Millstream Arts Fest scheduled for Sept. 28
Downtown St. Joseph will be packed Sunday, Sept. 28 with the return of the Millstream Arts Festival, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Minnesota Street. The event features a festive environment with a wide variety of visual arts, music, dance, enticing foods and hands-on art activities for children. There’s something for everyone! For more information, visit www.millstreamartsfestival.org.
Ride the rails to the Science Museum
Ride the rails Tuesday, Oct. 7 on the North Star, Blue Line and Green Line trains with the Sartell Senior Connection. The train departs at 6 a.m. to the Science Museum and Omni Theater and returns at 6 p.m. Details of this fun day can be found at www.sartellseniorconnection.com. Register ahead of time by calling 320-253-4036 opt. 4.
Elementary students encouraged to write ‘Mayor for a Day’ essays
What would you do if you were the mayor of your city for a day? Minnesota elementary school students in grades 4-6 are invited to answer that question as part of an essay contest sponsored, for the second consecutive year, by the League of Minnesota Cities. Three prizes of $100 each will be awarded, and winning essays will be published in a future edition of Minnesota Cities magazine.
Completed essays must be postmarked by no later than Wednesday, Oct. 15. For additional information and an entry form, visit http://www.lmc.org/page/1/MayorForaDay14.jsp.
The League of Minnesota Cities is a membership organization dedicated to promoting excellence in local government. The league serves its more than 830 member cities through advocacy, education and training, policy development, risk management and other services. To learn more, visit www.lmc.org.
Geology in the Park is back at Quarry Park
Join volunteer Quarry Park geologist Bradford Folta for an adventure of discovery in learning about the different stories Quarry Park’s rocks have to tell. Choose from a three-hour (8 a.m.-11 a.m.) or one-hour tour (starting at noon OR 2 p.m.) on Saturday, Sept. 20, 27 or Oct. 4. A limited mobility tour is available from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Sept. 27. Families welcome. Tours will begin at the picnic shelter near the Quarry Park parking area. Follow the link to registration form. There is no parking permit required if you register in advance. Tours will begin at the open-air shelter located near the Quarry Park parking area. For further information and to register contact: Stearns County Park Department at 320-255-6172 or parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us
Reading, math corps seeks tutors in St. Joseph
Kennedy Community School in St. Joseph has an immediate need for six literacy tutors and a math tutor for the 2014-15 school year, according to Minnesota Reading Corps and Math Corps officials. Minnesota Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps are statewide initiatives to help every Minnesota student become a successful reader by the end of third grade, and proficient in math by the end of eighth grade. There are approximately 900 sites awarded this status.
Reading Corps and Math Corps Executive Director Sheila Piippo explained they are seeking both full- and part-time tutors to begin a year of paid service almost immediately. Reading Corps and Math Corps tutors commit to 11 months of service, during which they earn a biweekly living allowance of $526 (full-time) and an education award of up to $5,645 to help pay for further education. Full-time tutors may also receive health insurance.
By joining Reading Corps and Math Corps, individuals will join a network of more than 1,500 Corps members helping more than 34,000 students statewide. “Our math and literacy tutors fill a critical need for students struggling with math and reading,” Piippo explained. “Studies show that reading success by third grade and math success by eighth grade are key indicators for further academic achievement.”
Math and literacy tutors are fully trained by Reading Corps and Math Corps. Tutor candidates come from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from high-school graduates to retirees. Mid-career individuals considering a professional change are also excellent candidates, Piippo said. Parents also find serving as a tutor is a great way to support their child’s school. She encourages anyone interested in learning more about Reading Corps or Math Corps or to apply to serve as a tutor, to visit www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org, www.MinnesotaMathCorps.org, or contact 866-859-2825.
About Minnesota Reading Corps:
Minnesota Reading Corps is a statewide program to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader by the end of third grade. The program places trained AmeriCorps tutors and community volunteers in schools, where they work with children from age three to grade three who are at risk for not reading at grade level. AmeriCorps tutors provide individualized research-based interventions and literary practice for children. For more information, please visit www.minnesotareadingcorps.org.
About Minnesota Math Corps:
Minnesota Math Corps is a statewide program to help Minnesota students become proficient in math by the end of eighth grade. The program places trained AmeriCorps tutors in Minnesota schools to work with students in grades four through eight to provide research-based math practice. For more information, please visit www.minnesotamathcorps.org.
CentraCare Health offers mindful meditation
Learn ways to manage the demands and stress you face in life by participating in an eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course from 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday evenings, Sept. 30 through Nov. 18 in the Meditation Chapel at CentraCare Health Plaza. Use the Woodlands entrance. There will be an all-day retreat from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8. For more information, visit www.thenewsleaders.com and click on Sept. 26 Criers.
This clinically proven program, designed to help you live life with increased contentment, can be especially helpful to those who experience: anxiety and depression, attention deficits, chronic pain and illness, cardiac disease, the demands of care-giving, grief, life transitions, spiritual emptiness and all who find it difficult to establish balance in their everyday lifestyles.
