Vital Connections
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Learn about topics important to Minnesota communities through news articles and podcasts. Use this information to get engaged in your community and help others better know, decide, and act.
Community economics
Local economies
Minnesota's economy 101 [podcast]
Getting to know Greater Minnesota
Hard data for hard times: Economic Impact Analysis for community business loss
Helping communities make better economic decisions
Digging into the dynamics of Greater Minnesota's economy
Urban vs. rural? More like urban and rural together, study says
Retail
The future of rural grocery stores
Walmart communities find there is room for more
Good data is good retail therapy for Minnesota's communities
Retaining businesses
Making business succession planning successful [podcast]
Understanding rural small business succession [podcast]
Manufacturing in Minnesota [podcast]
Workforce
Key workforce issues [podcast]
Workforce wrap up - it’s the people [podcast]
The importance of immigrants to Minnesota's businesses [podcast]
Minnesota's changing workforce [podcast]
Glenwood's housing study results [podcast]
Working to address the child care shortage [podcast]
Working together to address workforce challenges
The child care challenge for Minnesota's workforce [podcast]
Manufacturing in Minnesota [podcast]
Minnesota's workforce [podcast]
Minnesota's economy 101 [podcast]
Community development
Attracting new residents
Get to know Minnesota’s rural resident recruitment initiatives
The importance of immigrants to Minnesota's businesses [podcast]
Minnesota's changing workforce [podcast]
Glenwood's housing study results [podcast]
Working to address the child care shortage [podcast]
The child care challenge for Minnesota's workforce [podcast]
Make it Litchfield update [podcast]
ReGen [podcast]
Make it Litchfield [podcast]
It's not your grandpa's rural [podcast]
Newcomers mean brain gain for rural Minnesota
Rural Minnesota lures middle-aged newcomers, U of M study of U.S. Census data shows
Leadership and civic engagement
Assessing leadership
The leadership gap [podcast]
Does your community need new leaders? Try knocking on some new doors
Building trust
Creating community across generations
Creating connections for better communities
Developing community leaders
Creating pathways for leadership among Latino community members
Facilitation
Asking questions with intention
The habits of highly successful facilitators
Civic engagement
Community conversations [podcast]
Civic engagement 101 [podcast]
Engaged with nature [podcast]
Tourism development
Stay informed
To subscribe to Vital Connections, please email Joyce Hoelting.
Consult with us
Community economics • Leadership and civic engagement • Tourism
Extension educators work in communities with partners throughout Minnesota. Contact us for consultation, guidance and conversation about your community.