Ortonville - We Are Water MN
2025-03-15 - 2025-04-21 | Ortonville High School, 200 Trojan Dr, Ortonville, MN, 56278, United States
The We Are Water MN traveling exhibit examines water issues statewide and in local communities through personal stories, histories, and scientific information. It strengthens Minnesotans’ relationships with water, exposes visitors to new perspectives, and increases participation in water stewardship activities.
Host Partner: Big Stone Arts Council
Want to know more about We Are Water MN?
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
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Ortonville - Spring Expo and Water Bar
2025-03-15 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Ortonville High School, 200 Trojan Dr, Ortonville, MN, 56278, United States
Visit the nationally acclaimed We Are Water MN traveling exhibit in the Ortonville High School Commons! Then head downstairs to the Spring Expo (formerly Sports and Leisure Show), where you can chat with local exhibit hosts, get your well water tested for nitrates, and refresh yourself at the Water Bar (where “water is all we have”).
Host Partner: Big Stone Arts Council
Want to know more about We Are Water MN?
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
Learn More

Erskine - National History Day Educator Workshop
2025-03-17 10:00 - 15:00 | Garden Valley Technologies, 206 Vance Ave. S., Erskine, 56535, United States
Curious about National History Day and how to present historical content in ways that honor and respect diverse communities? Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society, for a workshop designed for 6-12th grade educators. Hosted by the Northwest Service Cooperative, this session will spotlight Minnesota’s Indigenous communities, featuring an update from the Minnesota Department of Education on the recently passed Indigenous Education for All legislation, a presentation from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition on the history and legacy of residential boarding schools, an introduction to National History Day by the Minnesota Historical Society, and a curated overview of high-quality educator resources. Educators will gain practical strategies and resources to guide students in creating projects with honor, respect, and cultural sensitivity.
Educators will receive 4.5 clock hours and a $75 stipend following their participation in the workshop.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Rochester - Resistance, Voice, and Verse: A Latino Poetry Reading
2025-04-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Rochester Public Library, 101 2nd St SE, Rochester, 55904, United States
Join us for a special Poetry Month celebration of Latino poetry at the Rochester Public Library! This engaging event will feature readings of powerful poems, and opportunities for discussion and reflection. Students from Rochester Public Schools will read poems from the recently released anthology, “Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology” as well as their original work, and the event will be emceed by City of Rochester Poet Laureate, Jean Prokott.
Attendees will have a chance to win a copy of “Latino Poetry: Library of America Anthology” – come celebrate the rich tradition of Latino poetry, connect with fellow poetry lovers, and share in the beauty of language and storytelling. Free to attend, light refreshments provided. All are welcome!
Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home is a major public humanities initiative, planned for 2024–25, that celebrates and explores the multifaceted legacy of Latino poetry. It is directed by Library of America and funded with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective.
Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home es una iniciativa de gran alcance en el campo de las humanidades públicas que celebra el legado multifacético de la poesía latina. Esta iniciativa de realiza bajo el auspicio de Library of America con el generoso financiamiento del Fondo Nacional para las Humanidades y Emerson Collective.

Ely - We Are Water MN
2025-04-24 - 2025-06-16 | Ely Area Community Hub, 760 Miners Drive E, Ely, MN, 55731, United States
The We Are Water MN traveling exhibit examines water issues statewide and in local communities through personal stories, histories, and scientific information. It strengthens Minnesotans’ relationships with water, exposes visitors to new perspectives, and increases participation in water stewardship activities.
Host Partner: Ely Folk School
Want to know more about We Are Water MN?
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
Learn More

Ely - We Are Water MN Opening Celebration
2025-04-24 17:30 - 20:00 | Ely Area Community Hub, 760 Miners Drive E, Ely, MN, 55731, United States
Celebrate the opening night of the We Are Water MN exhibit at the Ely Area Community Hub by joining the Ely Folk School and Reflections Dance Company for this interactive performance! The exhibit will be open for guests to peruse and enjoy and will feature a “Water Bar” for folks to sample different drinking water from our area. After a brief introduction to the exhibit, Reflections Dance Company will perform several dances that will be featured in their August summer showcase; Water 2.0. Dancers will then lead interested participants in a brief movement exercise in understanding how dancers emulate and understand the movement of water in their performances.
Host Partner: Ely Folk School
Want to know more about We Are Water MN?
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
Learn More

