Four members of the Mayor’s Youth Council led the session after coaching the fifth graders in how to write and present a comment on a public issue. The high school students also explained how city government works and fielded questions about the Mayor’s Youth Council, which provides youth input into civic affairs and is part of HCI’s Youth on Boards program.

The fifth graders had many practical questions for the older students, including: how old you have to be to serve on the city council (the answer: at least 21); what happens if the council can’t agree (if the vote is tied 3-3, the mayor breaks the tie); and how long the council meetings last (usually an hour to three hours, although the public comment part is at the beginning and you don’t have to stay for the whole meeting).

The younger students also wanted to know: did adults listen to the ideas of the Mayor’s Youth Council? MYC member Elizabeth McCormick said yes, and she shared an example: last year, the City Council changed the requirement that members of the public state their address when speaking at a council meeting. The MYC had advocated for this change, arguing that it created a participation barrier for citizens who didn’t feel comfortable sharing that information.

The variety of opinions expressed by the fifth graders during the mock public comment session seemed to reflect the varied views of adults in the community on issues like bike lanes. But other ideas seemed to genuinely come from a youth perspective — like the suggestion that a new park be created by the river next to The Blast ice cream shop, so that kids would have something fun to do while their parents wait in line.

McCormick said afterward that she was surprised by how much interest the fifth graders showed in the Mayor’s Youth Council specifically.

“I hope they learned that even though they cannot run for office yet, they can still make their voices heard in local government,” she said.

MYC member Sonya Pick said she was impressed with the passion and engagement the students showed in their presentations, and MYC member Josie Mewes said she thought the students came up with amazing ideas.

“I hope they realized that they can play a big role in our society and that they are able to take action and make real change on the issues that matter to them,” Mewes said.

The recipients were recognized for their significant contributions in reducing risk factors for substance use, supporting recovery, promoting mental health and well-being, and/or building assets for our youth and other community members. 

Officer Noor joined the Faribault Police Department in 2024 and was nominated by Courtney Malecha, a community based coordinator with Rice County Behavioral Health Services.

“Since I took on the role of the Faribault Police Department’s new Community Based Coordinator, Officer Noor has been a prominent part of my success,” Malecha wrote in her nomination. “Office Noor had no hesitation in including me on calls and making sure community members in need were being referred for help. He has gone out of his way to offer support.”

She continued, “I’ve been especially impressed with the way Officer Noor treats our community on a daily basis. He truly sees people as human beings and recognizes when someone is having a rough time and treats everyone with compassion, even when it’s difficult to do so.”

Malecha commended Noor for referring individuals and families to other agencies when appropriate, and for following up to ensure they received help. 

“Even on days that Officer Noor is not working, he will still assist others in getting connected to resources, showing that his compassion for helping others goes beyond a job. He has reduced cultural barriers and provided warm hand-offs, so community members feel more comfortable accessing services,” Malecha wrote.

Kelli Podracky has served as director of the Northfield Union of Youth since 2023 and was nominated by Toby Anderson, supervisor of Rice County Behavioral Health Services.

“Kelli’s work at the Northfield Union of Youth is the very definition of prevention in action,” Anderson wrote in his nomination. “Prevention doesn’t always make headlines, yet it is found in the everyday, intentional efforts that keep young people safe, supported, and connected. It looks like creating a welcoming space where youth can gather and build relationships with caring adults. It looks like ensuring young people have access to essential resources—from basic necessities to mental health support and beyond. It looks like offering meaningful, structured activities that provide healthy alternatives to substance use and other risky behaviors. This is the work Kelli leads every single day.”

Anderson said Podracky has cultivated an environment where youth feel safe, valued, and heard; built strong community partnerships to expand young people’s access to resources; and fostered “a culture of acceptance and belonging—one where every young person who walks through the door knows they matter.”

As an example of her advocacy, he described one situation in which she helped a youth who was struggling with substance use. 

“Her persistence, compassion, and presence made a profound difference during one of the most vulnerable moments in this young person’s life,” Anderson wrote.

The Rice County Chemical and Mental Health Coalition seeks nominations from the community every year for the Prevention Champion Awards. Visit ricecountycmhc.org/prevention-champions/ for more information. Read about previous Prevention Champions here.

The mentors and mentees were matched depending on their chosen instruments (orchestra, band, vocal or piano). The 45-minute, weekly music practice sessions started March 2 and conclude May 13. The Music Mentorship program was organized by St. Olaf junior Francesca Hajj, who recruited fellow Ole musicians interested in building relationships with younger students through music.

“I love watching the students discover what they love about music and advocate for their interests and pieces they want to play,” said Hajj, a violin player who mentored a viola student at Spring Creek Elementary. “I have also deeply enjoyed getting to watch them progress and realize when they sound good. That is a joy that cannot be replicated in any other circumstance.”

Hajj received support for the program from St. Olaf’s Svoboda Center for Civic Engagement and from Healthy Community Initiative, which received a grant from the Minnesota Humanities Center to support afterschool art and music enrichment through the Rice County PRIMEtime network. 

Svoboda Center Director and HCI Board Co-chair Alyssa Melby said she appreciates how the Music Mentorship program pairs one of the college’s strengths—its music program—with a community desire to provide opportunities to its youngest musicians.

“I hope all the kids feel supported and pumped up by their music mentor to continue playing for years to come,” Melby said.

Amy McBroom, HCI’s network impact coordinator for PRIMEtime, said offering this type of free programming at Community School—in the same space where youth attend school—makes it more accessible to all youth by reducing barriers like transportation and cost. She said the grant has also supported after-school piano instruction from St. Olaf Professor April Kim as part of Kim’s coursework in her piano keyboard pedagogy class. 

Hajj is training St. Olaf sophomore Sophia Carlson to take over leadership of the program next spring, so it can continue after Hajj graduates, and they are working with the St. Olaf administration to make the program part of a class or student club. They hope to expand the number of participants and create more incentives to participate, like group outings for mentors and mentees.

As someone who self-identifies as a “perfectionistic doer,” Hajj said she has learned through the experience that it’s OK to let go of details she can’t control, and consider the bigger picture of what the program is accomplishing.

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to grow this program, rework it, and continue to go with the flow,” she said.

District Youth Council (DYC) co-chairs Delphine Hawkins and Atticus Mayer made the surprise announcement halfway through the program. 

The award was given to Dr. Hillmann for his steadfast and enthusiastic support of HCI and its programs—including Youth on Boards, TORCH, and the Northfield Promise initiative—during his tenure with the Northfield Public Schools. Hillmann announced in February that he will leave the district at the end of the 2025-26 school year to become the next Executive Director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA).

“Dr. Hillmann has always made sure I feel heard in every room I’m in,” Delphine said. “For example, when we attended Day at the Capitol, he made sure I had the opportunity to share the Student Gun Pledge Against Violence—a project that DYC and I worked very closely on—with those representing us in the Minnesota legislature. In that moment, Dr. Hillmann didn’t just give me the space to speak, he encouraged me, supported me, and was genuinely excited to see student voices being represented.”

Atticus said Dr. Hillmann has had a direct and lasting impact on him.

“Dr. Hillmann, you’ve consistently made space for student voices. You’ve listened to our ideas, supported our goals, and treated us like partners in making our schools better. Every policy committee I’m reminded that with you around I’m not just allowed, but welcomed and encouraged to voice my own opinions on debated issues and policies,” he said.

Atticus recalled a time in his sophomore year (his first year on the DYC) when he felt too nervous to bring his thoughts to the table—at least, until Dr. Hillmann asked him directly if he had any ideas to share. 

“It was just one word, I don’t even remember what word anymore, but what I do remember is the feeling of pride when my idea was stamped into the policy of Northfield Public Schools, and without you there and encouraging me, I don’t know if I ever would’ve been confident enough to present my own thoughts to the committee,” Atticus said. “Your support of HCI over the years has helped create opportunities for students to lead, connect, and grow—and we’re incredibly grateful for that.” 

The 250+ breakfast attendees rose for a standing ovation as Dr. Hillmann joined Delphine and Atticus at the front of the room to accept the award, and the three posed for a photo.

HCI extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Hillmann for the compassionate leadership he has provided to youth during his tenure, as well as his lasting support for HCI and its programs. HCI is proud to honor him with the first “Friend of HCI” award in celebration of all he has done for our community. 

Over the course of 10 years, Northfield YouthBank has granted $200,000 to nearly 80 youth-led projects. Continuing the program’s dedication to uplifting the voices and ideas of young people in Northfield, the local YouthBank chapter launched a grant round in fall 2025 centered on the creation of third spaces.

YouthBank is a philanthropy program in which a trained team of youth grant-makers awards funds to youth-led projects that aim to improve quality of life in Northfield. In the fall grant round, the program received numerous projects set to address the lack of third spaces – places for youth to connect outside of school and home – in the Northfield community. These spaces are critical for the mental well-being of youth and serve as places where relationships and connection can be formed.

After research, Northfield YouthBank determined that one of the greatest challenges affecting Northfield youth was the lack of third spaces and hopes to address this issue with recently funded grants.

One project funded was a Connection Café. Northfield High School’s Bring Change to Mind Club plans to create a space for students to open up about mental health in a positive and inclusive environment. Through this project, the club will create connections and spark conversations rooted in the destigmatization of mental health.

Northfield YouthBank’s grant to the Northfield American Sign Language club will provide funds to purchase new and updated ASL books, allowing the program to continue raising awareness about the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and teach students the basics of American Sign Language.

For more information, visit the YouthBank page of our website, email northfieldyouthbank@gmail.com or follow on Instagram at @northfieldyouthbank.

Before I completed Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training, the idea of talking to people about suicide intimidated me. If it had arisen in conversation, I might have worried I’d say the wrong thing and avoid the topic. But after completing the 90-minute online training in February, I feel more comfortable and prepared to find ways to talk about the subject and potentially save a life.

I’m one of four staff members at Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) who have recently received training through the QPR Institute, a nationally recognized organization that aims to reduce suicidal behaviors and save lives by teaching people how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.

QPR is purposefully named after CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), an emergency lifesaving procedure used when a person’s heart stops beating. The idea is that anyone in the community can learn QPR. You don’t have to be a doctor or a mental health professional to recognize the warning signs of suicide, and you don’t have to diagnose anyone. The training gives you the confidence to recognize that someone is in crisis and direct them to a professional who can help them.

One of things that surprised me during the training was learning about the history of suicide and how far back it has been recorded. It is part of the human condition, which is all the more reason for us to become more comfortable talking about it. Another thing that surprised me was how much more comfortable I felt once I’d picked up some pocket “one-liners” to use when discussing suicide. Instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing, or avoiding asking how someone is feeling, I learned that people are often screaming inside for someone to notice what’s going on with them, and saying things like “I care about what happens to you” can make a difference.

So far this school year, HCI has helped train 268 staff from the Northfield Public Schools in QPR, and trainings are planned for this spring with staff from Faribault Public Schools and Rice County. QPR training is available to businesses, organizations, and individuals at no cost to them. We encourage everyone in the community to consider taking the training, especially if you interact with larger groups of people through social services, public health, and the schools.

For more information about QPR training or other mental health training opportunities in Rice County, you can email my colleague Molly at molly@hci-mn.org. You can also learn more about QPR at qprinstitute.com.

Along with our refreshed logo and website, we have rolled out a new domain name – hci-mn.org – and revised mission and vision statements that reaffirm our commitment to creating healthy communities where all children, youth, and families thrive.

“This year, HCI’s staff, board, and community partners reflected on our rich history of community collaboration and created a vision for the future. As always, children, youth, and families are at the center. In this moment of great change and uncertainty, we are clear about our purpose, grounded in our guiding principles, and committed to creating healthy community where all children, youth, and families thrive. Together we are transforming systems and transforming lives.”

~ Tom Steinmetz, HCI Executive Director in the 2025 Report to the Community

Our Mission:

To cultivate transformative health, education, and career outcomes through collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.

Our Vision:

Communities where all children, youth, and families are supported, empowered, and thriving.

Partner Resources:

We ask community partners to update any instances of our previous logo to any of the formats linked here. Our complete identity and usage guide is linked here. If you need additional logo or branding support, please reach out to joy@healthycommunityinitiative.org.

Click here to read the article by Laurie Perez, published February 5, 2026

School should feel like a safe place, for every child. As a member of the Education Partnerships Coalition (EPC), HCI joins education leaders from across the state in calling for schools to be respected as “sensitive locations” so all students can feel safe at school.

Read more in this op-ed published in the Minnesota Star Tribune.

If you don’t have a subscription, click here to read a gift article (login required) or click here to view a pdf of the article.

Healthy Community Initiative has been hearing a lot from community members in the past two weeks asking what they can do to help their neighbors. Here are some suggestions and links:

Community Action Center

The Community Action Center helps people across Rice County through their locations in Faribault and Northfield.

• Food donations: The CAC has food available and is committed to distributing it safely! If you want to donate purchased items, those in most need are: beans (black and pinto, dried), white rice, maseca (masa harina), eggs, toilet paper, diapers (size 6), and menstrual products. Financial donations are welcomed to support this effort. 
• Proxy shopping: People may designate someone they trust to shop for them during regular food shelf hours. If you don’t have someone who can shop for you, the CAC is partnering with the Growing Up Healthy team to assemble a small group of vetted volunteers. Call 507-573-6452 (Northfield) or 507-573-2603 (Faribault) to set up your proxy.
• Shelter: CAC is experiencing an increase in requests for rent and utility support. Please consider donating to the CAC Community Response Fund to support families’ abilities to stay in their homes.

Click here to download a flyer with this information translated into Somali and Spanish.

Faribault Community Schools 

Faribault Community Schools are experiencing an increased need from students and families for resources from the schools’ Nest spaces. They are running low on some much-needed items. If you have the means, please consider dropping off any of the following NEW items:

• Water bottles and bottled water
• Deodorant
• Toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Body wash
• Modest dresses (sizes 10-16 and girls’ junior sizes XS-M)
• Tennis shoes (sizes 6-12)
• Belts
• Paper towels
• Menstrual products
• Baby formula

Donations can be dropped off at the main office of any community school site and addressed to The Nest.

Northfield Arts Guild

Northfield Arts Guild is gathering new or gently used art supplies for art kits that will be distributed to community members who are afraid to leave their homes. Most needed supplies are crayons, markers, and colored pencils. They can be dropped off at 304 Division St. when the Guild is open (check the website for days and times) starting Saturday, Jan. 24.

Northfield Supporting Neighbors

Northfield Supporting Neighbors supports Rice County individuals and families that are facing financial hardship related to immigration status, and it has trained legal observers who monitor enforcement activity in the area. Visit the website to learn more about how to volunteer or donate.

TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes)

The TORCH student support fund provides direct assistance to Latino students in the Northfield School District who have been affected by the ICE operations in Minnesota. Donations will help families pay for rent, heat, electricity, food, and other basic needs. To donate, write a check to Healthy Community Initiative and write “TORCH” in the memo line, or donate on our website by clicking here and leaving a note that the donation is for TORCH.

Additional resources

City of Northfield

The City of Northfield lists resources on its Immigration webpage, including a link for reporting ICE-related harm, and links to passport and notary services available at the Northfield Public LIbrary. You can also watch a recording presentation for local businesses about immigration enforcement and I-9 compliance, and what to do if ICE agents show up at your place of work. 

National Lawyers Guild Minnesota Chapter

24-hour hotline for free legal support: call 612-444-2654