Sessions

Effective Storytelling to Leverage our Impact

August 3 ~ 12:00 noon
Presenters: Gen Van Cleve, LWVUS Midwest Regional Organizer; Amy Perna, LWVMN Executive Director

Join  us for Effective Storytelling to Leverage Impact, a practical training designed to help you strengthen how you communicate your work and move people to action. Leaguers do a lot of great work, but our Midwestern sensibilities often hold us back from “tooting our own horn”. This session is about changing that in a way that feels authentic and effective.

We’ll explore how clear, compelling storytelling can elevate advocacy, deepen community engagement, and make complex issues more accessible and persuasive. Participants will learn practical tools for shaping strong narratives, centering the right message, and connecting with different audiences in ways that build understanding and urgency.

By the end of the session, you’ll leave with concrete skills to confidently tell the story of your work, amplifying your impact without feeling like you’re bragging. (register)

 Working with Students: Policies and Best Practices

August 3 ~ 5:00 pm
Presenters: Heidi Kloempken, LWVMN Associate Director; Jackie Reis, LWVMN Board

If you are an LWVMN Youth Civic Engagement Fellow Mentor, please join us for a refresher on our policies and best practices in working with high school students. We will review the waivers everyone signed, policies approved by the board, and have time for questions. (register)

Using CURA’s Voter Outreach Mapping Tool

August 4 ~ 10:00 am
Presenters: Jeff Matson, Amy Perna

We’re excited to welcome you to this training on the Precinct Level Demographics and Voter Turnout Map, developed by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). This interactive tool combines precinct-level voter turnout data with U.S. Census demographic information to help identify patterns in civic participation across Minnesota and better target outreach to historically underrepresented communities.

The tool was created by CURA’s Community GIS (CGIS) staff in collaboration with the Minnesota Census and Democracy Partnership and Voices for Racial Justice. It is designed to support more equitable, data-informed civic engagement by making turnout patterns and demographic trends easier to understand and use.

Led by Jeff Matson, Director of Community GIS at CURA and adjunct faculty in Geography, Environment and Society at the University of Minnesota. Jeff brings over 20 years of experience working with community organizations, nonprofits, and government partners to make GIS and data more accessible and useful for public decision-making.

In this session, Jeff will walk us through the tool and how it can be used to strengthen outreach and expand voter engagement across Minnesota. (register)

Polarization and Bridging the Divide

August 4 ~ 12:00 noon
Presenters: Shannon Watson, Amy Perna

Participants will learn skills for finding common ground without compromising their values, and fostering stronger, more connected communities. This session will provide tools to help reduce polarization and strengthen our democracy, one relationship at a time. This session is led by Shannon Watson, the Founder and Executive Director of Majority in the Middle. She has worked in policy and public affairs roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sector, along with 20+ years of experience in electoral politics, advising candidates and working on campaigns on both sides of the aisle.  (register)

Voter Registration Training

Two sessions
Presenter: Heidi Kloempken

Join us for a Voter Registration Training on Tuesday, August 4 at 7 pm via Zoom to learn the basics of Voter Registration tabling. We will have a presentation filled with tips and best practices when engaging with voters. We invite folks who are new to LWV and/or missed their local League Voter Services Training. This is not a replacement for training and information about voter registration tabling from your local League but an introduction. You will still need to work with your local League to receive specific community information and to get on their communication list.

August 4, 7:00 pm (register)
August 5, 12:00 noon (register)

Treasurers 101

August 5 ~ 1:00 pm
Presenters: Bridgit Jordan, Cindy Holker

New to being a treasurer or want to discuss thorny treasurer issues? Join us! Review the schedule for treasurers who are part of our LWVMN 501(c)3 organization as an LLC. Discuss when financial reports are due, how to manage communications that might come from the IRS, and best practices in budgeting and bookkeeping. Talk a bit about the new membership process. Get your questions answered to help you be successful in managing your League’s books. (register)

Civic Engagement Presentation to High Schools

August 6 ~ 12:00 pm
Presenters: Marcia Cheney, Heidi Kloempken

Thanks to LWV Roseville Area, there is an updated Civic Engagement Presentation available for local Leagues to use to present to local classrooms. This session will walk through updates, best practices in the presentations, and share other resources when working with high schools. (register)

Introduction to Money in Politics 

August 6 ~ 3:00 pm
Presenters: Andrew Olson (Campaign Finance Board), Mary Hartnett (Clean Elections MN), Paul Huffman 

Since the founding of our country there has been concern about the potential for wealthy individuals to have an outsized influence on who is elected and whose interests election officials represent. Changes in campaign finance rules in the US over the last 50 years, largely driven by wealthy individuals and advocacy groups and the Supreme Court, have resulted in dramatic increases on spending in elections.

This program will provide:

1. A brief overview of campaign finance in Minnesota with a focus on the types of campaign committees involved in elections (candidate, party, PACs, Super PACs, and Ballot initiative campaigns) and the differences in each;

2. An overview of the role of the CFB and its website, with a focus on how to find publicly available information regarding campaign spending in Minnesota elections, and what information is not publicly available;

3. A brief review of initiatives in Minnesota and other states related to Campaign Finance reform.

(register)

New Member Orientation

August 6 ~ 7:00 pm
Presenters: Heidi Kloempken

Join us for a New Member Orientation on Thursday, August 6 at 7 pm via Zoom to learn the basics of LWV Minnesota and LWVUS. We will have a short presentation and time for questions. We invite new members but also those who may want a refresher on how LWV Minnesota and LWV US work with each level of government. We will also highlight Get out the Vote efforts. (register)

Your Canva Questions

August 7 ~ 1:00 pm
Presenters: Mary Brodd

Learn to leverage the “team” settings of LWVMN’s Canva group account - sharing, using templates, and making use of the branding kits. There will be time for Q&A as well. (register)

League leadership essentials

August 17, 12:00 pm
Presenters: Laura Helmer, Amy Perna

Whether you're a new or seasoned LWV leader, this session is for you! Walk through our month-at-a-glance task list for local Leagues and learn how to plan your year successfully. Learn new information, ask questions, and get connected to key resources available from LWVUS and LWVMN to help with your bylaws, policy development, nonpartisanship, DEI, membership, voter service, advocacy and communications. AND – we'll extend our session by 15 minutes for any new Presidents/Leads who might need extra guidance. (register)

League Program 101

August 20, 4:00 pm
Presenters: Laura Helmer, Sam Streukens, Paul Huffman

League Program is the grassroots method by which LWV supports our mission through education and advocacy. All League action, advocacy, and education are based on support for League Positions and League Principles. The LWVMN Program for Action details those LWV Principles and public policy position statements. This August Academy session is intended to help members better understand:

• League Program, Positions and Principles;

• How to make changes to League positions: process and timeline leading up to Convention 2027 (Policy Positions Review);

• How we use Program to take action through education and advocacy;

• How LWVMN determines legislative priorities.

(register)