Minnesota Humanities Center

Minneapolis - Examining Military Service From the Margins
2024-11-13 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), 2001 Plymouth Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55411, United States
Session 2: How has the military service of certain populations been hidden devalued, limited, or discriminated against?
Veterans, active service members, and civilians are invited to contribute to the “Examining Military Service From the Margins” discussion series. Facilitated by pairs of Discussion Leaders, each session will use guiding questions, and a set of core-shared resources like oral histories and films, to better understand how race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and other factors have caused the military service of some individuals to be devalued or limited in some capacity. All Discussion Leaders are either active service members or Veterans.
Consideration of central topics and themes, and discussion of key moments from military history, such as self-emancipation among the U.S. Colored Troops members in the Civil War, or the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell more recently, will spark greater conversations about service, democracy, citizenship, equality and more. Additional resources will be offered for those with extra time wanting to explore even further.
Session Two of “Examining Military Service From the Margins” will build upon the discussion from the previous session and consider the guiding question, “How has the military service of certain populations been hidden, devalued, limited, or discriminated against?”
What you can expect from this series:

Discussion Leaders, Veterans, active service members, and civilians will share information on military service, as well as talk about their personal experiences and perspectives.
Each session will have a resource list of articles, books, and organizations to help you gain a deeper understanding of the issues at hand.
Engage in small and large group discussions.

Registration
Registration is required. There is no cost to attend; sign up for one or two sessions.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Event Center Annual Open House
2024-11-20 11:30 - 13:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
You and a guest are invited to join us for our Event Center’s annual open house! Bring your colleagues and friends and stop in anytime between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm to see our beautiful space and have lunch on us. Take a tour of our event spaces and overnight lodging, network with other planners, enjoy a sampling of food from our in-house chef, and see how we can make your next event a success! We hope you can join us! Please RSVP you and your guest(s) by November 18.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Minnesota English Learner Education (MELEd) Fall Conference
2024-11-22 - 2024-11-23 | Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN, 55102, United States
The annual MELEd Fall Conference will be held November 22-23, 2024 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. The Minnesota English Learner Education Conference is a partnership between MinneTESOL and the Minnesota Department of Education. Educators come together to celebrate, share information, learn from and with each other, and network across Minnesota for ESL, Dual Language and Bilingual Education, and Migrant Education.
The Minnesota Humanities Center will be tabling and presenting two sessions at the conference:

Culturally Rich Resources for All Learners – Friday, November 22, 10:15-11:00 a.m.
Amplifying Student Voice through the Latino Poetry Anthology, Places We Call Home – Saturday, November 23, 2:00-2:45 p.m.

