Accepting Applications: Young Leaders Dialogue with America

Today's post comes at the thoughtful suggestion of YNPN-TC board member, Leah Lundquist, who will be starting her graduate studies this fall at the Humphrey Institute and completing an assistantship with the Center for Integrative Leadership. Thanks for sending this our way and good luck as you head back to school, Leah!

The Young Leaders Dialogue with America, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), provides opportunities for strategic learning and exchange between emerging leaders of Central Europe and the Baltic States and their U.S. counterparts on issues of critical mutual concern. The program connects young leaders to exchange ideas and information around three “Dialogue” themes: New Challenges in Trans-Atlantic Security, Climate Change and Environmental Issues, and Tolerance and Diversity.

IIE is currently accepting applications for participation in the Young Leaders Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, which will take place November 6 – 12, 2010. All eligible U.S. candidates are encouraged to apply. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• U.S. Citizen
• Currently in a graduate degree program or working in a field broadly related to one of the three Dialogues: Trans-Atlantic Security, Tolerance and Diversity, or Environmental Issues
• Young professional with no more than 7 years of professional experience
• Able to travel to Prague and attend all conference activities scheduled from November 6 to 12, 2010

To attend the Young Leaders Conference, interested persons should download and complete the application. Completed applications and letters of recommendation (one required with application) must be received by 11:59 PM on September 12, 2010 to be considered for the award.

FINNEGANS Community Fund accepting grant requests until September 1

With a mission "to be a self-sustaining and inspirational social business that creates positive social change in the community" and a vision of being "a leader in social entrepreneurism with multiple revenue-generating streams that fund FINNEGANS branded projects aimed at eliminating poverty and serving as a catalyst for social entrepreneurs," Minneapolis-based FINNEGANS is again announcing a request for applications for funding from their Community Fund. Local organizations may review the criteria and download the application, due September 1, online.

Founded in 2000 in Minneapolis on the belief that each and every one of us can make a difference in our community, 100 percent of FINNEGANS Irish Amber profits are donated back to the community where it's sold to help alleviate poverty. Learn more about the FINNEGANS Community Fund below, or if you're interested in getting involved with a great cause, you can visit their volunteer page to sign up for any number of engagements (pub crawls, beer tastings, community service projects, happy hours, etc.) with some like-minded and really fun people!

The Finnegans Community Fund

Mission: Create sustainable change for those affected by the cycle of poverty through profits from Finnegans Irish Amber and other innovative products and events.

Criteria for Funding programs: We fund projects in the geographic areas that support our product, which is currently anywhere in the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Our goal is to expand our distribution in coming years and to expand our giving as well!!

1. The program must be designed to improve the quality of life of the homeless and working poor, men, women, children and families, in our community.
2. The program must address the core issues and barriers identified with keeping the homeless and working poor from enjoying a self-sustaining livelihood.

Free Seminar: Entangled in Email with Organized Audrey on August 25, 2010

St. Catherine University, St. Paul Campus announces the next event in its Summer Leadership Seminars with a reminder that these free seminars are a special thank you to the Twin Cities community!

Organized Audrey

presents

Entangled in E-mail

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.

The average American office worker today handles 125 e-mails each day. While e-mail is here to stay and is a valuable tool in our world, does it interfere with your ability to be productive? This workshop will provide ideas and strategies to implement so you can manage your e-mail vs. being a slave to it.

Entangled in e-mail will be held in the Rauenhorst Ballroom on the 3rd floor of the Coeur de Catherine. Parking is free on campus in the general parking area for all the Summer Leadership Seminars. Register today!

Wanderlust

"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls." 

-Anais Nin 

Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Program Seeking Mentors!

League of Women Voters Minnesota seeks female mentors for the Winter/Spring 2011 Leaders of Today and Tomorrow Fellows Program

About the Fellows Program:

The Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) Program inspires college-age women and emerging professionals to envision themselves as future leaders. The Fellows Program is designed to develop young women’s potential to lead professionally, personally, and in their communities through the Fellows Program, and ongoing leadership development opportunities leadership development programming at the LWV Minnesota Conference.

The Fellows Program is a leadership development program that offers intensive seminars, one-on-one mentoring, and networking to today’s promising young women. Over the course of 5 months, Fellows and Mentors will embark on an exciting journey of partnership, reflection, coaching, and
inspiration.

Mentor Key Characteristics:

• Leadership and influence demonstrated through individual and collaborative experiences
• A history of community and civic involvement
• A commitment to self-reflection and personal growth
• A passion for coaching and developing others
• Potential to bring unique/diverse experiences, networks or resources to the mentoring relationship

Other Expectations:

• A minimum of 7 years professional work experience
• Attend mentor orientation session (November 2010, approximately 2 hours)
• Meet with fellow/mentee during the program (January through May 2011), including:

Attend first and last fellows workshops on February 5 and April 30, 2011 (approximately 3 hours each, includes one-on-one mentoring)

At least three additional one-on-one mentoring sessions with your fellow

Optional attendance at the LOTT portion of the LWVMN Conference (May 2011)

To Apply:

Please email a resume and statement of interest addressing the above mentor key characteristics to amoen@lwvmn.org with “LOTT Mentorship Application” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with final decisions by Wednesday, September 15, 2010.

