You're Invited: Twin Cities Musical Chairs Championship

Will you be left standing when the music stops? Find out - at the 2nd annual Twin Cities Musical Chairs Championship! Come out next Wednesday for a fast-paced, fun-filled evening at the Amsterdam Bar and Grill in support of the fantastic work of the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute (last year, MOI served 500 students with over 1500 hours of one-on-one tutoring). Learn more below about being a competitor or a spectator, and then register (for your chance) to get a seat!

Do you have what it takes to be crowned THE TWIN CITIES MUSICAL CHAIRS CHAMPION?

Do you have what it takes to win the second annual Twin Cities Musical Chairs Championship? Join the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute (formerly Rock Star Supply Co.) on March 11th at Amsterdam Bar and Hall in Saint Paul. We promise to provide you with a fun filled evening of live music, competitive musical chairs and excitement. All proceeds from the event will be channeled into programming at the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute.

This is not your ordinary game of Musical Chairs.

The event begins at 7 PM on March 11. 

What is the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute?

MOI is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills and homework, emphasizing cross-curricular creativity. MOI offers after-school homework help, in-school tutoring, bookmaking and storytelling field trips, and writing workshops. Last year, 144 volunteers supported over 500 students with 1500 hours of one-on-one tutoring. And the best part? It’s all free, which is why we need your support!

Do you have what it takes to win the Twin Cities Musical Chairs Championship?

You are invited to participate in a one-of-a-kind sporting event. This is not your typical game of musical chairs. For starters, you will be raising money for MOI’s academic programming. And you'll be playing to the tunes of a live band! But wait, it gets even better: the more money you raise, the better your chances become of being crowned this year’s champion! During the event you will be able to purchase “cheats” to improve your chances. Last year we had folks playing the game in flippers and clucking like a chicken! If playing the game is not for you, you are welcome to come watch and wager on the players. You could walk away with some great prizes and memories!

You're Invited: Women Leaders in Minnesota's Legislature

This Sunday, March 8 is International Women's Day. To learn about some of the women helping to lead our state and local communities, join the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance for a panel focused on "Women Leaders in the State Legislature." Hear from elected women in both parties about the challenges and opportunities they encounter as they engage in leadership and policy-making in Minnesota. 

Women Leaders in the State Legislature
Tuesday, March 10, 12:00 - 1:15 PM, Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Register now!

Joyce Peppin (R- 34A) Minnesota House Majority Leader 

Erin Murphy (DFL- 64A) Deputy Minority Leader 

Sandra Pappas (DFL- 65) President of the Senate

Michelle Benson (R- 31) Assistant Senate Minority Leader 

Minnesota stands out nationally for the number of women serving in the state legislature and holding leadership positions. How have women leaders made a difference in the legislative decision-making process? What barriers still remain for women in politics and how can these be overcome? Join us to explore these questions with House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin, Deputy Minority Leader Erin Murphy, President of the Senate Sandra Pappas, and Assistant Senate Minority Leader Michelle Benson. The conversation will be moderated by former Speaker of the House, Steve Sviggum.

You're Invited: Saint Paul to Selma

With sunshine and warmer weather on the way, several Twin Cities organizations are hosting events to bring issues of justice into the light and outdoors. It's not too late to buy tickets to tonight's "Honoring an American Revolutionary: A Celebration and Fundraiser for Grace Lee Boggs" at the Penumbra Theater or consider organizing your friends and family to join the Crossing Bridges: Selma to Minnesota commemorative march this Sunday. Learn more below and join in on the journey!

St. Paul March Planned to Honor the Historic Selma March

From Crossing Bridges MN:

The public is invited to participate in a march to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the historic and bloody Selma marches of 1965, catalytic events that led to the passage of the U.S. Voting Rights Act.

