh place: Elliot Nelson – Royalton Gold
• Twelfth place: Henry Kessler – Pierz Red
• Thirteenth place: Landyn Melby – Pierz Red
• Fourteenth place: Yafet Okubamichael – St. Cloud Christian School
• Fifteenth place: Alexis Wasland – Little Falls 5

Grade 4 Fact Drill results

• First place (tie): Mason Gerhart – Aitkin 1
• First place (tie): Evangeline Wentlandt – Aitkin 1
• Third place (tie): Elliot Nelson – Royalton Gold
• Third place (tie): Eliza Thelen – Little Falls 5
• Third place (tie): Bentlee McCallister – Blackduck
• Sixth place (tie): Thomas Ostrowski – Aitkin 1
• Sixth place (tie): Gianna Burgos – Aitkin 2
• Eighth place (tie): Keaten Cedar – Hibbing Blue
• Eighth place (tie): Jack Miller – Little Falls 1
• Tenth place (tie): Zoe Asmus – Aitkin 1
• Tenth place (tie): Henry Kessler – Pierz Red
• Tenth place (tie): Daniel Steffens – Aitkin 2
• Thirteenth place (tie): Kymani Braxton – Little Falls 3
• Thirteenth place (tie): Vesu’veus Eagle – Little Falls 1
• Fifteenth place (tie): Jackson Bruse – Pierz Black
• Fifteenth place (tie): Alaric Jones – Little Falls 1

Grade 5 team results

First place: Brainerd Alpha

• Wesley Lindstrom
• Ella Reese
• Parker McAllister
• Reed VanWyngeeren
• Nora Rangen

Second place: Sebeka

• Samson Tumberg
• Shantel Simonson
• Kendall Peterson
• Parker Funk
• Paige Johnson

Third place: Henning

• Jackson Peterson
• Timothy Larsen
• Sheila Tierney
• Owen Honebrink
• Xavier Hoelscher

Grade 5 individual results

• First place: Reed VanWyngeeren – Brainerd Alpha
• Second place: Samson Tumberg – Sebeka
• Third place: Owen Honebrink – Henning
• Fourth place: Zorey Wing – Brainerd Omega
• Fifth place: Clark Steiner – Pierz Black
• Sixth place: Nora Rangen – Brainerd Alpha
• Seventh place: Anna Schmidtbauer – Pierz Red
• Eighth place: Lexie Sobania – Royalton Maroon
• Ninth place: Wesley Lindstrom – Brainerd Alpha
• Tenth place: Brody Williams – Pierz Black
• Eleventh place: Cohen Gangl – Brainerd Sigma
• Twelfth place: Ma Sanchez – Browerville
• Thirteenth place: Ben Cook – Brainerd Beta
• Fourteenth place: Jackson Petersen – Henning
• Fifteenth place: Niklas Mohrenweiser – Brainerd Sigma

Grade 5 Fact Drill results

• First place: Parker McAllister – Brainerd Alpha
• Second place: Everett Henderson – Pierz Black
• Third place (tie): Reese Shypkowski – Pillager Maroon
• Third place (tie): Caleb Hooge – Pillager Maroon
• Fifth place (tie): Kade Schlagel – Little Falls 1
• Fifth place (tie): Anna Schmidtbauer – Pierz Red
• Fifth place (tie): Nolan Burgraff – Royalton Gold
• Eighth place (tie): Jackson Petersen – Henning
• Eighth place (tie): Zorey Wing – Brainerd Omega
• Eighth place (tie): Samson Tumberg – Sebeka
• Eleventh place (tie): Gavin Agre – Brainerd Pi
• Eleventh place (tie): Kylah Loxterkamp – Pierz Black
• Thirteenth place (tie): Reed VanWyngeeren – Brainerd Alpha
• Thirteenth place (tie): Flynn Kloss – Royalton Maroon
• Thirteenth place (tie): Lexie Sobania – Royalton Maroon
• Thirteenth place (tie): Parker Funk – Sebeka
• Thirteenth place (tie): Jayce Enderlin – Home School