For more information please contact Allie Moen, LWV Program Director, at 651-224-5445 or
amoen@lwvmn.org.

YNPN-TC's The Insider: the real scoop on professional development opportunities in the Twin Cities

Looking for the real scoop on professional development opportunities in the Twin Cities? Join YNPN-TC and your nonprofit peers at The Insider where you'll participate in roundtable discussions facilitated by former participants of various professional development opportunities in the Twin Cities.

Why go? Here is your chance to ask questions and get unfiltered and unbiased perspectives on:

* Post-graduate degree programs
* Certificates, Trainings & Workshops
* Networking events and other professional development opportunities

Don’t miss this rare and free opportunity! Registration is required. For more information or questions, email info@ynpntwincities.org.

GOTV! And thank your election judge, too!

Today is primary election day in Minnesota. Polls close at 8PM. Have you voted yet?

 
With anticipated low voter turnout, given that it is not a presidential election year, that primaries are not usually as well attended as the general elections, and that the date is so much earlier than the usual September primary dates of late, the votes of a small amount of the population today will make a big difference in the tomorrows to come. The 2010 elections will help determine the next Governor of Minnesota, lay the groundwork for contending with the critical issue of redistricting, and determine how we address the challenges our state faces with regard to the budget deficit, disparities in healthcare and education, and much, much more. Sound like something you want to have a say in? Check out the League of Women Voters Minnesota website to read up on your primary candidates and the Secretary of State to locate your polling location. You've got until 8PM to pick up your "I voted" sticker. And don't forget to bring along a family member or friend to join in on the fun! One last thing - Minnesota has an oft-touted, remarkably effective, and highly admired electoral system. It’s thoughtful, active citizens, like election judges, that allow us to make that claim. It’s impressive, and these volunteers and good citizens deserve kudos and thanks for their public service. And for handing us those awesome, red "I voted" stickers! PARALLEL || POSTS

• LWV-MN Introduces Smart Chick Happy Hour!
• Giving Back and Getting More: How Community Engagement Advances Your Professional Career
• Good News: Happy 36th Annual National Volunteer Week!
• Reportback: "Trailblazers: Charting a Course for the Future!"

National Poetry Slam 2010: Here and Now!

The 21st annual National Poetry Slam has brought together 76 teams from across North America as hundreds of the world's best poets have converged on St. Paul this week. They've been battling nightly in hopes of clinching the national title this coming Sunday at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. This five-day festival of non-stop performances, workshops, and heated performance poetry competitions is inspiring audiences and bringing incredible poetry from the national stage to our local community.

Show your support for the arts and the amazing talent that has joined our SlamMN team this week by checking out any of the bouts, the semi-finals, or the finals. As the slam poets yell in encouragement to their fellow teammates, "Don't be nice!" Get in there and cheer 'em on!

Accepting Applications: Rotary Group Study Exchange 2010-2011!

Given my interest in civic engagement and public health issues, I have a great deal of respect for the Rotary Club's history as well as their continuing community-based volunteer work. They're one of the oldest civic organizations in the country and helped to lead the wildly (and almost completely) successful international polio eradication effort. I particularly enjoy opportunities to speak to Rotary Clubs because Rotary members are active citizens, thoughtful and intelligent, and a lot of fun! Want to see for yourself? For an unforgettable opportunity to learn about and interact with Rotarians the world over, apply for the upcoming 2010-2011 Rotary Group Study Exchange for professionals aged between 25 and 40!

Rotary Clubs within District 5950 are seeking four outstanding professionals to visit France from March 6 – April 3, 2011 as part of the Group Study Exchange program of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. For four weeks, team members experience the way of life, customs, and vocational practices of another country, while sharing information about their home country.

The purpose of the Group Study Exchange program is to promote international understanding and goodwill through personal connections. While abroad, team members stay with local Rotarians and have the opportunity to meet their professional counterparts. They also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their home country. GSE is also an excellent opportunity for employers to expose leaders within the organization to a range of public and private sector activities in France.

The Rotary International Foundation pays for round-trip airfare, and Rotary club members in the host country provide meals, lodging, and group travel in their district. Team members pay for their own personal and incidental expenses. Professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are interested in applying should be employed full-time in a business or profession for at least two years. Applicants must live or be employed in Rotary District 5950 – district boundaries can be found on the website. Proficiency in French is desirable but not required.

Applications are available online or contact Barbara Devlin by email: bdevlinMN@aol.com or by phone: 612-861-9600. Applications are due to any of the 60 Rotary Clubs within District 5950 by August 13, 2010.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotarians in 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and territories living by the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”