Marshall - The Power of Poetry: A Social Studies Bundling Workshop
2025-05-09 10:00 - 14:00 | Southwest West Central Service Cooperative, 1420 East College Drive, Marshall, MN, 56258, United States
Are you interested in teaching poetry to your students? Would you like to learn more about aligning poetry to academic standards and benchmarks? If so, this workshop is for you! The first part of this workshop will include an overview of two poetry programs, Poetry Sparks!, intended for K-8th grades, developed by the Minnesota Poet Laureate, Gwen Nell Westerman, and the Latino Poetry Anthology, intended for 6-12th grades, published by the Library of America. The overview will also include viewing some of the primary sources associated with each program.
In the second half of the workshop, Brittany Rawson-Haeg, Social Studies Specialist with MDE, will walk participants through interdisciplinary bundling, what bundling is, and how both the poetry writing process and individual poems can be used to create a bundle for use with students in the classroom. Standards across Social Studies will be addressed.
This workshop is best suited for elementary generalists, social studies classroom teachers, or anyone working in curriculum instruction supporting social studies. Lunch will be provided, and all participants will receive a complimentary copy of “Songs, Blood Deep” by Minnesota Poet Laureate Gwen Nell Westerman, or the Latino Poetry Anthology.
Pending funding, educators who participate in this workshop will have first access to the Poetry Pathways Programs for the 2025-2026 academic year. Poetry Pathways is a mini-grant opportunity that brings poets and teaching artists directly into classrooms to work with students to foster creativity and writing and exposes them to the power of poetry, using their voices for expression.
About Poetry Pathways
Poetry Pathways is a collaboration between the Minnesota Humanities Center, and The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book. Vital to Minnesota communities, poetry is a powerful medium for cultural expression, community building, and drawing attention to important stories and issues, while also providing a space for healing and reflection. It plays a crucial role in education and youth engagement, enriching the social fabric of the state.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required. Lunch will be provided, and all participants will receive a complimentary copy of “Songs, Blood Deep” by Minnesota Poet Laureate Gwen Nell Westerman, or the Latino Poetry Anthology. K-12 Educators will receive 4 clock hours.
Registration Questions: Dawn.Christensen@swwc.org
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

St. Cloud - Headscarf Story Circle Gathering
2025-05-16 16:00 - 19:00 | St. Cloud Multicultural Mall, 3123 Roosevelt Rd., St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center Headscarf Story Circles is a series of offerings that recognize the strength and resiliency of women. Our St. Cloud community will gather through shared connections of the headscarf and engage in conversations around health and wellness. Guests are encouraged to wear a headscarf or head dress that is symbolic of anything from a fashion statement, cultural identity, health related, or memories, and beliefs. This event is hosted by Hodan Omar, Executive Director of Hooyo Hour.
Learn More About Headscarf Story Circles
Learn more about Headscarf Story Circles program in this video produced by the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Register Now

Staples - K-8 Social Studies Standards Workshop
2025-07-29 09:00 - 15:00 | Sourcewell, 202 12th Street NE, Staples, MN, 56479, United States
We invite K-8 social studies educators to a workshop that will provide an overview of the new 2021 Minnesota social studies standards. This workshop includes time for teachers to work together to bundle benchmarks into cohesive, interdisciplinary instructional units. Participants will also have work time to start aligning these units with existing resources and primary sources.
A collaboration between Sourcewell and the Minnesota Humanities Center, this workshop will be led by Sourcewell education consultant Jen McLachlan and will feature Brittany Rawson Haeg, Social Studies Content Lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Workshop Leader
Jen McLachlan serves as an education consultant at Sourcewell, lending her expertise to programs such as ElevatePD, New Teacher Academy, and the Social Studies Network. With a background as a middle-level educator in both math and social studies, as well as serving on a school board, she is deeply passionate about empowering teachers to become innovators and catalysts for change.
Workshop Presenter
Brittany Rawson Haeg is the Social Studies Content Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education. She began her teaching career as a high school social studies teacher in Brooklyn, New York. She taught middle and high school social studies in the Twin Cities. Prior to teaching, she was a staff assistant in the New York City Department of Education Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. She believes in the power of social studies education to help students develop greater empathy and understanding.
For more information and to register, visit the Sourcewell event listing.