Grade 6 team results

First place: Pierz Red

• Zoey Virnig
• Roman Wacker
• Jack Virnig
• Oliver Kessler
• Kylee Miller

Second place: Royalton Gold

• Jackson Kasella
• Amelie Nelson
• Rose Randt
• Teddy Ruley

Third place: Pierz Black

• Tripp Toops
• Tosh Maus
• Brady Lehmeier
• Ari Smude
• Ellie Smude

Grade 6 individual results

• First place: Tripp Toops – Pierz Black
• Second place: Zoey Virnig – Pierz Red
• Third place: Jack Virnig – Pierz Red
• Fourth place: Roman Wacker – Pierz Red
• Fifth place: Jackson Kasella – Royalton Gold
• Sixth place: Rose Randt – Royalton Gold
• Seventh place: Brady Lehmeier – Pierz Black
• Eighth place: Teddy Ruley – Royalton Gold

Grade 6 Fact Drill results

• First place (tie): Zoey Virnig – Pierz Red
• First place (tie): Romann Wacker – Pierz Red
• First place (tie): Tripp Toops – Pierz Black
• Fourth place (tie): Malachi Wright – Pillager Gold
• Fourth place (tie): Natalie Cardini – Sebeka
• Sixth place: Beckam Koep – Henning
• Seventh place (tie): Abby Huhta – Sebeka
• Seventh place (tie): Teddy Ruley – Royalton Gold

This is the goal of Educators of Excellence, Sourcewell’s annual celebration that lifts up Central Minnesota educators who make an impact daily with their perseverance, integrity, and commitment to innovation. These teachers and staff members may not always see the benefits of the life-changing work they do, but it is certainly felt by their students and colleagues.

Impact takes many forms: In prior years, most Educator of Excellence awards were given only to teachers. While teachers are still a focus of the event, this year also saw the addition of a new category called “Pillars of Excellence,” to celebrate numerous nonteaching staff members who improve their schools and districts with their work.

As another school year approaches its end, Sourcewell joins central Minnesota schools in celebrating the outstanding impact that their educators have on students: both the few moments that get celebrated, and the many thousands more that go unsung.

Recordings of both nights can be viewed on the Sourcewell Facebook page:

• Night 1
• Night 2

Learn more about Educators of Excellence

More than 90 local teachers and staff from schools in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties were selected by school administration for outstanding dedication, leadership, and innovation. For their achievements, they were celebrated as Educators of Excellence at two special events held Wednesday, April 24, and Wednesday, May 1, in Blacksmith Main at The Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd.

These events recognized and awarded local educators who positively impact students and colleagues. This year, in addition to 50 Teachers of Excellence, 46 non-teaching staff were also named and recognized with a new award category called Pillars of Excellence. Due to this additional award category, the event was split into two nights: April 24 celebrated Teachers and Pillars in the northern half of the five counties, while May 1 featured recipients from the southern half.

An additional award called Innovator of the Year, given by the Innovative Schools Project (ISP), was presented to Jon Koenig and Dr. Lake Mathison, both from Royalton School District.

Crosby-Ironton school counselor Trevor Rohloff was among those honored at the event.

“In this job, in this role…you don’t always get to see the impact you have,” Rohloff says. “A lot of times you’re working with some pretty tough situations, and it might be years before you see or even hear that you had an effect on some kids. To see that, to hear that from those kids and some of the people that I work with here, that’s incredible.”

In addition to Crosby-Ironton, educators from the following districts were honored: Bertha-Hewitt, Brainerd, Cass Lake-Bena, Freshwater, Little Falls, Menahga, Northland Community, Pequot Lakes, Pierz, Pillager, Pine River-Backus, Royalton, Sebeka, Staples-Motley, Swanville, Upsala, Verndale, Wadena-Deer Creek, and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley.

The Educators of Excellence celebrations were broadcast live on Facebook for the general public, and recordings are available to view on Sourcewell’s Facebook page for both April 24 and May 1.

