Music Street has been serving music education in Marshall and its surrounding communities since Lon Wright opened the store in 1985. When Wright decided it was time to retire, Music Street’s manager Zach Haltvick purchased the business with help from our Microenterprise Loan Program. Haltvick took ownership in January of this year. Music Street sells and services musical instruments and accessories, catering to school music education programs. The store specializes in band and orchestra instrument rent-to-own contracts for students.
Stories
The YES! House major gift
Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) and Southwest Initiative Foundation (SWIF) hosted a gathering at The YES! House in downtown Granite Falls on April 3 to honor and celebrate the contributions of many local and regional supporters and to announce a significant philanthropic gift that will help bring DoPT’s capital campaign closer to completion: SWIF administered a $250,000 grant, made possible by a gift from The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Fund at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. The funding will be used specifically for the renovation of The YES! House.
2024 cohort named for Growing Local Emerging Leaders
We’re excited to announce the participants who will make up this year’s Growing Local: Emerging Leaders cohort, representing 10 different communities across southwest Minnesota. Growing Local: Emerging Leaders is designed to help up-and-coming leaders discover and build on their unique strengths so they can make a difference through local boards, commissions and elected positions. It’s facilitated by SWIF in partnership with University of Minnesota Extension.
A new era of career exploration
Today’s approach to career and technical education in southwest Minnesota is an evolving network of partners all leaning in to strengthen students’ ties to the region and open their eyes to the possibilities around them. Southwest Initiative Foundation and all its funds have invested more than $1 million in career pathways work since 2017, from sponsoring major career expos drawing hundreds of students to the purchase of welding safety equipment and funding hands-on FFA experiences.
Local community foundations are partners in career prep
When it comes to career and technical education (CTE), local community foundations can be a great resource to support projects and ideas in schools. Many of Southwest Initiative Foundation’s 31 community foundation partners make grants to schools for projects related to career exploration. Earlier this school year, the Montevideo Area Community Foundation (MACF) granted half the cost to replace the safety helmets in the welding shop at Montevideo High School.
Celebrating 10 Business Reinvention cohorts
We recently wrapped up the 10th Business Reinvention cohort with our partners redstar marketing un/academy! This program has been a game-changer for dozens of Southwest Initiative Foundation loan clients. Business Reinvention brings together up to eight businesses for a unique, collaborative workshop experience. The team at redstar marketing un/academy guides passionate entrepreneurs through a hands-on process to assess the current business landscape and craft a fresh vision for the future.