Grand Forks Summer Activities Available

Grand Forks Public Schools

Register for Elementary Summer Classes today! Everything from art and outdoor activities to space and math games. Also included are Intro to Kindergarten, 10th Month Remedial Summer School, Instrumental Music Lessons, SPA, and Middle School Transition.

For more information, see the Summer School Handbook.

Grand Forks Park District

The Grand Forks Park District is proud to offer a wealth of activities for the community. Residents, both young and mature in age, are welcome to participate in sports related activities and various special events throughout the year. Registration forms are available at the Park District office, on the Park District registration web page, and in the annual activities guides.

For more information, see the Activities Guide. Note: large file - download may take several minutes.

North Dakota Museum of Art

Kids Summer Camps

June 25 - 29: Michelle Brusegaard - Designing our World (ages 6-13)
July 2, 3, 5 and 6: Memo Guardia and Sue Fink - Mural, Mural on the Wall (ages 12 and older)
July 9 - 13: Memo Guardia - All "Around" Art Making (ages 6-13)
July 16 - 20: Sheila Dalgliesh - Art Odyssey "Visit" to New York City (ages 6-13)
July 23 - 27: Mollie Douthit - Expanding our 2-D Environment: Drawing and Painting (ages 6 -13)
July 30 - August 3: Adam Kemp - Art Ambassadors: Sculpture, Painting, and More (ages 6-13)

Registration begins April 17 for Museum Members, April 19 for all others. Schedule subject to change.

University of North Dakota Summer Activities

The University of North Dakota's Summer Programs and Events provide an opportunity for a variety of people to enjoy the campus facilities and to benefit from the expertise of UND's faculty and staff during the summer. UND's Summer Programs and Events include educational seminars, professional conferences, sports clinics, specialized workshops, and social events that are essential to UND's overall mission as an educational institution and as a member of the community. Take advantage of UND's enrichment activities for all ages.

Click here for more information and for a complete list of the Summer Programs and Events in 2012.

Soup in the Studio: A Community Event

Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, Muddy Waters Clay Center, and Global Friends Coalition have teamed up to provide an evening of food, fun, and fundraising. Soup In The Studio will be held at Muddy Waters Clay Center on Thursday, March 8, from 6-8pm. Live music will be provided by African Arts Arena. All proceeds benefit Global Friends Coalition.

Global Friends Coalition hopes to establish this fundraiser as a signature event through collaboration with Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals, Muddy Waters Clay Center, and African Arts Arena. As a lifetime member of Global Friends Coalition, Don Miller initiated the soup bowl fundraiser about 20 years ago. During those years, the bowls were made at UND where Miller is an Art Department faculty member. This year the event will take place at Muddy Waters Clay Center of which Miller is a founding member.

“Making bowls, sharing a meal, and supporting our local community is a natural fit for Muddy Waters Clay Center,” Miller said.

Global Friends Coalition is a not-for-profit that works to foster New American integration into the Grand Forks community. “All proceeds from the Soup in the Studio will go towards our Guiding New Americans to Success mentoring and tutoring program. We have 60 volunteers serving approximately 130 New Americans,” said Program Director Cynthia Shabb. “This is a vibrant organization meeting a need in the community.”

“Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals is excited to collaborate with other organizations in our community for a great cause. Soup In The Studio is a wonderful way for everyone in Grand Forks to come together and experience some of the arts and culture that the city has to offer while giving back,” said Executive Director Stacey Heggen.

Soup in the Studio is open to the public. All ages are welcome. African Arts Arena will perform four percussion pieces. The event is also being supported by Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops. For more information visit www.soupinthestudio.com.

The DTF Recommendation

Recommendation: New school for Grand Forks, no north end closures
A Grand Forks School District task force made preliminary recommendations that include keeping Winship and Wilder elementary schools in the north end open, building a new south end school, closing one school at Grand Forks Air Force Base, adjusting middle and high school boundaries and creating a task force to look at the future of Community High School.
By: Pamela Knudson, Grand Forks Herald

A new elementary school should be built on Grand Forks’ far south end as soon as feasible and Wilder and Winship in the north end should remain open as elementary schools, a schools group is recommending.
The Demographic Task Force, which met Tuesday, will present its preliminary recommendations to the School Board on Monday.
The 30-member task force, formed by the school district to address the imbalance between overcrowded south end schools and underutilized north end schools, had reviewed more than 60 options.
Wilder parents were pleased with the task force’s decisions. Some of the options had called for the school’s closing and conversion into a new home for Community High School.
“It’s a favorable outcome,” said Lucas Kindseth. “We were not going against the tide, but we shifted the focus.”
The decision “is in the best interest of Grand Forks, said Eric Burin. “The task force took its job seriously and carefully weighed the evidence-based arguments we presented. It shows the virtues of citizen engagement, especially at the local level.”

