Speakers

The pandemic is both a great challenge and great learning opportunity for public education.  It requires us to think about teaching in new ways and for educational systems to substantially change to meet the needs of students.  As leaders, we must take the best of what we learn from this experience to re-think and improve the way we do business.  Strategic, visionary leadership can ensure we make good use of lessons learned.  This year our district will begin an inclusive process to develop a five-year strategic plan for our schools.  Incorporating the essence of hard won understanding will help shape a bold path and a bright future for education in Duluth.

We will learn the goals of the High Speed Rail Alliance and how a high-speed rail network has evolved in Europe and other locations, and how the integrated network approach can work in this country.  We will also learn specific action items citizens can take at the federal and state level to make high speed rail a reality in the Twin Cities/Duluth corridor.

In the spring of 2017, Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota (LSS) opened the center for Changing Lives in Duluth with a bold goal in sight: to end youth homelessness in Northeast Minnesota.  Since then, thousands of young people have turned to LSS for the encouragement, guidance, and support they need to change the course of their lives.  We have made great strides in the past three years.  Yet we know more Northland youth need our support.  We have begun to ask oursleves, "What if we could reach our goal more effectively by expanding our services to families and younger children?"  Learn more about the future of the Bethany Crisis Shelter at this informative program.

The Lake Superior Zoo is nearing its 100th year anniversary in 2023!  The Zoo can finally celebrate the reopening of the long-anticiapted Bear Country exhibit damaged in the flood of 2012.  Learn how the Zoo has adapted to the pandemic and continued to find ways to serve the Duluth Community and surrounding region throughout the last, very challenging year.