Registration
Registration Questions: admin@minnetesol.org
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St. Paul - Health Equity Breakfast Series
2024-12-02 08:30 - 10:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
We’re excited to invite you to Shifting Power, Transforming Systems Through Language, presented by the University of St. Thomas Morrison Family College of Health in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center. Please join us for a rich conversation on language as a vital bridge to more equitable and inclusive care for communities in which language is a barrier.
Language access is critical in providing equitable, high-quality, whole-person care for immigrant and refugee communities. This breakfast will include a viewing of Translators, an award-winning brief documentary, which focuses on the role children play to step in as translators and interpreters for adult family members. Panelists and attendees will have opportunities to share from their own personal and professional experiences to explore questions raised in the documentary, examine the role of language in providing culturally responsive care, discuss systemic issues leading to limited language access in health care and social service settings, and consider strategies for increasing language access and improving culturally responsive care. We hope you can join us for this important conversation!
Registration
Registration Questions: coh@stthomas.edu
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Marshall - National History Day: Honoring Histories with Care
2024-12-04 10:00 - 15:00 | Southwest West Central Service Cooperative, 1420 East College Drive, Marshall, MN, 56258, 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. 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 a $75 stipend and 4.5 clock hours following their participation in the workshop.
Registration
Registration Questions: Dawn Christensen, dawn.christensen@swsc.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Marcie Rendon
2024-12-06 18:30 - 20:30 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Join us for a special evening with acclaimed author, poet, and playwright, Marcie Rendon, as she delves into her latest book, “Where They Last Saw Her” (Bantam Books, 2024). Marcie will be in conversation with Lisa Skjefte, Deputy Director at MIGIZI. Their conversation will explore crime novels, humor, resilience, and what it means to be an Indigenous woman in Minnesota today.
Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, enjoy light refreshments, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Copies of “Where They Last Saw Her,” along with other titles by Marcie Rendon, will be available for purchase from Moon Palace Books at the event and the evening will finish with a book signing.
This event is presented in partnership with MIGIZI, which supports the development of American Indian youth through academic, cultural, and career-building programs, and is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers. While the event is free, registration is required to reserve your spot. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with one of Minnesota’s most compelling voices.
About the Book
Things are different now for Quill than when she was a lonely girl. Her friends Punk and Gaylyn are two women who don’t know what it means to quit; her loving husband, Crow, and their two beautiful children challenge her to be better every day. So when she hears a second woman has been stolen, she is determined to do something about it—starting with investigating the group of men working the pipeline construction just north of their homes.
As Quill closes in on the truth about the missing women, someone else disappears. In her quest to find justice for all of the women of the reservation, she is confronted with the hard truths of their home and the people who purport to serve them. When will she stop losing neighbors, friends, family? As Quill puts everything on the line to make a difference, the novel asks searing questions about bystander culture, the reverberations of even one act of crime, and the long-lasting trauma of being considered invisible. (Random House Publishing Group)
About the Author
Marcie R. Rendon, citizen of the White Earth Nation, is one of O: The Oprah Magazine’s 31 Native American Authors to Read Right Now and a McKnight Distinguished Artist Award winner. Her debut novel, “Murder on the Red River,” received the Pinckley Prize for Debut Novel Award and was a finalist for the Western Writers of America Spur Award, Contemporary Novel category, and her second novel, “Girl Gone Missing,” was nominated for the G. P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award. Her script, “Say Their Names,” will be produced by Out of Hand Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. And her script “Sweet Revenge” had a staged reading at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The creative mind of Raving Native Theater, she curated Twin Cities Public Television’s “Art Is . . . CreativeNativeResilience.” Rendon received the Loft Literary Center’s Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship with co-creator Diego Vazquez for their work with incarcerated women.
About the Moderator
Lisa Skjefte, Red Lake Nation Anishinaabe, joined MIGIZI in April of 2023 as our new Deputy Director. She was formerly the Vice President of Community Engagement and Impact at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC). Prior to her work at MIWRC, Lisa worked at Children’s Minnesota where she specialized in systems change by partnering with and leading efforts to institutionalize health equity. While at Children’s Minnesota she co-created with the community two separate community and patient experience initiatives, The First Gift and the American Indian Volunteer Cohort. Lisa is also the co-founder of KWESTRONG, a grassroots movement centered around an annual Native Women’s Triathlon (RUN BIKE CANOE) at Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and is currently finishing up her Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Minnesota.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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St. Paul - Feeding Our Souls: Essence of Indigenous Joy
2024-12-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Splendid traditional entrees and desserts evolve at the Minnesota Humanities Center as we commemorate Indigenous Cultural Heritage Month through food and the beloved stories behind them that bring community joy. Cuisine and authentic presentations are showcased by one of the Twin Cities’ finest chefs, food historian, and musicians.
Featured Chef
Brian Yazzie aka Yazzie the Chef (Diné/Navajo) is from Dennehotso, Arizona and based out of Saint Paul, MN. Chef Yazzie has an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Culinary Arts from Saint Paul College 2016. He is a delegate of Slow Food Turtle Island Association, and a team member at I-Collective: a collective of cooks, chefs, seed keepers, farmers, foragers, and scholars, focused on bringing awareness to the cultural appropriations of indigenous foods of the Americas. Chef Yazzie and his Fiancée, Danielle Polk (Hoonmana Polk) are the Founders/Owners of Intertribal Foodways, a culinary mission specifically working with and for the betterment of tribal communities, wellness and health through Indigenous foods. They travel internationally and are available for catering, private dinners, pop up dinners, chef demos & cooking classes, collaborations, and presentations on indigenous food sovereignty.
Featured Emcee
Deanna StandingCloud, a citizen of the Red Lake Nation of Anishinaabe, Deanna collaborates with fellow Native comedians, including Trish Cook’s all-female group, ACE BAE Comedy. She’s performed comedy since 2022. She is also learning about traditional healing modalities for her new business, Ziigwan Indigenous Wellness. Deanna is a playwright, artist, and powwow emcee who enjoys spending time with her children, her dog Benny, cooking, taking nature walks, and creative activities.
Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
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Golden Valley - Upholding Our Beloved Community: Comfort Pies Build Stronger Ties
2025-01-19 13:30 - 16:30 | Metropolitan Ballroom & Clubroom, 5418 Wayzata Blvd, Golden Valley, MN, 55416, United States
Gather for an uplifting event where we come together to celebrate Dr. King and his enduring dream of Beloved Community. Enjoy music, speakers, food and facilitated conversations about the issues of our times. Connect with neighbors and friends and leave inspired and fortified!
Featuring:

An auction of unique items!
96 sweet potato pies (representing Dr. King’s age) to be given to those YOU determine deserve them most.
Renowned Vocalist Jamela Pettiford and the GQ Unit will perform to inspire the audience with her soulful melodies.
Saxophonist Jerome Richardson will captivate us all with his exceptional artistry.
Heart and Soul Drum Academy, led by Baba Jesse Buckner, delivers rhythms that unite us.
And most importantly—YOU!

Learn More
This event is free but registration is required. To learn more about this event, visit the Sweet Potato Comfort Pie event page.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Online - Building Bright Futures: Support Student Growth and Success as a National History Day Judge!
2025-01-23 16:00 - 18:00, 2025-01-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
Join us as a 2025 Regional History Day Judge and help shape the future of Minnesota students! This rewarding volunteer opportunity allows you to engage directly with young scholars as they explore historical topics, develop critical research and writing skills, and discover their voices.
Your role as a judge goes beyond evaluating projects—it’s about fostering confidence, curiosity, and a sense of accomplishment in students. By offering thoughtful feedback and celebrating their efforts, you empower them to grow as learners, thinkers, and creators.
The Minnesota Humanities Center, in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society, is committed to ensuring students see themselves in the mentors and evaluators they encounter throughout their educational experience. We especially welcome judges from Minnesota’s richly diverse communities, including African American, Asian, American Indian, Latino/e/x, East African, and Greater Minnesota residents. Your unique perspective can make a lasting impact!
No experience? No problem! This online training session, led by Sammi Jo Papas of the Minnesota Historical Society, provides everything you need to know. All you need is an interest in history and a willingness to connect with students.

Event Details:

Who Should Attend: Anyone interested in history and student success
Format: Online training
Stipend: Workshop attendees who commit to judging at a Regional History Day competition will receive a $50 stipend

Registration
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now
Join us in nurturing the next generation of leaders, innovators, and citizens. Learn more and sign up as a History Day judge to make a difference: mnhs.org/historyday.
Support young historians and help shape the next generation of leaders—sign up today!
Support for this project comes in part from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) “National History Day” initiative, an effort to extend NHD outreach to educators and students in hard-to-reach communities and to recruit, in collaboration with NHD and NHD affiliates, a more diverse pool of NHD judges from minority-serving institutions, community colleges, and underserved communities.

Minneapolis - Examining Military Service From the Margins
2025-01-30 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-02-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Quatrefoil Library, 1220 East Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN, 55407, United States
From the Margins at Quatrefoil Library
Veterans, active service members, and civilians are invited to contribute to the “Examining Military Service From the Margins” discussion series. Facilitated by pairs of Discussion Leaders, each session will use guiding questions, and a set of core-shared resources like oral histories and films, to better understand how race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and other factors have caused the military service of some individuals to be devalued or limited in some capacity. All Discussion Leaders are either active service members or Veterans.
This session of “Examining Military Service From the Margins,” held at Quatrefoil Library in Minneapolis, will have conversations focused on LGBTQIA+ community issues. Topics of discussion will include the history of Queer service members, the effects of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and the current experience of transgender individuals in the military.
What you can expect from this session:

Discussion Leaders, Veterans, active service members, and civilians will share information on military service, as well as talk about their personal experiences and perspectives.
A post-event resource list of articles, books, and organizations to help you gain a deeper understanding of topics discussed.
Engage in small and large group conversations.