View event program

Photo gallery

Forty-five juniors and seniors from high schools throughout the area – including Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties – were honored at a special event recognizing students for their quiet leadership, perseverance, and dedication to their community, school, and fellow students. Each honoree was selected by staff from their school and presented with a $750 scholarship, made possible by business and community donations.

“This event is a special time of year for our entire team,” says Sourcewell CEO Chad Coauette. “I’m inspired by every one of these students, for their commitment and drive amid such a variety of challenges. It’s an honor to recognize their character and their achievements, and to be part of the immense generosity shown by this community to its students.”

The Students of Character Celebration was by invitation only; however, the event was broadcast live on Facebook for the general public. A recording of the complete event can be viewed on the Sourcewell Facebook page.

Event recording

Event program

Photo gallery

This blueprint isn’t about laying bricks and mortar; it's about building essential structures and practices for a strong educational system. This step-by-step self-evaluation equips district teams with appropriate tools to identify areas of strength and potential areas for growth. The process and related tools assist leaders in transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities that meet the evolving needs of today’s students. Staples-Motley is one of several area districts piloting this three-year process.  

What motivated them to adopt ESB?  

"We don’t educate kids the same way we did 20 years ago,” said Staples-Motley Superintendent Shane Tappe. “Education is always changing, and we need to change with it. It’s really about reflecting on the data, reflecting on our plan, and moving the needle forward.” 

But let's be clear: constructing the future is no small feat. It requires more than reflecting on opportunities and creating a visionary plan; it demands the collective effort, creativity, and dedication of all involved — from the groundbreakers in administration to the carpenters of the classroom.  

As Staples-Motley piloted this process, they discovered that some of the most innovative teaching methods and collaborative practices were hidden, like essential tools tucked away in a drawer. By integrating the ESB with their strategic plans, they’ve intentionally started to share these inventive educational techniques, turning individual achievements into collective progress. 

“Staples-Motley saw a big win when their team made a concerted effort to integrate their ESB work with the district’s recent strategic planning,” said Eileen Weber, a Sourcewell district strategy partner who works alongside the district team, facilitating critical conversations and preparing resources and reports, and allowing the district team to fully focus and deeply engage in the reflection and planning process.  

The district team reviews each component of the ESB, identifying what’s in place within the district. Staff, parent, and student surveys are then utilized to garner feedback on those same components. School leaders then use both sets of data — the district team reflection and survey results — to prioritize areas of improvement.

“We’re able to deep dive into data and reflect on it,” Tappe said. “What is the data telling us? Because there’s a story to be told. And there’s information that can be gathered from that data.” 

As Staples-Motley builds towards the future, their story serves as an inspiring model for educational innovation and continuous improvement across our central Minnesota region. The Effective Schools Blueprint isn’t just a set of plans; it’s a movement towards creating schools that are as dynamic, adaptable, and vibrant as the communities they serve. 

"The Effective Schools Blueprint really seemed like the next step for us to take,” said Tappe. “It really helps us pinpoint how we want to get better, what we want to do, and how to make sure we’re making decisions that are in the best interest of our kids and their education.” 

Learn more about the Effective Schools Blueprint on our website or reach out to your district leadership. 

Student teams from Brainerd, Pequot Lakes, Pierz, and Wadena-Deer Creek school districts will advance to the state level Knowledge Bowl competition after placing top four in the regional event this February.

A team from Brainerd High School placed first, with Pequot Lakes taking second, Pierz third, and Wadena-Deer Creek fourth. All four teams move on to represent Region 5 at the Minnesota State Knowledge Bowl tournament, which will be held April 11-12 at Cragun’s Resort near Brainerd.

Phillip Olsen, Sourcewell student academic coordinator, said the 2023-2024 Knowledge Bowl season was marked by a very high level of competition, with 90 teams from 21 districts competing throughout the regular season. All competed in three seasonal meets, with 17 districts competing at the regional meet.

"This year’s regional meet brought the best teams from 17 districts together," Olsen said. "10 teams were in the mix for these top four spots, right up until the final round."

