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Photovoice

Growing Up Healthy in the Red River Valley used Photovoice as a research tool to document the concerns women in the area have about chemicals used in their homes and communities. This photo shows the chemical fog left behind after spraying for mosquitos. By documenting their own worlds and discussing with policy makers the images they produce, community people can initiate grassroots social change. Photo by LT

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Participants from White Earth

Women from the White Earth Reservation begin their photo journey. Photo by PM

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Spawning ammonia tanks

This mom and photographer expressed concern about how anhydrous ammonia tanks were being stored and how easily they could be stolen for making methamphetamine. Photo by PH

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Safer cleaning

Mothers and grandmothers participating in the Photovoice project shared their concerns about what kinds of cleaning products are used in homes and how they are used. They also learned about safer alternative products. Photo by SH

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Eating healthier

These berries were grown with no fertilizers or other chemicals. The Growing Up Healthy project emphasizes the health benefits of reducing chemical use in foods, especially for children. Photo by SH

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Growing your own

The mom that took this photo shared that her children are much more likely to eat vegetables when they grow their own. Photo by FA

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Faribault Diversity Coalition
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Read Aloud Program

Parents and children gather for the "Read Aloud" program in Windom. Through the program, families learn from each other and get to know others in the community.

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Circle of Parents

Intercultural Communities Uniting builds stronger communities in southwest Minnesota by bringing together new immigrants and the broader community through crafts and other "Circle of Parents" activities.

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World Market

The World Market in Springfield brings together the community's new and long-time residents to promote understanding of, and appreciation for, many cultures. Photo by Terri Holman

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World Market Dancers

A group of Hmong girls await their turn to dance at the World Market in Springfield. Photo by Terri Holman

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Multicultural Booths

World Market Day in Springfield featured booths of crafts and foods from many countries. Photo by Terri Holman

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Market's Youngest Dancers

The World Market Day in Springfield featured dancers from many countries. Photo by Terri Holman

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2nd Annual Multicultural Festival

More than 350 people enjoyed the 2nd Annual Multicultural Festival in Windom.

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Multicultural activities

The festival featured food and multicultural activities from around the world.

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Learning about laws and protections

The Diversity Youth Quest program is designed for Hmong and Latino youth, to help them become accustomed to American culture through role models, activities and presentations.

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Latinas participating in Diversity Youth Quest

Newcomers make up 6.3% of Winona County's population, including 2,000-3,000 Latino, 400-500 Hmong, 60 Laotian, 25-30 Russian and 70-90 Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Bosnian and Somali individuals and families.

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Working with mentors

Youth Quest is a year-round program with a structured timeline and activities for mentors and youth which include monthly presentations by local health professionals who cover a range of topics.

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Participating in group activities

Diversity Youth Quest participants in Saint Charles answer questions during the icebreaker activity at the Self-Esteem & Motivation presentation.

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Learning from each other

University Mentors in Winona learn more about the Hmong culture during a home visit with a Hmong family they visited as part of their mentor training process.

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Getting the lead out

East Side Neighborhood Development Company and other community partners are working to reduce children's exposure to lead in older homes in the Payne-Phalen area of St. Paul. This house is one of many that had all new, lead-free windows installed along with new exterior paint.

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Success by collaboration

A hallmark of this project has been the partners' dedication to outreach in the community and collaboration, increasing the likelihood of lasting community change.

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Healthy Homes, Healthy Futures

Part of the Healthy Homes, Healthy Futures project involves staff training across East Side Neighborhood Development Company to raise awareness of housing and health issues organization wide.

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Working collaboratively

The Rice County Growing Up Healthy collaborative was created in 2006 to engage in a planning process to gain better understanding of the needs of the county's low income families with young children. The goal of the project is to increase community connectedness experienced by marginalized families with children under the age of five in Northfield and Faribault.

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Determining community needs

Project partners completed community dialogues with more than 160 low-income Rice County residents with children age 5 and under. They heard directly from these families what their most pressing concerns are, and ways that the existing community service delivery system could change to be more responsive.

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Connecting people to services

Neighborhood leaders are improving access to housing, health and early childhood education information and services (working with public health nurses, ECFE professionals, housing advocates), improving neighborhood safety (safe play areas for children and traffic management) and neighborhood based programs (bringing the program to the community rather than the community to the program).

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Healthy Homes - Healthy Kids project

Native American Community Clinic, Preventing Harm Minnesota and Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center have partnered to implement the Healthy Homes-Healthy Kids project in the Phillips neighborhood.

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Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)

This project used PLA, which allows for full participation of people in the processes of learning about their needs and opportunities, and in the action required to address them.

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Particpant posters

Environmental health problems are prevalent in the Phillips community. Health conditions, such as asthma hospitalization rates, elevated blood and arsenic levels, have been documented through quantitative and qualitative data.

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Mapping Phillips Neighborhood

Local experts and community members document their knowledge and understanding of the neighborhood's health issues.

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Family involvement

American Indian women and their families were involved in identifying children's environmental health problems through drawings, discussions and written surveys.

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Create CommUNITY

Since 2003, Create CommUNITY has been a driving force toward creating a more welcoming, non-discriminatory environment for everyone in the St. Cloud-area community. Today, the organization is focused on taking strategic, measurable steps to dismantling racism through systemic change.

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Dismantling racism through systemic change

Originally known as the Mayor's Racial Harmony Team, this community movement started through the office of the Mayor in St. Cloud. It has grown to include other cities and counties, a broad base of area businesses and organizations, and many interested individuals.

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Omeka!

Omeka! launched in November, is making those connections for African and African-American women in Central Minnesota, featuring monthly gatherings in homes. "Omeka!" is a Swahili word meaning to display; to speak out; to spread out.

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Celebrating many cultures

The gatherings connect African immigrant women from Somalia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, French Guinea, Liberia, Congo, Cameroon and Jamaica who share their journeys, cultures and ideas, and they learn from one another.

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Children connecting

Childcare is provided for all Omeka gatherings, giving children the opportunity to connect and learn about other cultures. Here the children are beading pretty bracelets to take home.

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Spotlight

  • health image

    Spotlight on leadership

    David Wallinga, MD, MPA, received 2008 Upstream Health Leadership Award 

  • health image

    Shared Values DVD available at no charge

    Understanding the link between social connectedness and health 

more spotlight

Perspectives

all perspectives

  • Immigrant integration

    Mutual responsibility, mutual change, mutual benefits

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  • Tackling the Toxic Table in a Global Economy: Ten Steps We Can All Take

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Looking beyond health care today for ideas that create healthier communities tomorrow.


Where We Work

Funding Across Minnesota

The map above shows a sampling of  current Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation grants.  Click here for a complete listing of grantees

News

Foundation names three new members to board

Connors, Hough and Malcolm join 13-member board
Minnesota becomes first state to ban BPA

New law will restrict use of Bisphenol A in baby bottles and "sippy" cups
New Tools Promote Immigrant Integration and Health

Healthy Together progress report and new DVD and discussion guide available
Growing Up Healthy in the Red River Valley

Link to Grantee Photovoice Exhibit blog where women's photos reflect their concerns about pesticides and other chemicals used in their homes and communities.
Grantee story highlighted by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

National Center for Healthy Housing story featured on Commission to Build a Healthier America web site

© 2009 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. All rights reserved.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.