Meet the MNLA Foundation Trustees

We are on it!

We ARE working to change the way young adults, parents and community look at horticulture as a career choice and build a connection with schools, higher education institutions with young adults and parents.

MNLA Foundation Accomplishments 2023-2024

• • Our biggest accomplishment is the High School Curriculum. This comprehensive project is a collective effort from some of the best researchers, scholars and industry experts in Minnesota. This FREE curriculum addresses the importance and significant value of horticulture and gives detailed lessons for botany and plant growth, plant material, floriculture, landscape design and maintenance. It is guide for teachers to use in developing a 1-2-year course. The program prepares students with skills that allow them to continue their educational at a two or four-year college or start working in the field directly. 
  • One of the most popular viewed web pages is the High School Curriculum with an average of 500 views a week. People are looking at it! We offer curriculum to high schools around the country. The curriculum is the hands of over 300 high school agriculture teaches across the state of Minnesota.
  • Updated our Elementary Horticulture Curriculum and will using it as a resource for teachers and garden programs such as MSHS Garden in a Box Program. It's a free resource available to anyone.
  • Hosted 3 career events to improve the workforce.  A newly developed relationship with DEED will allow job seekers to connect with members for job opportunities, grant support and employer leadership tools.
  • Endorsed Spark-Y, an after-school program that will prepare high school students with skills they would need to gain employment in the agricultural sector.  Upon completion of this program, students will receive an industry-recognized certification.
  • Working on a Landscape Installation Apprentice Program recognized and certified by the Minnesota Department of Labor allowing MNLA members to receive wage and training reimbursement.  Program is planned to be launched Fall of 2022.
  • Awarded 21 college scholarships and a High School Grant  to promising industry students.
  • Working with Forest Lake HS to improve work experiences and career exploration.  This is a model that will be shared statewide high schools. MNLA Foundation is scheduling teacher visits to help promote this program.
  • Organized FFA Landscape Competition at the 2023 MN State Fair.  Schools around MN will compete. Sign up to be a judge! 
  • Partnership with University of Minnesota Extension and CFANS College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences who hosts collaborative events, provides research, and hosts the MNLA High School Curriculum on their CFANS resource webpage.
    
  • MNLA Foundation Scholarship Program has provided almost 525 college scholarships since its inception in 1996. Members can sponsor a student and the MNLA Foundation matches their donation through fundraising events such as the MNLA Shootout and Northern Green Silent Auction. Learn more at our website www.mnla.biz .
  • Partnership with FFA – Future Farmers of America. Attended the FFA State Competition in April.
  • Research – provided members with monthly research articles in our SCOOP magazine and in our Research for the Real-World website blog.
  • Career Exploration – Each year we participate in several large scale regional career fairs. A few of the largest career fairs are, Southern MN Perkins Consortium, Central Lakes Bridging Career Exploration Day and just about every college hosts a career day for nearby high school students throughout the year. We have been in front of thousands of students each year.
  • Community Outreach – we attend many events and meetings to network with community programs that connect with the green industry. St. Paul AG Advisory gathers AG teachers, and agriculture related community partners sharing collaborative opportunities. We solicit events to our members to participate or share their expertise.
  • Partnership with MAAE (Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators) who are an organization of teachers of agriculture at the high school, post-secondary, and adult levels who seek to advance agricultural education in Minnesota. Attended networking conferences and sponsored teacher instructional workshops.
  • Awarded MAELC Grant (Minnesota Agriculture Education Leadership Council). Provided a hands-on workshop for Ag teachers throughout Minnesota, building a permanent structure; patio, retaining wall, sidewalk and plantings at the Minnesota State Fair grounds, an irrigation workshop, and two Landscape Design and Construction workshops. 
    
  • Awarded 4 High School Grants to provide continuous learning opportunities to students, and communities.  This year, two grants were awarded. In addition, we talked with students and parents about careers at their annual career day.
  • MNLA Virtual Landscape and Irrigation Job Fair – In partnership with DEED who has statewide outlets for marketing, will co-host an industry career fair focusing on a segment of our industry prior to conducting a full-scale industry event.  Our objective is to improve the green industry workforce.
  • Research Priorities Research Survey - Members were sent a survey asking for research priorities that will help Jim Calkins with focused research.  Jim C provides monthly updates and contributes to the SCOOP/MNLA Webpage quarterly.
  • Working with MN Department of Labor Pipeline Program and Youth Skills Training Program – Pipeline exists to support employers in creating or enhancing a competency based dual-training approach where workers receive a combination of related instruction strategically paired with on-the-job training. Dual-training grants through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education provide funding for employers to create new and expand existing dual-training initiatives. View a  handout that explains the Minnesota Dual-Training Pipeline.  We are currently working to expand the Agriculture Pipeline to  include Landscape Construction and Arborist occupations.
    

You’ll find many opportunities in our E-News to share your story with young adults. We invite you to explore our work further and engage in the conversation with us on Facebook @MNLA1 or @MinnesotaLandlovers, or by participating at our fundraising events. 

Thank you to our volunteers for their direction and help to make the activities and efforts of the MNLA Foundation meaningful for our members and the community! We are grateful to all our members who have donated their time and money to support the MNLA Foundation.