Duluth - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Michelle Filkins, Margret Aldrich, Julie Gard, Jennifer Hopkins & Leslie Miller
2025-08-07 18:30 - 20:30 | Wussow’s Concert Cafe, 324 N Central Ave, Duluth, MN, 55807, United States
What can we discover when we reclaim the term ‘locker room talk’ and the intimate conversations between women in personal spaces? The Minnesota Book Award winning anthology, “Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces,” lays bare some of these conversations shared by women from Minnesota and beyond, demonstrating how women show up and care for each other, and the power of women to create safe and supportive spaces. Join us for a discussion with editors Michelle Filkins and Margret Aldrich, and contributing author and Duluth resident Julie Gard and contributing authors Jennifer Hopkins and Leslie Miller for readings and a conversation about the book. Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. The café will be open during the event with food and drink available to buy. Copies of “Locker Room Talk: Women in Private Spaces” will available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.
About the Speakers
Michelle Filkins is a founding editor of Spout Press and a contributing author to “The Evolution of Human Cooperation and Community Development” (Lexington Books), and “Creating a Transformational Community: The Fundamentals of Stewardship Activities” (Lexington Books). She is a Little Free Library steward and one of the Daunte Wright Memorial caretakers. Currently she is a professor and reference and instruction librarian at Metro State University in St. Paul. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two teenage sons.
Margret Aldrich is the author of “The Little Free Library Book” (Coffee House Press), a ten-year veteran of the publishing industry, recipient of an Innovator Award from the Book Industry Study Group, and former Princeton University writing fellow. She has published her work with The Atlantic, Utne Reader, Huffington Post, Book Riot, and others. Today Margret is the director of communications and media relations at the Little Free Library nonprofit organization.
Julie Gard’s most recent prose poetry collection, “I Think I Know You,” won the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award and was a finalist for the INDIES Book of the Year Award. “Home Studies” (New Rivers Press) was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award, and additional publications include “Scrap: On Louise Nevelson” (Ravenna Press) and two chapbooks. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota and is a Professor of Writing at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
Jennifer Hopkins has a spectacular cast of characters in the story of her life. Her hope is that anyone reading her story is reminded to build communities of love, strength, and laughter. Jennifer has been in love with the ying to her yang for over twenty years, and they raised a son together. Both men impress her daily with their integrity, devotion, and comedic timing.
Leslie Adrienne Miller’s collections of poetry include “Y,” “The Resurrection Trade,” and “Eat Quite Everything You See” from Graywolf Press, and “Yesterday Had a Man In It,” “Ungodliness,” and “Staying Up For Love” from Carnegie Mellon University Press. Professor of English at the University of St. Thomas, she holds degrees in creative writing and literature from Stephens College, University of Missouri, Iowa Writers Workshop, and University of Houston.
This event is presented in partnership with Wussow’s Concert Cafe, an inclusive and supportive home for local artists, musicians, writers, and everyone in between, and Spout Press, a small, all-volunteer, non-profit literary publisher that publishes and promotes the finest in contemporary experimental writing — mentoring young writers and bringing new and/or under-appreciated voices to the attention of a larger audience. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s writers directly to readers.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

New Ulm - Sketches of Minnesota
2025-08-14 17:00 - 20:30 | New Ulm Turner Hall, 102 S State St, New Ulm, MN, 56073, United States
“New Ulm: Come See What’s Brewing”
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and New Ulm Turner Hall for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner
7:15–8:00 PM: Performances
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

Host Partner: New Ulm Turner Hall
The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Rochester - Sketches of Minnesota
2025-08-28 17:00 - 20:30 | Rochester Art Center, 30 Civic Drive SE Ste 120, Rochester, MN, 55904, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and Rochester Art Center for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner
7:15–8:00 PM: Performances
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