Cheryl Chatman, Executive Vice President and Dean of Diversity at Concordia University-St. Paul, one of the organizers, said that many local religious, academic, and civil rights institutions have come together to plan the march. “We feel it is critically important to remember this major turning point in the U.S. Civil Rights struggle—and to underscore the Civil Rights work that still needs to be done,” she said.

People interested in joining the march are asked to arrive at the Minnesota State Capitol at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8, for a brief introductory program. The half-mile route will cross the Cedar Street Bridge over I-94, recalling the Selma marchers who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge en route to protest laws and practices that denied black people the right to vote. The St. Paul march will end at Central Presbyterian, 500 Cedar Street, followed by a program at the church beginning approximately 3 p.m. Information on the event also is available on our Crossing Bridges MN website: http://crossingbridgesmn.com/

As recounted in the recent film Selma, there were three Selma Marches in the spring of 1965. The first one, March 7 (Bloody Sunday) ended when local law enforcement brutally attacked 600 nonviolent marchers after they crossed the Pettus Bridge. The second march happened two days later. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. invited faith leaders from across the country to join. While this march reached several thousand participants, King turned the marchers back at the bridge rather than risk another attack. The third march, the Selma-to-Montgomery March, started on March 21, bolstered by a federal court ruling affirming the marchers’ right to protest. On March 24, 25,000 people entered Alabama’s Capitol city in support of African American voting rights.

Our event is but one of many marches planned across the country, including those in Selma, one of which will be attended by a large group from the Twin Cities at the same time as the St. Paul event. These many efforts acknowledge the fact that we are stronger together in bringing justice to this broken and hurting world. Our march will be a moment to pause and celebrate the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and countless others who have fought for desegregation, voting rights, and civil liberties. It is also a moment to pause and reflect on all the work that still needs to be done. Now is the time for us to inspire each other to new levels of action and solidarity for justice, specifically related to addressing racial disparities in everything from incarceration rates and voting rights, to education, employment, and economic well-being.

Those helping to organize and/or fund the event to date include: Luther Seminary; Concordia University-Saint Paul; United Theological Seminary; Saint Paul NAACP; Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas; Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches; Unity Church-Unitarian; Central Presbyterian Church; Minneapolis Area Synod/ELCA; Catholic Charities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; Bethel University; Saint Paul Area Synod/ELCA; Hamline University, Episcopal Church in Minnesota, Augsburg College, Edina Community Lutheran Church, Cherokee Park United Church, Saint Paul Interfaith Network(SPIN); Islamic Resource Group; AARP-Sabathani Chapter; Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park Legacy Committee; Saint Paul Area Council of Churches; and the Council on American Islamic Relations.

You're Invited: YEP-TC Resume Workshop

The Young Education Professionals - Twin Cities is hosting their second Resume Workshop on Monday, March 9th at the Mid-Continent Oceanographic Institute (MOI). You'll hear from a diverse panel of education professionals, get one-on-one writing assistance or peer review on your resume, and have great opportunities for networking. Register today to get your foot in the door!

Save the date for our annual Resume Workshop! 

Meet a diverse panel of education professionals who will speak to their career paths, personal missions, and how they "got the job." Bring your most up-to-date resume for group discussions and one-on-one writing assistance. Please come prepared with questions regarding your resume and/ or professional trajectory, and don't forget to pocket your business cards! 

We will have snacks waiting for you promptly at 6:00pm.

Programming 6:00pm
Panelist Introductions
Q & A

6:45 Breakout Conversations
Resume Workshop 

The Young Education Professionals Network - Twin Cities

YEP-Twin Cities is the Twin Cities chapter of Young Education Professionals. Founded in 2012, we are a volunteer-run organization looking to offer peer networking, professional development, and volunteer opportunities to young education professionals throughout the the Twin Cities area. 

We are always looking for new ideas, great speakers, and more members. Whether you're an edupreneur, researcher, teacher, or an aspiring education professional - we welcome anyone interested in education!

You must write it

Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” 

-Toni Morrison