The CentraCare Health Foundation helps support this program. For more information or to register, call Patsy Murphy at 320-290-2155 or e-mail patsymurphy@mac.com.
Minnesota history program set Sept. 30 at Stearns museum
The Stearns History Museum and the Department of History at St. Cloud State University are proud to present a free program on Minnesota history by eminent historian Dr. William Lass. The presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Stearns History Museum. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
Lass, professor emeritus of history at Minnesota State University Mankato, will talk about his new book entitled Shaping the North Star State: A History of Minnesota’s Boundaries. Some of the questions he answers are: How did Minnesota get its shape? Why is Isle Royale part of Michigan? What’s with that knob on top of Minnesota? And why doesn’t it include the entirety of Lake of the Woods? What about the bump on the western border? How long has the rivalry between Minnesota and Wisconsin existed?
Lass’ interest in Minnesota’s borders stretches back to when he began teaching history at then-Mankato State College in 1960. The author of seven books and dozens of articles, Lass has touched on the topic of the state’s borders in previous work but writes this book is “the first history to systematically describe the shaping of Minnesota.” Lass retired from Minnesota State Mankato in 2002.
The book is available in the Stearns History Museum Store. Please contact the Stearns History Museum for more information or with questions, 320-253-8424 or info@stearns-museum.org.
Founded in 1936, the Stearns History Museum has focused on preserving and interpreting the history of the region for 77 years. The mission of the museum is to engage people in the exploration of the County’s diverse heritage by providing connections to the past, perspectives on the present, and inspiration for the future. The Stearns History Museum is nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
United Way Volunteer Opportunities
Be a pen pal with a Kennedy third-grader!
The Pen Pal program has been successful with Oak Hill School and wants to grow the program this year to include Kennedy students. Volunteers will exchange hand-written letters monthly with a 3rd grade Kennedy student October-May. In May Pen Pal volunteers will be invited to Kennedy for lunch to meet their Pen Pal. Letters to students will be addressed to the school and monitored by staff/teacher. Grow a positive relationship with a child, knowing you are helping the student to improve their writing and communication skills. Contact Diane Diego-Ohmann, St. Cloud Area School District, at 320-252-2231 or diane.ohmann@isd742.org.
Volunteer drivers
Tri-CAP expands opportunities for the economic and social well-being of their residents. Qualified volunteers are needed to transport passengers using their own vehicles to medical appointments, social service appointments, visitations and other needs. The driver will provide rides for passengers as assigned by Tri-CAP within Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties and the surrounding areas. Volunteer drivers are reimbursed at the Federal IRS rate. Drivers must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver’s license and be free from any drug/alcohol influence. The driver is required to carry automobile insurance as required by MN State Law and to notify the insurance company of the volunteer driving position. A driver must keep all names and information about passengers confidential. Contact Tri-CAP at 320-202-7824.
Help adult immigrants learn English
Adult Basic Education is seeking volunteers to assist in a classroom, float in classrooms and assist students, work with small groups and maybe lead a class. Sites include Discovery School, Hillside School, LaCruz apartment complex, Bel Clare Estates, Hands Across the World and SCSU Campus. Volunteers are needed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, many shifts to choose from to fit in your schedule. Contact Jane Stevenson, Adult Basic Education, at 320-529-6500 Ext. 6261 or jane.stevenson@isd742.org.
Seeking student volunteers
CentraCare is currently accepting applications for their Student Volunteer Program. This is a unique opportunity for a condensed and meaningful healthcare volunteer experience. Volunteer four-eight hours a week for a total of 80+ hours. Volunteer shifts are 8 a.m.–noon, noon-4 p.m., with limited 4-8 p.m. shifts. Opportunities are available at St. Cloud Hospital and CentraCare Health Plaza. Learning tracks include: administrative assistance, patient experience and retail. Volunteers are a valuable part of their health-care team that shares a common objective of providing care above all for our patients, clients and their families. Volunteering is the perfect way to make a difference in people’s lives, put your talents to use, develop new skills and even explore careers. Volunteer opportunities are available at a variety of CentraCare Health locations. CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital Volunteer Services 320-255-5638 volunteer@centracare.com.
Sexual assault advocates
Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center is a 24-hour crisis-intervention agency providing direct services to those people affected by any form of sexual violence. The Center’s purpose is to offer non-judgmental, confidential, free, direct services to victims of sexual assault, their partners, families, coworkers and friends. They are looking for volunteer sexual-assault advocates who provide information and guidance to sexual-assault victims on the 24-hour crisis phone line, at medical facilities and at law-enforcement centers. Shifts fall on evenings and weekends. A 40-hour training is required prior to volunteering as an advocate. The next 40-hour training will start on Monday, Oct. 6 and will consist of Monday evenings and two Saturdays. Visit www.cmsac.org or call 320-251-4357 for details.
For more information, contact Mary Krippner, United Way Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at 320-223-7991 or mkrippner@unitedwayhelps.org.