Host Partner: Rochester Art Center
The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Registration
Sketches of Minnesota on August 28 is at capacity. Please join our waitlist. If a spot becomes available, we will contact you in the order received.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Join the Waitlist

Winona - Shorelines and Storylines: An Artist Gathering
2025-09-19 18:00 - 21:00 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, 55987, United States
Join us for a special evening of reflection, story, and shared warmth around the fire (weather permitting). This gathering offers an opportunity to connect with the artists of Once Upon A Shore through a special panel conversation moderated by guest exhibition curator, Heid E. Erdrich. Enjoy passed appetizers, and purchase drinks from Minnesota Marine Art Museum (MMAM)’s Water Bar Cafe & Provisions. The Minnesota Humanities Center is excited to partner with MMAM to highlight artists Gwen Nell Westerman, Tashia Hart, and Cole Redhorse Taylor who have contributed to the Native American Lives Series, books by and about Dakota and Ojibwe Minnesotans, for middle grade readers. Guests are also invited to purchase a variety of books created by exhibition artists, including the newest publications Ella Cara Deloria: Dakota Language Protector, Charles Albert Bender: National Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher, Peggy Flanagan: Lieutenant Governor, and Carrie Cavender Schommer: Dakota Language Teacher, and have your copy signed and personalized.
Registration
Shorelines and Storylines is organized by the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Registration through the Minnesota Marine Art Museum is required to attend.
Register Now

Fergus Falls - Sketches of Minnesota
2025-10-03 17:00 - 20:30 | A Center for the Arts, 124 W Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN, 56537, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and Otter Tail Lakes Country for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour at The Gathering Place (202 W Lincoln Ave. Fergus Falls)
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner Catered by Union Eatery
7:15–8:00 PM: Performance at A Center for the Arts (124 W Lincoln Ave. Fergus Falls)
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom, and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Host Partner: Fergus Falls Events Council
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Edge of the Wilderness - Sketches of Minnesota
2025-10-11 17:00 - 20:30 | Edge Center for the Arts, 101 2nd Ave, Bigfork, MN, 56628, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and Edge Center for the Arts for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner
7:15–8:00 PM: Performances
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

Host Partner: Edge Center for the Arts
The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Fosston - Sketches of Minnesota
2025-10-18 17:00 - 20:30 | Firefly Center of Art and Wellbeing, 102 S Kaiser Ave, Fosston, 56542, United States
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and Firefly Center of Art and Wellbeing for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner
7:15–8:00 PM: Performances
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

Host Partner: Firefly Center of Art and Wellbeing
The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom, and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Ottertail - Sketches of Minnesota
2025-10-27 17:00 - 20:30 | Thumper Pond Resort, 300 Thumper Lodge Rd, Ottertail, MN, 56571, United States
“Otter Tail County: Bring out your inner otter in the land of 1,048 lakes”
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and New York Mills Arts Retreat and Regional Cultural Center for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner
7:15–8:00 PM: Performances
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

Host Partner: New York Mills Arts Retreat and Regional Cultural Center
The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom, and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Register Now

