Notes From The Field

I recently had the opportunity to work with an innovative and effective workshop tool, called Ketso. Afterwards, I contacted the people that created the tool to convey my appreciation for what they have contributed. They asked me to share my experience on their...

We hear a lot these days about “STEM” (which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and why we need to inspire and graduate many more math and science students to keep our country competitive on a global stage. The good news is that there does appear to...

Last week, I completed a class for small businesses, called Co.Starters. Classes took place in the beautiful James J. Hill Library in downtown St. Paul. The class was small enough to create the feeling of community, synergy, and collaboration – yet each student was...

Flying to the moon must have seemed utterly ludicrous when Kennedy made his initial pitch. But step by step, we achieved it — together. Name your moon shot. Find a small team. See what you can do to take your one small step. Humankind will thank you.

Democracy is not a political party. It does not choose sides or support the ideas of only a certain percentage of our citizens. Sometimes, I think about all that has been sacrificed throughout history to preserve this lofty idea of democracy, and perhaps how seldom we remind ourselves of this fact.

A Citizen Solutions Workshop© -- Hosted by Lynne Kolze, Deliberate Democracy, LLC, M.P.A Renew Democracy One Person at a Time    Be the Change You Want to See in the World!  With our nation’s civic health in question, many people feel cynical and powerless. As an...

It's hard to argue with the simple rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Note that this simple rule establishes a value, a goal (be kind if you want kindness given back to you), however, it does not provide a litany of instructions as to how to...

Let me be clear. I never claimed to be a paragon of virtue, or moral authority on life – civic or otherwise.I am far from perfect.  I am too judgmental at times. I say things I regret. I am certain I have hurt people without even realizing it. Like everyone else, I...