Progress Park Rapids

It all began with a community discussion. In January 2005, 100 community members came together and were challenged to become stewards of Park Rapids, Minnesota. These community members accepted the challenge and, with the help of the Center for Community Stewardship, are tapping its unlimited potential, moving the community forward through Progress Park Rapids. 

The Center for Community Stewardship helped the community of Park Rapids identify strategies and action steps to ensure progress by identifying key stewards, listening to community members and performing intense self-examination. Progress Park Rapids has made major strides:

• A 20-member steward council with a cross-section of community leaders has been established. 
• A charter has been developed to serve as the guiding force for the council’s actions and efforts.
• An action team of community members has been created to move Park Rapids forward on each
  key issue. 
• A stewards' retreat was held, which defined a series of 18 community goals and identified a lead implementing organization for each goal.

To date, between the stewards’ council, the community forums and the action teams, some 250
community members have become a part of Progress Park Rapids and engaged in revolutionizing
the Park Rapids community.

Park Rapids is not alone. Center for Community Stewardship staff also helped to initiate Bemidji Leads! and the Seventh Generation Initiative in Mahnomen, MN, both of which are seeing the same culture-changing results.