Diversity Council

EDUCATION TO EMBRACE DIVERSITY FOR BUILDING A HEALTHY, INCLUSIVE, AND PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY.

COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION - DIVERSITY COUNCIL HELD STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT 2021 TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY IN CIVIC LIFE. FOUNDATIONAL TO THIS WORK IS THE COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION RESOURCE COALITION, COORDINATED BY DIVERSITY COUNCIL. IN THE PAST YEAR, THE COALITION HAS WORKED ON PROVIDING EDUCATION, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES REGARDING COVID-19. CMRC HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE CITY, ROCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COUNTY, AND COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH TO RECEIVE INFORMATION REGARDING CHANGES IN PROTOCOLS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WHILE ALSO ASKING QUESTIONS TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF DETAILS SUCH AS TRACKING THE NUMBER OF CASES, UNDERSTANDING CHANGES WITHIN THE SCHOOLS, AND CORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT VACCINATIONS. CMRC ALSO SERVED AS COMMUNITY LIAISONS AND AIDED IN HOSTING PUBLIC TOWN HALLS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ATTEND AND SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH EXPERTS AND RESOURCE CONNECTIONS, AND AIDED IN SETTING UP INFORMATIONAL AND VACCINATION CLINICS AS PART OF PROJECT HEALINGS, WHICH ENGAGED MORE THAN 70,000 MINNESOTANS FROM RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES. DIVERSITY COUNCIL ALSO SERVES AS FISCAL SPONSOR TO 15 BIPOC-LED INITIATIVES THAT FIT WITH ITS PURPOSE AND MEET STATE AND FEDERAL STANDARDS. AS SUCH, WE SPONSOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE EXTENSIONS OF THE WORK WE DO, AND EFFORTS WE WOULD UNDERTAKE IF WE HAD THE CAPACITY. SOME OF THESE EFFORTS ARE SHORT TERM, SOME ARE WORKING TOWARD NONPROFIT STATUS, SOME ARE SPORADIC, AND OTHERS WILL REMAIN WITH US LONG TERM.

EQUITY INITIATIVES: IN 2021, DIVERSITY COUNCIL CONTINUED TO FOCUS EFFORTS ON SYSTEMS CHANGE BASED IN COMMUNITY VOICE. A CO-DESIGN MODEL WAS FINALIZED AND LAUNCHED THAT CENTERS LIVED EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE DESIGN OF PUBLIC POLICIES, SPACES, AND PROGRAMS. PROJECTS INCLUDED THE CITY OF ROCHESTER'S 6TH STREET BRIDGE DESIGN AND BIPOC WOMEN IN BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROJECT. OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDED THE ANNUAL MLK BREAKFAST, HONORING THE MOTHERS OF BLACK AND BROWN VICTIMS, AN EVENING WITH WINONA LADUKE, LITTLE THISTLE "LISTEN. LEARN. ACT." LEARNING SERIES, AND ROCHESTER AREA NONPROFIT CONSORTIUM'S COMMITMENT TO RACIAL JUSTICE. ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC AND VIRTUAL EVENTS TOPPED 10,000. AS NOTED, DIVERSITY COUNCIL JOINED FORCES WITH CULTURAL COMMUNITY GROUPS FROM AROUND THE STATE TO FORM PROJECT HEALINGS OF MN (HEALTH EDUCATION AND ADULT LEARNING INCORPORATED WITH NAVIGATION OF GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS). PROJECT HEALINGS IS FOCUSED ON CULTURAL INTEGRATION THAT WILL ESTABLISH, EXPAND, AND SUSTAIN POPULATION-BASED EFFORTS TO MOBILIZE COMMUNITY OUTREACH WORKERS, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, PATIENT NAVIGATORS, SOCIAL SUPPORT SPECIALISTS AND OTHERS TO INCREASE VACCINATIONS. IT IS ENVISIONED AS A WAY TO DISMANTLE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS AND ELIMINATE HEALTH DISPARITIES. WITH FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING, HEALINGS' 2021 FOCUS WAS ON ADDRESSING VACCINE HESITANCY IN CULTURALLY COMPETENT WAYS. THOUSANDS OF INTERACTIONS AND VACCINATIONS RESULTED FROM THE WORK.

TRAINING & CONSULTATION / EDUCATION: WE DEVELOP AND DELIVER EXEMPLARY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT COOPERATIVELY BUILD INCLUSIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH STUDENT, EDUCATOR, ADMINISTRATOR, AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. IN 2021, THE URGENT NEED FOR TRAINING AND CONSULTATION IN EDUCATIONAL SPACES GREW EXPONENTIALLY. WE ARE ENERGIZED BY THE TRUST AND CREDIBILITY WE HAVE BUILT WITH SO MANY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ARE HONORED TO CONTINUE TO PROPEL CHANGE AND GROWTH IN SUCH VITAL SPACES. WE CONNECTED WITH 30 EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES AND THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES AND MORE THAN 1,000 STUDENTS THROUGH VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON TRAININGS DURING THE YEAR. OUR DIRECT WORK WITH TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATION, AND STUDENT MENTORS HAS INFLUENCED COUNTLESS ADDITIONAL STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. TRAINING PARTICIPANTS' NEWFOUND KNOWLEDGE AND PERSPECTIVES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN YEARS TO COME. 2021 SAW THE CONTINUATION OF KEY EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES ACROSS ALL PARTS OF OUR REGION, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT WORK IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, WHICH WAS UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY A GRANT FROM MAYO CLINIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, WORK WAS ALSO DONE WITH CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES, UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY A GRANT FROM SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INITIATIVE FOUNDATION. BOTH OF THESE EFFORTS WERE FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING SHARED LANGUAGE AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN ORDER TO BUILD TRUSTED SPACES FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL CONVERSATION AND WORK TO TAKE PLACE. IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 80 ORGANIZATIONS AND THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS BENEFITTED FROM OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND CONSULTATION ACROSS MINNESOTA AND NATIONWIDE.

FISCALLY SPONSORED ORGANIZATIONS: DIVERSITY COUNCIL SERVES AS FISCAL SPONSOR TO INITIATIVES THAT FIT WITH ITS PURPOSE AND MEET STATE AND FEDERAL STANDARDS. AS SUCH, WE SPONSOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE EXTENSIONS OF THE WORK WE DO, AND EFFORTS WE WOULD UNDERTAKE IF WE HAD THE CAPACITY. SOME OF THESE EFFORTS ARE SHORT TERM, SOME ARE WORKING TOWARD NONPROFIT STATUS, SOME ARE SPORADIC, AND OTHERS WILL REMAIN WITH US LONG TERM.A LIST OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDES:SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA INTERFAITH IMMIGRANT LEGAL DEFENSESOMALI HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEEJOURNIE: EIGHT STEPS TO PROMOTIONMORE WOMEN ON THE MOVEROCHESTER FOR JUSTICE: LEADERSHIP THROUGH BASKETBALLCOMPASSIONATE ROCHESTERROCHESTER VIDHYALAYAWELCOMING WEEKETHIOPIAN COMMUNITY OF ROCHESTERVECINOS UNIDOS SEMNROCHESTER CAMBODIAN ASSOCIATIONTHREE RIVERS RESTORATIVE JUSTICEPAMOJA - UNITYNEXTGENNPC RACIAL JUSTICE