Building on its inaugural Minnesota cohort, Activate Rural is now expanding across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Tribal Nations in the region, with continued support from the Mellon Foundation.

Activate Rural team road tripped through mountain passes and small towns between Missoula, Helena, and Butte, connecting with leaders and artists, and visiting local creative places.  

In September, DoPT staff Sarina and Benjamin traveled to Spring Grove, MN (pop. 1,202) to facilitate an in-person Activate Rural Workshop. It was an inspiring full day with artists, community leaders, and business owners from 14 Southeast Minnesota communities connecting and exchanging ideas, resources, and stories.

In May, the 2023–2025 cohort celebrated two years of transforming, learning, and connecting. Reflecting on the activation routes each team navigated reveals lessons and alternative paths for individuals and organizations looking to activate their own creative places. Read on to explore the full blog post!

Mellon Foundation Awards $1.5 Million Grant to Department of Public Transformation to Support Creative Rural Places