Registration
Registration is required. There is no cost to attend.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul - Cultural Financial Literacy
2025-02-01 11:00 - 13:00 | OMG Studios, 550 Vandalia Street Suite 220, St. Paul, 55102, United States
Commemorate Black History & Culture with OMG Studio’s Art, Music & Literature Exhibition 2025. FREE Media Courses Offered to the Beloved Community – registration required; space is limited. Taught within a cultural/historical framework, this course teaches skills and strategies to promote long-term financial well-being.
Registration
Registration Questions: monique@omgmediasolutions.com
Register Now

St. Paul -Cultural Artificial Intelligence
2025-02-01 14:00 - 16:00 | OMG Studios, 550 Vandalia Street Suite 220, St. Paul, 55102, United States
Commemorate Black History & Culture with OMG Studio’s Art, Music & Literature Exhibition 2025. Introduction to artificial intelligence through a cultural lens. FREE Media Courses Offered to the Beloved Community – registration required; space is limited.
Registration
Registration Questions: monique@omgmediasolutions.com
Register Now

St. Paul -Innovative Breathing
2025-02-02 11:00 - 12:00 | OMG Studios, 550 Vandalia Street Suite 220, St. Paul, 55102, United States
Commemorate Black History & Culture with OMG Studio’s Art, Music & Literature Exhibition 2025. Breath work to heal the mind and body lead by Black Youth Healing Arts Center. FREE to the Beloved Community – registration required; space is limited.
Registration
Registration Questions: monique@omgmediasolutions.com
Register Now

The Great Northern Festival – Learning from Place: Bdote
2025-02-02 13:00 - 15:00 | Fort Snelling State Park, 101 Snelling Lake Road, St. Paul, MN, 55111, United States
Expand your understanding of the Twin Cities with a guided walk of sites with deep significance to Dakota people. Led by Dakota community members, participants will be encouraged to reconsider their relationship to land, water, sky, and all life—including other humans—through stories and perspectives that are often left out of our state’s history.
Bdote is a Dakota word that generally means “where two waters come together.” The bdote where Ȟaȟáwakpa (Mississippi River) and the Mnísota Wakpá (Minnesota River) come together is central to Dakota spirituality and history.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding about Dakota people’s relationship to the place we now call Minnesota and will be encouraged to put newfound knowledge into action and further learning.
Plan Your Experience: This event will begin at the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center and primarily be outdoors, so dress accordingly. A Minnesota state parks vehicle permit is required (one-day permits are available for $7 and can be purchased online or at any Minnesota state park office).
Registration
Registration for this event must be made through the Great Northern Festival website.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED

Staples - National History Day: Honoring Histories with Care
2025-02-06 10:00 - 15:00 | Sourcewell, 202 12th Street NE, Staples, MN, 56479, 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. 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 a $75 stipend and 4.5 clock hours following their participation in the workshop.
Registration
Register Now

St. Paul -Young Rembrandts Interactive Drawing Class featuring Black History Storytelling with Jevetta Steele
2025-02-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Commemorate Black History & Culture with OMG Studio’s Art, Music & Literature Exhibition 2025.. Pre-register youth 8-12 years old, space is limited. Students will explore the beauty of African folk art in a 1-hour class. African art is characterized by its vibrant colors, geometric designs, and abstract themes. A focus on human form, ceremony and creative expression produces truly magical art.
Afterwards, Javetta Steel will do an in-person reading of “It Starts with Me”, joining Amora as she encourages her friends to BE LOVE. She shows them how to open their hearts and minds by allowing love to drive their words, actions and thoughts. Through love, we can create a world where everyone feels like they belong.
Co-authored by Dr Kimberly Johnson and Dr Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, illustrated by Zoe Ranucci. Books will be available for purchase.
Registration
Registration Questions: monique@omgmediasolutions.com
Register Now

St. Cloud - Sketches of Minnesota: A Civic Community Comedy Tour
2025-02-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Marcus Theatres, 1533 Frontage Road North, Waite Park, MN, 56387, United States
This one-hour scripted show is based on the acclaimed Sketches of Minnesota Civic-Improv Tour, and reflects the everyday lives and laugh-out-loud stories of Minnesota communities from Austin to International Falls. Thanks to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy Amendment, it’s also FREE! Join MHC and the cast of Danger Boat Productions for this entirely unique, quirkily insightful, and seriously funny performance.
Registration
This event is free to attend but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

Bemidji - Winter Rural Indian Education Gathering
2025-02-12 10:00 - 14:00 | Beltrami Electric Cooperative Inc., 4111 Technology Dr NW, Bemidji, MN, 56601, United States
Join us for the American Indian Education Networking Winter Gathering hosted by Bemidji Area Schools. District leadership teams, Site leadership teams, School leadership teams, and leaders regarding American Indian and Indigenous Education are encouraged to attend. Lunch will be served onsite. Please register by Wednesday, January 29, 2025, so we can plan accordingly for space and meals.
If you have questions, please contact Sonia Wadena at sonia_wadena@isd31.net.
About the American Indian Education Networking Group
Purpose: Bringing American Indian and Indigenous Education school leaders together to provide opportunities for collaboration and support.
The American Indian Education Networking group is made up of rural statewide and regional American Indian Directors, School Leaders and Educators that come together on a monthly basis to share ideas and discuss challenges while celebrating successes. We create a space for networking and access to practitioners in the field who can help navigate district roles and responsibilities with Tribal partnerships governing American Indian Education programs.
We are also seeking your feedback on the types of professional development and community of practice opportunities you’d like to see from the AIE Networking Group in the future. Please fill out our survey to inform our future programming.
CEUs will be provided.
Registration
Registration is now closed and event is full.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org

St. Paul -What's In Your Brand Toolkit
2025-02-15 11:00 - 13:00 | OMG Studios, 550 Vandalia Street Suite 220, St. Paul, 55102, United States
Commemorate Black History & Culture with OMG Studio’s Art, Music & Literature Exhibition 2025. Branding and marketing for small businesses, includes intro to podcasting. FREE Media Courses Offered to the Beloved Community – registration required; space is limited.
Registration
Registration Questions: monique@omgmediasolutions.com
Register Now

St. Paul - Minnesota Writers Off the Page: Tia-Simone Gardner and Erin Sharkey
2025-02-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Minnesota Humanities Event Center, 987 Ivy Avenue East, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Join us for a conversation at the intersection of artwork, images, and writing based upon the catalogue “A Nation Takes Place: Navigating Race and Water in Contemporary Art.” Edited by Tia-Simone Gardner and Shana M. griffin, the book is a companion to the art exhibit “A Nation Takes Place,” currently on view at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona (through March 2, 2025).
Editor and exhibit curator Tia-Simone Gardner will be in conversation with contributing writer and author Erin Sharkey, navigating through the themes and meanings that surface when considering water, place-making and place-taking, the maritime world, and how it relates to race, colonization, dispossession, rebirth, and creation.
Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A session, enjoy light refreshments, and have further informal conversation with the featured speakers. Copies of “A Nation Takes Place” will be available for purchase at the event and the evening will finish with a book signing.
This event is presented in partnership with the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, which engages visitors and the community with great art inspired by water, and is part of the Minnesota Writers Off the Page series, bringing the inspirational voices of Minnesota’s authors directly to readers. While the event is free, registration is required to reserve your spot. Register by Thursday, February 20 for a chance to receive 2 complimentary admission tickets to MMAM. Drawing for the tickets will take place at the event. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore a text that brings together both writing and art!
About the Book
Neither the metaphorical birth of a nation nor its actual violent formation is a one-time event. It is a process. A process of erasing, naming, and unnaming. Settling and unsettling. Extracting, dispossessing, and disappearing—a process of taking and placemaking. It is a tool of conquest, unthinkable without waterways, voyages, slave ships, and hemispheric maps of colonial and imperial demarcation. A companion to the exhibition A Nation Takes Place at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, this catalog examines how artists bring critical attention to the “liquid fantasies” of the sea and navigate race and the violent silences, voids, ruptures, breaks, and counterworld formations unattended by the visuality of traditional maritime art, pushing the boundaries of what marine art is and can become. (University of Minnesota Press)
About the Speakers
Tia-Simone Gardner is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and undisciplined Black feminist geographer, committed to understanding relationships between Blackness and landscape. She is a 2023–24 McKnight Visual Artist Fellow and a 2024 Anonymous was a Woman Grantee. Her photography and moving image work has shown both nationally and internationally, and her co-curated exhibition, “A Nation Takes Place,” is currently on view at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona. Gardner is an Assistant Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at Macalester College in Saint Paul.
Erin Sharkey is a writer, arts and abolition organizer, cultural worker, and film producer based in Minneapolis. She is the co-founder, with Junauda Petrus, of an experimental arts collective called Free Black Dirt and is the producer of film projects including Sweetness of Wild, an episodic web film project, and Small Business Revolution, which explored challenges and opportunities for Black-owned businesses in the Twin Cities in the summer of 2021.
Registration
This event is free but registration is required.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Cloud - Minnesota Civics Summit: Civics Organizations and Civics Education Professionals
2025-02-22 09:00 - 11:00 | Atwood Memorial Center, St. Cloud University, 720 4th Ave. South, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
Come join us to showcase your civics program or offering, with a goal to provide a comprehensive directory of civics resources for teachers to engage 11th -12th grade students in their learning. Can’t attend? Email information about your civics offering for our statewide directory of civics resources to civics@lwvmn.org.

11:30am – Lunch & Networking
9:00am – Coffee, Bagels, and Networking
9:30am – Welcome – MN Representative Dean Urdahl (Ret) and Senator Steve Cwodsinski Introduction to MN Civics Summit Civics and Program Sharing by All
11:00am – Wrap-Up and break before lunch

Register for this morning session to gather and help get our directory of civics resources started!
Sponsored by: MINNESOTA CIVICS SUMMIT – A new, collaborative effort to jumpstart the new civics standards for 11th and 12th graders in Minnesota, to support teachers in their engagement of students in civics and voting. Organizing partners include the Minnesota Humanities Center, MN Department of Education, League of Women Voters of MN, YMCA Center for Youth Voice, Federal Bar Association, MN Council on the Social Studies, TeachingCivics.org, and other interested teachers, community members and civics organizations. More information at lwvmn.org/civics.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required. Please register by Friday, February 14, 2025.
Register Now

St. Cloud - Minnesota Civics Summit: Pre-Conference Professional Development
2025-02-22 11:30 - 15:00 | Atwood Memorial Center, St. Cloud University, 720 4th Ave. South, St. Cloud, MN, 56301, United States
What does it look like to build a classroom where students have productive discussions on challenging topics? A key evidence-based practice in civics education is the discussion of current events and controversial issues, but in today’s polarized political climate, many students are experiencing fewer opportunities to engage in these kinds of essential discussions in their classrooms. Spend the first half of the session exploring a method for building student capacity for civic discussion in ways that allow them to cultivate empathy and develop their own voice. Then, share your thoughts and needs about the resources and support you need to teach the new Academic Standards in Social Studies, and meet the new legislative requirement that students take a course for credit in citizenship and government in 11th or 12th grade.

11:30am – Lunch & Networking
12:00pm – Welcome & Introduction to MN Civics Summit
12:15pm – Professional Development Workshopon Respectful Conversations in Schools™ A highly interactive workshop where educators will learn about and practice a strategy for having challenging, respectful conversations in class about important, sometimes divisive, issues. Led by Amy Anderson, YMCA Center for Youth Voice.
1:45pm – Short Break
2:00pm – Listening & Sharing Session to Support Teachers in Implementing Anchor Standards Small and large group discussions on current tools being used, existing gaps, needed supports, and new efforts to help teachers. Led by Brittany Rawson-Haeg, MN Department of Education.
2:45pm – Large group report out, wrap-up, summary and adjourn by 3:00pm

Sponsored by: MINNESOTA CIVICS SUMMIT – A new, collaborative effort to jumpstart the new civics standards for 11th and 12th graders in Minnesota, to support teachers in their engagement of students in civics and voting. Organizing partners include the Minnesota Humanities Center, MN Department of Education, League of Women Voters of MN, YMCA Center for Youth Voice, Federal Bar Association, MN Council on the Social Studies, TeachingCivics.org, and other interested teachers, community members and civics organizations. More information at lwvmn.org/civics.
CEUs will be provided.
Registration
This event is free, however registration is required. Please register by Friday, February 14, 2025.
Registration Questions: registrations@mnhum.org
Register Now

St. Paul -“Juneteenth Reckoning with Slavery: MN African American History” Film Screening
2025-02-22 13:00 - 14:30 | Historic Fort Snelling, 200 Tower Rd, St. Paul, 55111, United States
Commemorate Black History & Culture with OMG Studio’s Art, Music & Literature Exhibition 2025. Join us to watch this 40-minute film with a Q & A session to follow. Co-produced by OMG Studios and the Minnesota Humanities Center, this documentary challenges our understanding of slavery, its impact on Minnesota, and how we reconcile our past by taking viewers on a present-day journey to Ghana, to the quarters of Harriet and Dred Scott, and into conversations with current and future scholars.
This event is free with regular site admission.
Learn More
Questions
For more information on this event, please visit the link above or email ftsnelling@mnhs.org.

Minneapolis - Sketches of Minnesota: A Civic Community Comedy Tour
2025-02-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Dudley Riggs Theater, 824 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
This one-hour scripted show is based on the acclaimed Sketches of Minnesota Civic-Improv Tour, and reflects the everyday lives and laugh-out-loud stories of Minnesota communities from Austin to International Falls. Thanks to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Legacy Amendment, it’s also FREE! Join MHC and the cast of Danger Boat Productions for this entirely unique, quirkily insightful, and seriously funny performance.
Registration
Registration for this event has SOLD OUT.
Join the Waitlist

Carlton – Dakota and Ojibwe Language Symposium
2025-03-03 08:00 - 2025-03-04 16:00 | Black Bear Resort and Casino, 1785 Highway 210, Carlton, MN, 55718, United States
The Minnesota Indian Affairs Council’s Language Revitalization Working Group, partnering with the Minnesota Humanities Center, is hosting the 4th Annual Dakota and Ojibwe Language Symposium. This year the symposium will be held on Monday, March 3rd and Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, MN. The goal of the symposium is to bring people working in Dakota and Ojibwe language revitalization together. We will use this time to celebrate successes, highlight the current state of the field, shape future language revitalization efforts, and elevate the visibility of Indigenous languages throughout the state of Minnesota. By bringing people together, we hope this symposium serves as an opportunity for individuals to network with other Dakota and Ojibwe language professionals.
Breakfast and lunch are included for those attending in person. Participants are responsible for booking their own overnight accommodations. Participants are responsible for booking their own overnight accommodations if needed and can call Black Bear Casino Resort at 1-888-771-0777 or book online.
CEUs will be available for educators attending the symposium.
If you have any questions, please email Skyler Kuczaboski at skyler.kuczaboski@state.mn.us or call/text 651-304-4149.
Registration
REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS CLOSED
Please contact Jessica Rust at jessica@mnhum.org with any registration questions.
Exhibitor Application
Spots for tabling at the Symposium are now full.
Please note: No sales will be allowed at symposium. This application is meant for informational/educational booths that are handing out free information and literature, not selling items.
If you have any questions, please email skyler.kuczaboski@state.mn.us or call/text 651-304-4149.

Rochester - Headscarf Story Circle Gathering
2025-03-08 11:00 - 14:00 | Griot Arts, 115 N Broadway Ave, Rochester, MN, 55906, United States
The Minnesota Humanities Center often hosts Headscarf Story Circles – a series of offerings that recognize the strength and resiliency of women. Our community of Rochester is pleased to announce that on Saturday March 8, 2025, we will gather through shared connections of the headscarf and its complexity. 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.
The community event host is Tawonda Burks, Founder and Executive Director of ELOCINA.
Learn More About Headscarf Story Circles
Learn more about Headscarf Story Circles program in this video produced by the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Registration
Registration for this event is closed. To be added to the waitlist, please contact Jessica Rust at jessica@mnhum.org.

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.
Learn More

Ortonville - Spring Expo and Water Bar
2025-03-15 10:00 - 17:00 | 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
