Community Voices ⎸ Emotional whiplash: My big lessons on death came from giving birth
"Never have I been so close to death and birth," writes Nora Hertel, founder and executive director of Project Optimist.
Project Optimist wins 3 Minnesota journalism awards
The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists announced award recipients on Thursday, June 26.
Find 'I Never Thought of It That Way' moments
In her book "I Never Thought of It That Way," Mónica Guzmán suggests people search for moments that take them outside of their own perspective.
COMMUNITY VOICES | Become one of the helpers in the wake of political violence
"I think we can choose together to stay soft. We can become the helpers that Mr. Fred Rogers (and his mother) recommended we look for in tragedies," writes Nora Hertel.
Decades of effort revitalize St. Louis River
Work to mediate more than 100 years of industrial pollution and dumping in Duluth, Minn., has reached new milestones.
SPONSORED STORY | From formal to personal: Williams Dingmann adapts to funeral trends through 5 generations
The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce named Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes the 2025 Family-Owned Business of the Year. Here’s how they’ve met the community’s shifting needs and how they accommodate families’ desires and wishes.
‘We have always existed with fire’
Education about the history and role of controlled burns in northeast Minnesota is key, officials say.
There's money in EV charging, but who can get in the market?
The mission to beef up charging infrastructure is more financial than technical, experts say.
More Somali therapists are entering the field, hoping to change the conversation around mental health
The generational divide between younger Somalis willing to seek out mental health services and their parents is a challenge practitioners are working to address.
Community Voices ⎸ Cycling infrastructure pays dividends
Creating more cycling infrastructure in cities is one part of the larger puzzle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Brainerd students, residents build belonging with stories
Project Optimist partners with The Sowing Room and Central Lakes College on a belonging dialogue.
Community Voices ⎸ Journalism is for everyone
We believe communities are stronger when people know how journalism works and participate in making journalism however they’re able.
Wildfire walk-and-talk set for May 31
Project Optimist and Hartley Nature Center will host the free event.
How Stearns County addresses domestic violence
The number of domestic violence cases has not decreased, but officials say the Stearns County Domestic Violence Partnership has reduced homicides and offered victims and offenders support.
Preguntas auténticas guían al artista de Northfield
Los documentales de Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo se enfocaron en la comunidad tras mudarse a Minnesota. Desde entonces, sus proyectos han adoptado nuevas formas, como la narración y el bordado.
Genuine questions guide Northfield artist
Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo’s films became community-focused after she moved to Minnesota. Since then, her projects have taken on new forms, such as storytelling and embroidery.
Community Voices ⎸ Climate change makes water insecurity worse in the Global South
Without the money and resources that the Global North has, countries in the Global South are not able to adapt to or fight back against the impacts of climate change.
Can community-led initiatives bridge Minnesota's Latino mental health gap?
While Minnesota’s Latino population surged by nearly 38% from 2010 to 2020, the mental health system has not kept pace.