Rochester - Headscarf Story Circle Series
2025-11-15 12:00 - 14:30 | Rochester Area Economic Development Inc (RAEDI), 221 1st Ave SW, Suite 600, Rochester, 55902, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is excited to host Headscarf Story Circle – a series of offerings that recognize the strength and resiliency of women. Join us for our first of three offerings in Rochester as we gather together through the shared connection of the headscarf and its complexity. “Women Balancing Entrepreneurship and their own Wellness” is the theme.
This event is co-hosted by Rochester Women Magazine with Tawonda Burk, Publisher/Owner and features inspiring speakers from the Rochester community.
The Host Partner: Tawonda Burks, ABD, MBA is an educator, entrepreneur, and community leader dedicated to advancing economic opportunity and equity. She is the owner and publisher of Rochester Women Magazine, founder of the Minority Owned Business Foundation, and CEO of ELOCINA. Through her work, Tawonda champions entrepreneurship, leadership, and wealth-building across Southeast Minnesota.
The Keynote Speaker: Psalms T. Frye is the Founder and Owner of Peace and Compassion Birth Services, LLC and an advocate for black maternal health justice. Psalms has been a DONA certified birth doula for 5 years and is also a certified lactation counselor (CLC). She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Theological Studies from Liberty University. She is married to Sidney Frye I and is a homeschool mom to their six children. Psalms enjoys hiking at National Parks with her family, reading books on parenting, and learning new things about birth that she can share with her clients to help them have an empowered birth experience.
Speaker: Manal Abbadi is a Senior Program Coordinator at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she assists with the development and implementation of evidence-based, community-informed strategies aimed at advancing cancer education, prevention, and research participation among populations across the Midwest. With a background in legal advocacy and a strong foundation in community-based programming, she specializes in stakeholder engagement, health equity, and project management. Her work focuses on building sustainable, trust-based partnerships that address cancer disparities and ensure community voices are embedded throughout the research continuum. Manal is a mother to young children, who keep her active and engaged in their daily activities.
Speaker: Asha Aden is a Rochester resident committed to equity, love, and justice. She graduated from Luther College in 2020 with degrees in political science and religion. As an engaged member of the Rochester community, Asha is passionate about intersectional and interfaith work, which form the foundation of her activism and personal belief. She is committed to continuous learning and unlearning.
Guests are encouraged to wear a headscarf or head dress that is symbolic of anything from a fashion statement, cultural identity, health related, or memories, and beliefs.
Learn More About Headscarf Story Circles
Learn more about Headscarf Story Circles program in this video produced by the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Staples - K-8 Social Studies Standards Workshop
2025-11-18 08:30 - 14:30 | Sourcewell, 202 12th Street NE, Staples, MN, 56479, United States
We invite K-8 social studies educators to a workshop that will provide an overview of the new 2021 Minnesota social studies standards. This workshop includes time for teachers to work together to bundle benchmarks into cohesive, interdisciplinary instructional units. Participants will also have work time to start aligning these units with existing resources and primary sources.
A collaboration between Sourcewell and the Minnesota Humanities Center, this workshop will be led by Sourcewell education consultant Jen McLachlan and will feature Brittany Rawson Haeg, Social Studies Content Lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Workshop Leader
Jen McLachlan serves as an education consultant at Sourcewell, lending her expertise to programs such as ElevatePD, New Teacher Academy, and the Social Studies Network. With a background as a middle-level educator in both math and social studies, as well as serving on a school board, she is deeply passionate about empowering teachers to become innovators and catalysts for change.
Workshop Presenter
Brittany Rawson Haeg is the Social Studies Content Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education. She began her teaching career as a high school social studies teacher in Brooklyn, New York. She taught middle and high school social studies in the Twin Cities. Prior to teaching, she was a staff assistant in the New York City Department of Education Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. She believes in the power of social studies education to help students develop greater empathy and understanding.
Registration
$60 per participant from districts in the five-county service area and partner schools; Comprehensive Package pricing: $6 per participant; $80 per participant from all other schools; Lunch provided.
For more information and to register, visit the Sourcewell event listing.

Winona - Third Thursday MMAM and the Native American Lives Series - George Morrison: Modern Artist
2026-01-15 18:30 - 19:30 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, 55987, United States
Join us at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum for a Third Thursday book event, featuring the Native American Lives Series title, “George Morrison: Modern Artist.” Author Staci Drouillard and illustrator Tashia Hart will share their stories about how this book project was created as well as shed light on the incredible career of George Morrison, Grand Portage Anishinaabe artist, the subject of a major solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Native American Lives Series, a joint publishing effort between the Minnesota Humanities Center and Lerner publishing, shares real life stories of Dakota and Ojibwe leaders, artists, activists, and elders who have been influential for their communities and have shaped Minnesota and national history. The series co-editors, Heid E. Erdrich and Gwen Nell Westerman share that “These children’s books are by, for, and about Dakota and Ojibwe people and will help Dakota, Ojibwe, and other Native American children imagine their own potential and help them see their cultures represented alongside biographies of American leaders in our society.”
Presented in partnership with the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.
Registration
Registration through the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Students may attend for free, however registration is still required.
Registration Questions: hello@mmam.org
Register Now

Winona - Water Bar at the New Look Preview Party
2026-01-30 18:30 - 22:00 | Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, 55987, United States
MHC is excited to bring the Water Bar to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum’s (MMAM) New Look Preview Party, where water tenders will serve up flights of local drinking waters and spark conversations around stewardship of local water resources.
“What’s a Water Bar?” you may wonder? A Water Bar is a bar that serves free, local water. It’s a social space that centers the life-sustaining action of drinking water. It’s a table to gather around. It’s a space for quenching thirst, for questioning water, for sharing and encountering stories, and for being and becoming part of a community.
MMAM’s New Look Preview Party celebrates the launch of their2026 theme, Making Waves – marking two decades of genre defying artists pushing the boundaries of what marine art is, and can be – and three new exhibition projects that usher in the new year: Splish, Splash, Story: Selections from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Robert Gonzalez: Mystical Waters, and Water | Craft.
This memorable night out at the museum features enlightening artist conversations, drink specials and light bites by the Waterbar Cafe & Provisions culinary team, and a world-premiere live performance of Glacial Spatial—an immersive sound experience created by Trever Hagen and Josh Berg in collaboration with the Winona Symphony Orchestra, curated in partnership with Liquid Music.
Registration
Tickets for this event must be purchased through the MMAM. MMAM is now offering friends of MHC $15 Presenting Partner Advanced Tickets! Use promotional code – NEWLOOK2026.
Register Now

North Mankato - Social Studies Standards Workshop Series
2026-02-23 09:00 - 15:00, 2026-04-30 09:00 - 15:00 | South Central Services Cooperative, 2075 Lookout Drive, North Mankato, 56003, United States
The Social Studies Standards Workshop Series is a two-day workshop series (February 23 and April 30, 2026) designed to equip K–12 teachers and school leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to successfully implement the new social studies standards by the 2026–27 school year. Participants will engage in a guided exploration of the revised standards, including analysis of major content shifts, vertical alignment across grade levels, and implications for curriculum planning.
Throughout the workshop, teams will connect the updated standards to the C3 Framework, deepening their understanding of high-quality instructional practices and identifying necessary instructional shifts to support student learning.
K-12 educators will receive 5 clock hours for each session.
Registration
Registration for this event is managed by South Central Services Cooperative. Fee for Series ($200.00) includes lunch both days. Registration closes Monday, February 23, 2026.
Registration Questions: 507-389-1425
Register Now

Byron - We Are Water MN
2026-02-24 - 2026-04-20 | Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo, 5731 County Rd 105 NW, Byron, MN, 55920, United States
The We Are Water MN traveling exhibit examines water issues statewide and in local communities through personal stories, histories, and scientific information. It strengthens Minnesotans’ relationships with water, exposes visitors to new perspectives, and increases participation in water stewardship activities.
Host Partner: Oxbow Park and Zollman Zoo
We Are Water MN is thrilled to make its 2026 debut at our very first zoo host site! Please visit the exhibit at the newly-renovated Zollman Zoo & Nature Center, where you can learn more about water alongside the many animals that call it home. The Dr. Paul E. Zollman Zoo houses over 30 species of wild animals native to Minnesota, so be sure to leave time for a visit to the otters and eagles! This stop on our We Are Water MN is also a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the unique Karst Geology of the Olmstead County area–don’t miss out on the chance to learn more about this unique geography!
Want to make a day of out of your visit to the exhibit? Oxbow Park offers almost any outdoor enthusiast a chance to pursue their favorite activity such as hiking, fishing, snowshoeing, and more.
About We Are Water MN?
We are Water MN is a project of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Humanities Center in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society; the Board of Water and Soil Resources; the Minnesota Departments of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; and University of Minnesota Extension.
Learn more about the We Are Water MN exhibit, partnership, and programs.
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Rochester - Sketches of Minnesota: Civic Community Comedy Tour
2026-03-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Rochester Civic Theatre, 30 Civic Center Drive SE Ste 100, Rochester, 55904, United States
MHC and the comedy team at Danger Boat Productions spent late summer and most of fall traveling to communities across Minnesota. They’ve taken stories from each town and put them into a hilarious sketch comedy revue. It’s like going along on the year-long Sketches of Minnesota road trip, but you get to enjoy the highlights from the comfort of a theater seat…without the backseat driving.
Sketches of Minnesota is a traveling program designed to increase understanding and encourage conversations among people who might not know each other or have differing viewpoints, by bringing neighbors together over a shared meal and improvisational comedy. These kinds of conversations are more crucial now than ever, and we think that the program can facilitate essential healing within our Minnesota communities.
Sketches of Minnesota is presented in partnership with Danger Boat Productions
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Sartell - Social Studies Standards Workshop: 6-12 Educators and Leaders
2026-03-17 09:00 - 15:00 | Resource Training & Solution, 137 23rd Street S, Sartell, 56377, United States
We invite 6-12 teachers and school leaders to a one-day Social Studies workshop. Participants will engage in a structured examination of the 2021 social studies standards, focusing on key content shifts, vertical alignment across grade levels, and their impact on curriculum design. Throughout the workshop, collaborative teams will strengthen their understanding of high-quality instructional practices and the instructional shifts needed to support student learning.
This workshop is a collaboration between Resource Training and Solutions and the Minnesota Humanities Center, and will also feature Brittany Rawson-Haeg, Social Studies Content Lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.
Grade 6-12 educators will receive 5.25 clock hours upon completion the session.
Registration
Registration for this event is managed by Resource Training Solutions. Registration fee includes lunch. Registration closes Friday, March 13, 2026.
Registration Questions: info@resourcecoop-mn.gov
Register Now

Rochester - Headscarf Story Circle Gathering
2026-03-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Rochester Cultural Center, 1515 US-14, Rochester, 55904, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is excited to host Headscarf Story Circle – a series of offerings that recognize the strength and resiliency of women. Join us for our second of three offerings in Rochester as we gather together through the shared connection of the headscarf and its complexity. This event commemorates Women’s History Month’s theme “Sustainability” with “Sustaining Home, Health, and Joy.”
Guests are encouraged to wear a headscarf or head dress that is symbolic of anything from a fashion statement, cultural identity, health related, or memories, and beliefs.

Danielle Teal is a Senior Program Coordinator at Mayo Clinic with nearly two decades of experience supporting initiatives that strengthen organizations and the people within them. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Danielle is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Behavioral Health (DBH) with a management concentration, where her work focuses on the intersection of behavioral science, population health, and organizational well-being.
Her professional interests center on designing systems and experiences that help people, organizations and communities thrive. Danielle is especially motivated by initiatives that support employee well-being, foster joy at work, and bring a more human-centered approach to how work gets done.
In December 2025, Danielle was diagnosed with breast cancer, an experience that profoundly shaped her perspective and deepened her commitment to resilience, compassion, and living with intention. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys gardening, spending time outdoors, and dreaming up creative projects. One of her long-term aspirations is to travel cross-country performing intentional acts of kindness and eventually write a book about radical kindness.

Tawonda Burks of Rochester, Minnesota is the current Director of Operations at RAEDI (Rochester Area Economic Development Inc.). She is the founder and owner of ELOCINA, LLC, President-Elect of Southeast Minnesota BDPA, Board of Trustee member of the Jeremiah Program, Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester, Leadership Table at Cradle 2 Career, and committee member with Center for Chronic Disease Reduction & Equity Promotion Across America.

