Unnoticed

"It's surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time."

-Barbara Kingsolver

PARALLEL || POSTS

• Use only what you need
• Grace
• Barefoot in the spring

Registration Open: Announcing the 2011 Catalyst Summit!

Last month, I was fortunate to spend some time with the Youth Board members of Catalyst, a statewide movement of young people based in Minnesota working on healthy eating and fighting the tobacco industry. In between cooking competitions and rock climbing, we also managed to work out their plan for hosting the 2011 Catalyst Summit and their strategies for engaging and recruiting others to their movement. Want to support these awesome youth leaders and their powerful work on critical issues? Help spread the word to any high schoolers you know about a great event coming up this April that will allow them to use hands-on activism and advocacy to shape a healthier and more engaged Minnesota!

Announcing the 2010 Catalyst Summit! Date: April 9-10, 2011 Location: Minneapolis, MN Cost: FREE! All you have to do is get there Catalyst is looking for new activists to get involved in a movement to change school food, and get people more physically active. At Catalyst, we look for innovative, interactive ways to get out the message about healthy eating--from guerrilla art, to music, to online media. The annual Catalyst Summit is an opportunity to get trained on the facts, network with other passionate teens, and gain the skills that it takes to be an effective activist. Our summit is for anyone who wants to help get the message out and be part of a movement of passionate leaders looking to make a change. Breakout Sessions: Learn the Facts: The first day of the summit we will cover the basic facts of what we're fighting for. Here are the basics of some of the sessions: School Food Policy? Want to change what's for lunch in your school? We're getting deep in this session to find out how. Guerrilla Art Screenprinting, button making, this hands on session will teach you to a guerrilla activist! Food Marketing Do you know Tony the Tiger? Lucky the Leprechaun? How about the Trix Rabbit? In Food Marketing we'll explore how the food industry markets unhealthy products to youth, and how U.S. advertising compares to countries around the world. Catalyst Cooks Get hands on in the kitchen and learn how to make a variety of afterschool snacks, and easy meals. Spread the word The second day of the summit we will be going to downtown St. Paul to get our message out. We will be doing a huge activism event, and having a press conference. It's going to be mind blowing! Click here for all the information and sign up form

Registration Open: 16th Annual Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Conference

Join the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow for their 16th Annual LOTT Women's Leadership Conference, sponsored by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. The one-day event will take place in Rochester, MN this year and is a great excuse for a spring road trip just 1.25 hours down south of the Twin Cities! Yours truly will be in attendance and participating on a panel entitled, "Getting Engaged in the Community." Join me, and other collegiate and emerging women leaders, for some great conversation, opportunities for introspection and reflection, and a lively day in southern Minnesota!

An exciting one-day event of speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and networking for collegiate & emerging professional women leaders. Focused on personal progression, leadership and inspirational advice to promote success as you embark on your leadership journey!

Saturday May 21, 2011

Kahler Hotel, Rochester

More information/Registration: www.lwvmn.org/2011lottconference

Congressman Keith Ellison to speak on "The Generosity of Inclusion"

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. And the belief that everybody counts and everybody matters. Join Representative Keith Ellison, from Minnesota's 5th, and most culturally and ethnically diverse, congressional district to hear his proposal that a politics of generosity and inclusion is a practical, realistic, and economically viable approach that is more likely to end wars and achieve peace. Stand up and be counted amongst attendees this Thursday at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Photo Credit: MPR

Congressman Keith Ellison

The Generosity of Inclusion: Everybody Counts, Everybody Matters
Thursday, February 24
Noon – 1:00PM

Westminster Presbyterian Church
Nicollet Mall and 12th Street
Downtown Minneapolis

Keith Ellison represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, he is the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress. Before his election to national office, he served two terms in the Minnesota State Legislature, representing District 58B. In an era of fear and polarization, he offers a message of hope, reconciliation, respect, and inclusion.

Music precedes the forum at 11:30 AM. Public reception follows at 1:00 PM. Free and open to all!

Questions? Contact Susan McKenna at 612-332-3421, or smckenna@wpc-mpls.org.

You're Invited: Headwaters Foundation Focus Groups

Got an opinion and want to share it? Good news! The Headwaters Foundation for Justice is hosting several focus groups over the next couple of weeks to learn what kinds of issues interest young professionals and members of communities of color in the Twin Cities, and what kind of messaging resonates with them. If you've got something to say on the matter, you can email Jodi Williams or contact her directly at 612-879-0602 #12!

Headwaters is conducting a few focus groups at the end of February and beginning of March for young professionals (under age 40) and members of communities of color in the Twin Cities. The purpose is to find out what specific issues people are interested in (esp. social issues like racism, sexism, etc.), and what kind of messaging resonates with them.

Focus groups are slated for the following times and would be held at a Minneapolis or St. Paul restaurant with 5-7 other individuals:

• Wednesday, February 23rd – 6 to 7:30 p.m. YP group – Uptown Minneapolis
• Monday, February 28th – 6 to 7:30 p.m. YP group- University Ave - St. Paul
• Wednesday, March 2nd – 6 to 7:30 p.m. POC group – Selby-Dale neighborhood - St. Paul location

The kind of questions we will be asking are: What are you passionate about? How do you find out about the issues that concern you? Why are you interested in those issues? Do you use tools like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin? In whole, your participation will inform one organization’s communications effort and give us a window into better understanding the interests of those under age 40 (our young professionals focus group) and/or those from our local communities of color.

Participants will not be paid but the focus group organizers are providing light appetizers and refreshments at this 90-minute session. You need not be familiar with Headwaters to participate.