Rural Democracy

Run4Rural

Run4Rural is our 1 ½ day public leadership training program designed for people interested in growing and strengthening their local communities through elected office and other forms of public leadership. This nonpartisan training will be useful for existing and emerging rural leaders and people active in their community whether or not they have decided to run for office. Once selected, participants will choose which training weekend they will attend. 

Important Dates: 

Moorhead Training: May 3 & 4 at the Hjemkomst Center 

Fergus Falls Training: May 17 & 18 at West Central Initiative

• Frequently Asked Questions

  Q: Will the training sessions take the entire weekend? 

  A: Training sessions will take place on Friday afternoon and all day on Saturday. 

  Q: What does the training cost? 

  A: The training is free for anyone who hasn’t filed to run for office. A $160 fee is required for those who have filed to run for office, are actively running for election, or are running for reelection. 

  Q: What levels of elected offices will the training cover?

  A: County level (e.g., County Commissioner, Soil & Water Conservation District Board), city level (e.g., Mayor, City Council),  township level (e.g., Clerk, Township Supervisor), and school district (e.g., School Board).

  Q: Can I participate if I am currently in office? 

  A: Yes, however, a fee of $160 will be collected if you are running for reelection. 

  Q: Is lodging available? 

  A: No, you are not expected to stay overnight. We are not able to provide lodging for the spring training sessions. If this impacts your participation, please contact Celeste Koppe (celeste@wcif.org).  

  Q: I’m not interested in running for office, but I’d like to help with a campaign, should I attend this training? 

  A: Yes, this training is for anyone interested in learning more about local elections and campaigns. 

  Please, contact Celeste Koppe (celeste@wcif.org) if you have other questions. 

• Training Topics

  This program seeks to create a non-partisan space for people interested in public office and other forms of public leadership. It will equip participants with the practical skills needed to build a local campaign that is authentic, community-focused, and can win. 

  Training topics include: 

  • Understanding what’s at stake in our communities and the role local elections play
  • Finding personal motivation and the right position to serve
  • Communicating through stories and shared values 
  • Implementing community engagement strategies and refining messaging to bring the community together
  • Fundraising techniques for those who do not consider themselves rich
• Application Process

  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until spots are filled. Once your application is submitted, Celeste Koppe (celeste@wcif.org) will contact you to schedule an informational interview. Once your interview is complete, you will select which training weekend you will attend. 

Going Local

Going Local is our free two-hour rural democracy workshop. At the Going Local workshops, we’ll share food and stories, learn about some of the unique challenges rural communities face, and explore what we can do together to make our community stronger and healthier. 

Important Dates: 

Moorhead Workshop: In partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Red River Valley on April 18, 6-8 p.m., at Hjemkomst Center

Detroit Lakes Workshop: In partnership with the League of Women Voters Detroit Lakes Area on May 2, 6-8 p.m., at Minnesota State Community and Technical College, Detroit Lakes Campus

Perham Workshop: May 16, 6-8 p.m., at Perham High School

• Frequently Asked Questions

  Q: What does the workshop cost? 

  A: These workshops are free to attend. 

  Q: Who should attend? 

  A: Residents of west central Minnesota who are interested in doing more to strengthen their local community and would like to learn what they can do and where to start. 

  Q: Will dinner be provided? 

  A: Yes, a complimentary dinner is included in the workshop. 

Rural Advocacy and Public Leadership Program

The Rural Advocacy and Public Leadership Program is our free six-month leadership and advocacy program designed for people interested in strengthening our democracy and supporting the development of good governance in their local rural community. Cohorts will be small, with around 20 participants, and will meet between January 27 and June 1, 2024.

• Program Information

  Cohort participants will come from the public and the nonprofit sectors, including people already serving in leadership positions, along with those seeking leadership roles in elected office, the public sector, or the region’s civic organizations. Applicants from the region will be given priority, and applicants from outside the region will be accepted if there is space available.

  Classes will be a mix of online and in-person gatherings. Classes will be four hours long and will meet on the following dates:

  • January 27
  • February 24
  • March 23
  • April 20
  • May 11
  • June 1

  Participants will be provided with readings, videos, podcasts, and presentations from guest speakers. Lots of time will be spent in discussions, learning from each other, and through doing, by developing a local “hands-on” project to address an issue in your community. Along the way, students will write reflections on their learning and projects. 

  Rural Advocacy and Public Leadership is a free program that draws on and will connect with the 20-year-old Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) at Metro State, a Minnesota State System Institution and will offer each participant 4 credits towards a Bachelor of Arts or an Master of Arts degree. 

• Course Topics
  • Connecting and collaborating toward common goals across a diversity of interests, experiences, and backgrounds. 
  • Developing organizing and advocacy skills for and in rural communities.  
  • Mapping your rural community to better understand the breadth of its resources, experiences, and interests. 
  • Learning about making policy and community change at the local level. 
  • Developing creativity and building resources to do this work over the long haul.

   

• Program Goals
  • Share leadership and organizing skills.
  • Analyze together the challenges and opportunities in the west central region for democracy and leadership.
  • Deepen knowledge related to public policy and its impact on rural communities.
  • Work on applied projects in the region as a way of practicing and learning.
  • Build a cohort of active community members and leaders who can support each other and start to build a cross-region network of folks who care about these issues.
  • Deepen knowledge related to public policy and its impact on rural communities.

   

• Meet the Professors

  Adrienne Falcón, Ph.D. (she/her)

  Adrienne is a sociologist and community organizer who is deeply committed to supporting people to become the social change leaders that they want to be. She has a BA in Latin American Studies, and an MA and PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago. She currently teaches in and co-directs the Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership at Metro State. She is also involved in her local community of Northfield, MN where she serves as Co-President of the League of Women Voters and on a statewide Census committee. She is excited to learn with and from the participants in this class about the West Central region and how to support the development of good government that responds to people’s concerns and commitments. 

   

   

  Kandace Creel Falcón, Ph.D. (they/them)

  Kandace is an interdisciplinary feminist scholar, writer, and visual artist. Their life’s passion grounds the power of narrative for social transformation. In 2004, Creel Falcón earned a B.A. in Women’s Studies, and a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Leadership Studies from the University of Kansas. They earned a Ph.D. in Feminist Studies from the University of Minnesota in 2010. They taught and directed the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at a regional university in Northwest Minnesota for nearly ten years while publishing research on Chicana feminism, feminist pedagogy, equity work in higher education, and digital media storytelling practices. Following a successful career in academia, Creel Falcón earned an Associates of Fine Arts Degree from Minnesota State Community and Technical College in 2020 to pursue an artistic career. Creel Falcón lives and works in rural Erhard, Minnesota. 

Lead Local

Lead Local is our network that connects and supports local, rural elected officials. It provides a supportive community for elected leaders interested in working with other elected leaders who share their commitment to good government and to using their local elected office to positively strengthen the community and improve the lives of their constituents.

• More about Lead Local

  Types of Lead Local network activities include:

  • Sharing information, testing new ideas, and learning from the experience of supportive, peer rural elected leaders.
  • Mentoring/coaching new leaders running for local office.
  • Speakers from inside and outside the region on specific topics that have been identified as useful to the network.
  • Relationship building events where locally elected officials can meet others in the region to connect and learn from each other about emerging trends in the region.