Knowledge Bowl, sponsored locally by Sourcewell, is for students in grades 6-12. Each team of students works together to answer questions related to many fields of knowledge such as history, math, science, and literature. Students test their memory, critical thinking, reflexes, and teamwork in a series of rounds including a written questions round as well as real-time “buzz in”-style quiz rounds.

Competitions are in January and February, with top teams in grades 9-12 advancing to the Minnesota State Knowledge Bowl competition in April.

William Rausch has spelled his way to champion. Again.

The Royalton eighth grader took first place at the 2024 Regional Spelling Bee, hosted by Sourcewell, on March 21. Rausch was declared the winner after successfully spelling the words “profundity” and “apothecary” in the final round. He also won the Regional Spelling Bee last year.

Rausch now moves on to compete in the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, the last week of May.  

The top three regional finishers were:

• Champion –William Rausch, eighth grade, Royalton
• Runner-up – Soren Pearson, fifth grade, Pequot Lakes
• 2nd Runner-up – Hudson Nelson, eighth grade, Sebeka

Each year, Sourcewell hosts the Regional Spelling Bee for third through eighth graders of member schools in the five-county service area of Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties. The winner earns an all-expenses paid trip to the national spelling bee for themselves and a parent/guardian.

“It was a remarkably close competition this year,” said Sourcewell Student Academics Coordinator Phillip Olsen. “It came down to a six-person spell-off to determine the second runner up, which was exciting to see. I’m always impressed by each participant’s incredible skill and talent.”

Each participant was a finalist or champion in their respective district. The representation formula is one speller per 1,000 students based on K-12 enrollment, which also includes private and parochial schools within the geographical boundaries of a district.

Congratulations to all regional spelling bee participants:

• Jeffrey Brassard, eighth grade, Aitkin
• Zachary Prethish, sixth grade, Aitkin
• Autumne Haus, seventh grade, Bertha-Hewitt
• Marlowe Cotariu, sixth grade, Crosslake
• Jessa Aho, fifth grade, Menahga
• Corey Stone, fourth grade, Nay Ah Shing
• Jacob Harrison, eighth grade, Pequot Lakes
• Soren Pearson, fifth grade, Pequot Lakes
• Carson Lucking, fifth grade, Pierz
• Isabelle Grittner, eighth grade, Pierz
• Tyler Thesing, seventh grade, Pierz
• Wyatt Dropps, fifth grade, Pine River-Backus
• William Rausch, eighth grade, Royalton
• Hudson Nelson, eighth grade, Sebeka
• Owen Roline, seventh grade, Staples-Motley
• Milo Hutchins, eighth grade, Swanville
• Josslyn Hansen, sixth grade, Wadena-Deer Creek

Using the High Reliability Schools (HRS) framework, a district team including teacher leaders have forged a shared commitment to providing all students with a highly effective, consistent experience by inviting input, acting on that input, and measuring its success.

“We do a lot of things as staff that really make a big difference for our students,” says Middle School Counselor Scott Herold. “We do these student surveys, we do these staff surveys, there is a purpose with those because we take the feedback we get from those to help improve our schools, help improve our culture.”

Pioneer Elementary Principal Tom Otte also shares, “Now we have a process by which we have continuous improvement that’s transparent — everybody gets to see it, it’s out in the open.”

There is a solid commitment and a lot of excitement around the HRS framework throughout the district. In fact, the district has recently been recognized for that sustained commitment and named a model site for HRS.

Listen in as Pierz educators and school leaders share their insights on what it means to be recognized and the results they are seeing.

The team at Pierz has much to celebrate. And Middle School Principal Corey Egan may have said it best, “There isn’t anybody who walks in our building and doesn’t take a ton of pride in saying that they work for Pierz schools.”

Interested in learning more about High Reliability Schools? 
Visit mn.sourcewell.org/education/high-reliability-schools to hear from school leaders, teachers, and students at other local HRS schools.

Who: Students in grades 6-12 from districts in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties

What: Regional Knowledge Bowl competition 

When: February 21-23, 2024

Where: Central Lakes College – Staples campus

Facing off against other teams, students work together to answer questions across a wide range of topics. Students recall, solve problems, think critically, and sharpen teamwork skills. Following this regional competition, top teams from grades 9-12 will advance to the Minnesota State Knowledge Bowl in April.

CALL TO ACTION: Contact phillip.olsen@sourcewell-mn.gov for additional information or to coordinate an interview and/or photos.

February may mark I Love to Read month, but literacy is always an important topic.

As Ed Soul podcast guest Kari Yates recently put it, reading is head and heart work. Finding the balance of both starts with one strategy and shift at a time.

And Kari knows a thing or two about the topic — she is co-author of “Shifting the Balance: Six Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom” and an overall literacy guru. Recently she sat down with Sourcewell’s Rachel Logan to share both her journey as a literacy leader and strategies for bringing the science of reading into elementary classrooms.

Listen in on the conversation captured as a recent Ed Soul podcast episode, or, if you're more of a reader than a listener, checkout this quick summary.

Big takeaways:

• Creating psychological safety in the classroom is essential
• Oral language primes reading comprehension, oral language development, vocabulary development and intentional knowledge building
• Background knowledge is the most significant factor when it comes to comprehension, you have to know something about a topic (Shift 1 in Grades 3-5)
• The brain has to make sense of every word it’s going to store through orthographic mapping
• When kids rely on compensatory strategies early on, reading falls apart when text gets more challenging
• ‘Sight word’ is a status that words earn, not just high frequency words (Shift 4 in Grades K-2)
• Learn to embrace (good) decodable texts; make sure they still give kids something to think and learn about
• Kari’s personally ‘biggest shift’: Shift 5 in Grades K-2 on MSV cuing systems

Some key independent reading shifts discussed include:

• The relationship between volume and time spent reading and becoming a better reader is much more indirect and more of a correlation (Shift 6 in Grades 3-5)
• Research shows extrinsic motivators show a positive effect in the short run, but when it’s taken away, the motivation drops back even further than when a student started
• It’s tempting to rely on extrinsic motivators like pizzas, points, and prizes, but making sure all kids have access to lots of high-quality texts (text sets, not leveled texts) is more important
• Choice matters and is a motivator for kids, however it doesn’t need to mean completely open-ended choice all of the time, the teacher can and should still be involved in selecting texts
• Levels can be a demotivator; the most important place for levels is resource for teachers, not students
• No level can account for is what students bring to a text (background knowledge matters)
• When you’re motivated to read a text, you’re willing to engage in a productive struggle

For additional context — and to check out similar conversations on a variety of topics — be sure to check out other Ed Soul podcast episodes at mn.sourcewell.org/education/podcast.

Welcome to the second half of the school year! As snow flurries finally fly outside your classroom window, we’re bringing you a flurry of opportunities to grow YOU in 2024.

From recognizing students to recommended podcasts, the options are piling up!

1. Level up with personalized PD
Personalize your professional development with an ElevatePD project. You know your classroom best. This year, work with ElevatePD specialists to plan meaningful projects that solve challenges and impact your students while you earn credits for advancement.

2. Tune in and work out
Organize an Ed Soul walk and listen with a coworker. Build healthy habits while nourishing your mind with the latest Ed Soul episode, Unlocking the Challenge of Disruptive Behavior with Dr. Natan Elliot.

3. Forge connections 
Connect with new teacher friends at a network meeting. Join one of our 34 networks and build cross-district relationships to grow in your teaching practice — we promise you’ve already got a lot in common!

4. Recognize others
Connect with your school administrator to nominate a deserving junior or senior for their quiet leadership. Nominations are being accepted through January 12th for the 2024 Students of Character banquet. (Don’t know a student? You can still help recognize students by considering a donating toward scholarships to help regional students achieve their educational dreams.)

5. Keep it real
Bring real-world experience back into your classroom with a teacher externship. Build the bridge from classroom to career with a week-long, paid externship with a local business.

However you choose to grow YOU in the new year, we’ll be with you every step of the way!