Community Partner: Rochester Women Magazine.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Cloud - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Joyce Sutphen
2026-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Paramount Center for the Arts, 913 W. Saint Germain St., St. Cloud, 56301, United States
To celebrate National Poetry Month, MHC’s Off the Page is bringing together two of Minnesota’s Poet Laureates, Joyce Sutphen and Gwen Nell Westerman. Sutphen will be reading from her most recent collection, “Paper Camera: Poems, Poets, and Poetry,” which examines the many facets of poetry itself; reading, memorizing, writing, and what poetry can do for us. She will be joined in discussion by the current Poet Laureate, Gwen Nell Westerman. Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Light refreshments will be provided, copies of “Paper Camera: Poems, Poets, and Poetry” will be available for purchase, and the evening will finish with a book signing.
About the Speakers
Joyce Sutphen grew up on a farm near St. Joseph, Minnesota, and currently lives in Chaska. She has degrees from the University of Minnesota, including a Ph.D. in Renaissance Drama. Her first book, “Straight Out of View,” won the Barnard New Women’s Poets Prize (Beacon Press, 1995, republished by Holy Cow! Press in 2001). “Coming Back to the Body” (Holy Cow! Press, 2000) was a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award, and “Naming the Stars” (Holy Cow! Press, 2004) won the Minnesota Book Award in Poetry. In 2005, Red Dragonfly Press published “Fourteen Sonnets” in a letterpress edition, and in 2006 Sutphen co-edited the award-winning anthology “To Sing Along the Way: Minnesota Women Poets from Pre-Territorial Days to the Present” (New Rivers Press). Her poems have appeared in “Poetry,” “American Poetry Review,” “Atlanta Review,” “Minnesota Monthly,” “Water-Stone,” and many other journals, and she has had work featured in Ted Kooser’s “American Life in Poetry,” and on “The Writer’s Almanac.” She has also been a guest on A Prairie Home Companion, hosted by Garrison Keillor. In 2011 she was named the second Minnesota Poet Laureate by Governor Mark Dayton, following the tenure of Robert Bly. Her newest collection is “Paper Camera: Poems, Poets, and Poetry,” published by Nodin Press, 2025.
Gwen Nell Westerman is a poet, visual artist, and scholar. Her roots are deep in the landscape of the tallgrass prairie and reveal themselves in her art and writing. She is an enrolled citizen of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and her father’s family is from the Heipa District. Her mother’s family is from the Flint District of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Neither of her parents spoke English when they were sent as small children to boarding schools in Oklahoma and South Dakota. Singing and writing for as long as she can remember, Gwen understands from experience the important ways language and the land shape who we are. She was appointed as the Poet Laureate of Minnesota by Governor Tim Walz in 2021.
This event is presented in partnership with Paramount Center for the Arts, a multidisciplinary community arts facility whose mission is to engage, educate, enrich, and entertain through inspiring arts experiences. This event is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Cuyuna Lakes - Sketches of Minnesota
2026-04-18 17:00 - 20:30 | Clearwater Forest Camp and Retreat Center, 16595 Crooked Lake Rd, Deerwood, MN, 56444, United States
“Clear Lakes. Deep Woods. One Community.”
Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and Clearwater Forest Camp and Retreat Center for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe listens in on the conversations, takes everything they heard from residents, and brings it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.

5:00–6:00 PM: Doors open / Community hour
6:00–7:15 PM: Dinner
7:15–8:00 PM: Performances
8:00–8:30 PM: Talkback

Host Partner: Clearwater Forest Camp and Retreat Center
Community Partner:

The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom and stories of its people. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Sartell - Social Studies Standards Workshop: K-5 Educators and Leaders
2026-05-06 09:00 - 15:00 | Resource Training & Solution, 137 23rd Street S, Sartell, 56377, United States
We invite K-5 teachers and school leaders to a one-day social studies workshop. Participants will engage in a structured examination of the 2021 social studies standards, focusing on key content shifts, vertical alignment across grade levels, and their impact on curriculum design. Throughout the workshop, collaborative teams will strengthen their understanding of high-quality instructional practices and the instructional shifts needed to support student learning.
This workshop is a collaboration between Resource Training and Solutions and the Minnesota Humanities Center, and will also feature Brittany Rawson-Haeg, Social Studies Content Lead for the Minnesota Department of Education.
K-5 educators will receive 5.25 clock hours upon completion the session.
Registration
Registration for this event is managed by Resource Training Solutions. Registration fee includes lunch. Registration closes Monday, May 4, 2026.
Registration Questions: info@resourcecoop-mn.gov
Register Now