North end parents
The task force heard from 11 parents of north end elementary students who implored the group to consider the consequences to educational quality and the neighborhoods of closing a school.
Nikki Berg Burin, a teacher and parent who grew up in Grand Forks and attended West Elementary, cited research studies that link neighborhood blight with school closure. She said small neighborhood schools raise productivity of students, especially minority students, of which there’s a significant number in the Wilder attendance area.
“I am so grateful to live in a community that values elementary schools and what they provide,” she said. “I desperately want that this for my children. I want it for my community.”
Revitalization of the north end and the vision for new growth in the city’s south end support the recommendations that the task force will advance to the School Board, Superintendent Larry Nybladh said.
“Birthrate and Census data project that we should see moderate growth in our enrollment base,” he said. “Perhaps the decline has bottomed out and we’ll see revitalization and growth of neighborhoods in north Grand Forks.”
Gail Kalenze, principal of Wilder and Winship and task force member, said she “would like parents to begin some problem-solving with me, as a partnership, to allow them to promote” and attract more students to Wilder.

New school

Kelly and Century elementary schools in the south end faced the opposite problem. New residential developments in that area put too much pressure on the schools.
The new south end elementary school would alleviate that pressure.
It would accommodate 300 students initially, with capacity to add a wing to allow for growth up to 600 students in the future, similar to Century’s initial building design.
The school district owns two lots in south Grand Forks that could be developed for a new school, or the district could explore a land trade if necessary, Assistant Superintendent Jody Thompson has said.
Century is on track to be over capacity in two years, he said, and a new school would take two years to build.
The task force also made two other preliminary recommendations that affect elementary schools.
Addressing safety concerns from parents and others, the task force redrew Wilder’s boundary to capture a “wedge” on North Washington Street, a major thoroughfare some students must cross to attend Winship.
It also recommended closing closing Carl Ben Eielson Elementary School and send students to Nathan Twining Middle School at Grand Forks Air Force Base, which has seen a smaller population since the loss of the air refueling mission.

Other schools
The task force also recommended modifying middle school boundary lines to align more closely with high school boundaries.
New lines include an area where students are choosing, through in-district transfer, to attend Valley Middle School even though they live in Schroeder’s attendance area.
Central High School boundary lines were adjusted south and west to relieve some pressure on Red River High School, but allow for continued growth at Central.
Thompson said students can complete their careers at the schools where they’re enrolled, and families can apply for in-district transfer until the schools reach capacity.
The future of Community High School drew comments from several committee members.
“Moving Community High School to an elementary school is not the best answer in the long run,” said Judy Paukert, a task force member.
Some options had called for converting Wilder or Winship into a home for the alternative high school, which now uses leased space.
Paukert asked that the administration form another group to study the issue.
“This would allow for more time for creative thinking and exploring other options,” she said. “I believe there’s not an urgent need to change, but concerns do need to be addressed.”

Reach Knudson at (701) 780-1107; (800) 477-6572, ext. 107; or send e-mail to pknudson@gfherald.com.

Plan to Attend

The next Demographics Task Force Meeting: Tuesday, January 3rd from Noon-2pm at the Mark Sanford Education Center on 47th Avenue

The next School Board Meeting: Monday, January 9th at 6pm at the Mark Sanford Education Center on 47th Avenue

The bi-annual Public Forum: Monday, January 23rd with Business Meeting at 6pm and Forum at 7pm at South Middle School on 47th Avenue
Pre-Register for Forum by contacting me with your name, phone number, and address.

Consider the City's Goals

The Grand Forks Herald Opinion:

OUR OPINION: GF schools should consider city’s goals
Shouldn’t the Grand Forks School District declare that it shares with the city of Grand Forks the goal of avoiding and/or counteracting urban blight?
By: Tom Dennis for the Herald, Grand Forks Herald

The Grand Forks School District is thinking about closing a school in the north end. Parents in the area object, saying the closure will hurt the neighborhood and slow or stop its revitalization.
What does the city of Grand Forks think?
In particular, what does the city of Grand Forks think given that the city has an explicit policy of investing in Grand Forks’ traditional neighborhoods “to ensure they remain quality places for individuals and families to live, work, learn, and play”?
The school district should ask the city for its view. And if that’s the first result of Tyrone and Becca Grandstrand’s thoughtful letter on this page, it likely won’t be the last.
The Grandstrands write from a unique vantage: She’s on the School Board, he’s on the City Council. So, not only have they watched the processes in both of their organizations and seen the need for more cooperation, but also their voices and votes can be counted on to support such a change.
We suspect there will be a lot more support among other School Board and City Council members as well, because communicating and cooperating just make sense.
Take the issue of closing a school. Again, as stated in the Mayor’s Urban Neighborhood Initiative and other policies, helping the north end avoid blight and boost the ratio of owner-occupied homes is the official policy of the city of Grand Forks.
Shouldn’t the school board be brought up to date on that policy before making a decision that might affect it?
This makes more sense than having the district consider school enrollments, demographic trends and budgets in a kind of vacuum, almost as if the city government and its concerns didn’t exist.
In fact, shouldn’t the district at least consider declaring that it, too, shares the goal of avoiding and/or counteracting urban blight?
That way, the city and school district could work together to reach mutual goals rather than finding themselves at cross purposes.
This isn’t a question of blurring jurisdictions or infringing on each other’s turf. It’s a question of recognizing we’re all in this together and that in order to be at their best, Grand Forks schools need healthy neighborhoods — just like healthy neighborhoods need good schools.
The Grandstrands say it well: “We urge the city and school district to work together more closely, as we are only successful when we all succeed in the long run.” Let the mayor and other city officials give the school district their views about the impact of closing a school. And let that communication and cooperation be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Tom Dennis for the Herald

Our Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor in the Grand Forks Herald:

GF city, school district should work together
It is clear that the city of Grand Forks and the Grand Forks School District have had both successes and challenges on the north end. To ensure we succeed, we urge the city and school district to work together more closely, as we are only successful when we all succeed in the long run.
By: Tyrone and Becca Grandstrand

GRAND FORKS — The recent discussion about closing north end schools has made us start thinking about why we live on the north end of Grand Forks.
We value all of Grand Forks; in fact, Tyrone grew up on the south end of town and loved it. But we chose to live on the north end when we bought our home.
We love that we are within walking and biking distance of a grocery store, two convenience stores, the university, downtown, the Greenway, and Becca’s job at the North Dakota Museum of Art.
As a result of the higher density and character of the area, we have met many wonderful neighbors who come from all walks of life. We greatly value the nearby schools and, based on the number of younger families moving into the area, it seems to be a common trend.
We appreciate that when we have children, they will be able to walk or bike to school throughout their K-12 experience, as we are close to Winship, Valley and Central.
Walkability is particularly important considering the health benefits and the reduced risk of obesity for us and our children.
Our values and reasons for living here shouldn’t be surprising. Housing industry experts have noted that 77 percent of Millennials (our generation) plan to live in more centralized, walkable locations that promote a sense of connection and community, with access to schools, farmers’ markets, transit systems and restaurants.
In fact, the Greater Grand Forks Young Professionals have put a priority on advocating for improvements in Grand Forks’ ability to meet these needs for our generation’s preferences as well as our community’s health and well-being. This is great news for everyone who prefers lower taxes because neighborhoods that are more densely built also require fewer tax dollars to provide services.
It is clear that the city of Grand Forks and the Grand Forks School District have had both successes and challenges on the north end. To ensure we succeed, we urge the city and school district to work together more closely, as we are only successful when we all succeed in the long run.
Long-term thinking and building cooperation are two of the major reasons we ran for office. We urge our colleagues to take these ideals into account when making decisions that will affect our community now and for generations to come.
Tyrone Grandstrand is a member of the Grand Forks City Council. Becca Grandstrand is a member of the Grand Forks School Board.

Letter the Editor in the GFH

Letter to the Editor in the Grand Forks Herald:

Marsha Gunderson, Grand Forks, column: In GF, school-closing costs may exceed the benefits
Cost savings are important to us all. But on balance, will the savings really offset our losses?
By: Marsha Gunderson

GRAND FORKS — Schools, especially elementary schools, are the sustaining element in living, livable neighborhoods. The very existence of an active school can provide energy, identity and a sense of community for its students, parents, teachers and neighbors.

Active neighborhood schools support their immediate community in so many ways: 

• Walkability promotes healthy children and reduces car emissions and potential vehicle accidents. 
• Property values are maintained because homes near schools appeal to a broader segment of the population.
• After-school programs are within walking distance of homes.
• Affordable and lower-income neighborhoods retain direct access to quality education.
• Neighbors have a venue for voting, meetings, community activities and emergency shelter.
• Children have a safe, familiar, accessible playground.
• School district funding is supported more broadly by non-parent voters, who develop ownership for the school through community activities.

School closure also has impacts well beyond the immediate effect of removing children and parents from their home school. The natural cycle of neighborhood rejuvenation — older owners selling to young families — is disrupted when young parents look elsewhere for homes close to schools. Property values diminish when a significant proportion of the buying market looks elsewhere because there is no neighborhood school.
Lower-income parents and children become disenfranchised as schools are removed from the immediate vicinity. Income from property taxes is reduced as housing stock devalues.
Older, historic neighborhoods have a livability and sense of community that often is missing in newer sections of town. But, as with small towns, that sense of community is tied to its school.
Without the school, student access suffers, parent-teacher relationships decline, community programs suffer for lack of a friendly venue and even voting patterns are subject to change. And as non-parents become more and more removed from a neighborhood school and from the families of the children it serves, monetary and emotional support for school issues erodes.
The loss of a neighborhood school endangers Grand Forks’ historic cultural and built environment just as surely as do floods and fires. But the neighborhood dies slowly, unlike the process brought about by a natural disaster. And rebuilding is not an option without the nexus of a school.
Cost savings are important to us all. But on balance, will the savings really offset our losses?
I urge Herald readers to carefully consider the broader community health as West, Wilder and Lewis and Clark schools are discussed. We encourage the Grand Forks School District to adopt a proactive approach to rejuvenating and maintaining these neighborhood schools in order to better meet their stated goal of providing opportunities for all students to reach their maximum potential.
Gunderson, the Herald’s marketing manager, is chairperson of the Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission.