February Update: Classes, Sausage Fest and more

Have you seen the redesigned Twin Cities Media Alliance website – www.tcmediaalliance.org? It’s designed to showcase the variety of activities that we are involved in – not just publishing the Twin Cities Daily Planet, but also offering classes and customized media skills training programs. Be sure to check out our “faculty” of over 20 media professionals, our course catalogue of over 40 topic areas in which we offer classes and training, and what our clients are saying about us. We are also gearing up to offer a variety of media services, such as low-cost videos and websites. If you work for a non-profit or business and would like to know more about what we can offer your organization, please contact program manager Bruce Johansen – brucejohansen@tcdailyplanet.net.

Sausage Fest! We still have a few tickets left for the 2014 TC Daily Planet Sausage FestWednesday, February 5 at the Summit Brewing Company in St. Paul. Cost is $20 for members and their guests, $25 for non-members.  (Any donation of $10 or more qualifies you as a member.) Click here to buy your tickets.

Scroll down to read our staff reports, and a list of upcoming classes.

And please remember: your support of the Twin Cities Media Alliance makes all of this work possible.  To donate, visit our secure GiveMN online donation page, or send a check to TCMA, 2600 E. Franklin #2, Minneapolis MN 55406.

Thanks,

Jeremy Iggers, executive director

Staff reports: 

Editor Mary Turck reports:
We focused on education in January, and have more stories coming. Check out our Focus on Teaching series for an in-depth look at Focused Instruction in Minneapolis and Aligned Learning in St. Paul – with multiple articles providing multiple points of view. In this series, and in the GED and Adult Education series, we feature voices of people with hands-on perspectives — teachers, students, principals, parents — in addition to descriptions of the program and background. We continue to feature the voices that don’t get heard elsewhere.

Community Engagement Editor Lolla Mohammed Nur reports:
With getting back from the holidays, the new year, and dreary weather with sub-zero temperatures, January has been a month focused on regrouping, and quietly planning for 2014. It’s also been the month of newsroom cafes. Our editors have had at least one weekly newsroom cafe with our reporters and aspiring writers at various locations last month: our office in Seward, the Avenue Eatery at North Minneapolis, and in East Side St. Paul. We’ve had pretty solid turnouts, and the cafes have been a safe space for writers to pitch stories, network, and learn more about us. If you have a story idea or want to meet other writers, we encourage you to attend our upcoming newsroom cafes; the next one is Feb. 4th at the office.

Another January highlight for me was my column questioning national media coverage of the Cedar Riverside fire, and its connections to increased scrutiny of Somali Americans. It was one of the most read that week with 1,946 views (as was Mary’s article on how to provide help to homeless people in the cold, which got a whopping 5,465 views!); it also generated some interesting discussion.
Lastly, if you’re on tumblr make sure to follow us on there! We’re back on it and hope to continue providing you updates on our blog (as well as throughFacebookTwitter, and our newsletters).
Bruce JohansenProgram manager for Training and Engagement Bruce Johansen reports: 
The bitter cold didn’t keep people away from classes in January. Hlee Lee, who specializes in video production and storytelling, taught her first class for us, providing valuable instructions and advice on conducting interviews. Later in the month we had a full house for a reprise of Wendy Brown-Baez’s popular workshop, Writing Your Story: The Courage to Tell the Truth. It was great to see new faces at both.

February is a big month for classes! Want to drive more traffic to your business’s or organization’s website? Register now for a new version of one of the most popular classes we’ve offered, Gain Google Search Visibility. Taught by Steffen Ryan, a digital strategist for Weber Shandwick, this one is bound to fill up so sign up today. Are you a community organizer? If so, you’ll want to register for the first in a series of workshops being facilitated by Cirien Saadeh, a graduate of the Organizing Apprenticeship Project. Storytelling for Community Organizers: So What? will demonstrate the value of intentional and strategic storytelling as a tool for base-building and developing power. This class is being held at the Brian Coyle Center. Finally, are you looking for help with social media? We have 15 classes scheduled at area libraries in February that cover all of the bases, plus our monthly Social Media Clinic, where you bring your questions and Marcos Lopez-Carlson provides answers. Check back frequently for details about all of our classes and don’t forget about our Newsroom Cafes, held at the Twin Cities Daily Planet and The Avenue Eatery.

Classes: 
Newsroom Café at Twin Cities Daily Planet office | Tue, 02/04/2014 – 4:30pm

Twin Cities Daily Planet
2600 Franklin Avenue E.
Minneapolis, MN

Want to report Twin Cities news? Want to tell somebody else about a story that should be covered? Join us for tea and cookies and find out how! We’ll meet at the TC Daily Planet office.

There’s an App for That! at Chanhassen Library – Pre-registration required | Tue, 02/04/2014 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Chanhassen Library
7711 Kerber Blvd.
Chanhassen, MN

So many apps, so little time. Discover which apps should be loaded on your smartphone or tablet to improve productivity for your business or organization, plus how to use and organize them. Don’t miss this fast-paced and fun-filled session. Bring your smart phone and/or tablet.

Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business or Organization at Wentworth Library – Pre-registration required | Wed, 02/05/2014 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Wentworth Library
199 E Wentworth Ave
Saint Paul, MN

Social media tools allow you to connect with your customers, community and members, but when you run a small business or organization, time is valuable – where do you start?

There’s an App for That! at Oakdale Library – Pre-registration required | Thu, 02/06/2014 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

Oakdale Library
1010 Heron Ave N
Oakdale, MN

So many apps, so little time. Discover which apps should be loaded on your smartphone or tablet to improve productivity for your business or organization, plus how to use and organize them. Don’t miss this fast-paced and fun-filled session. Bring your smart phone and/or tablet.

 

Newsroom Café – The Avenue Eatery | Tue, 02/11/2014 – 4:30pm

Avenue Eatery
1101 W Broadway Avenue
Minneapolis, MN

North Minneapolis shout out: If you want more positive images/stories from North Minneapolis in the news – join us and find out how you can help!

There’s an App for That! at Wescott Library – Pre-registration required | Tue, 02/11/2014 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Wescott Library
1340 Wescott Rd.
Eagan, MN

So many apps, so little time. Discover which apps should be loaded on your smartphone or tablet to improve productivity for your business or organization, plus how to use and organize them. Don’t miss this fast-paced and fun-filled session. Bring your smart phone and/or tablet.

Social Media Speed Dating: 10-Minute Introductions to the Top Ten Social Media Sites at Merriam Park Library – Preregistration required | Wed, 02/12/2014 – 5:30pm -7:30pm

Merriam Park Library
1831 Marshall Avenue
Saint Paul, MN

Discover what’s out there and whether any of the social media tools are right for you and your small business or organization.

Twitter 101 for Your Business or Organization at Waconia Library – Pre-registration required | Sat, 02/15/2014 – 10:30am – 12:30pm

Waconia Library
217 S Vine St
Waconia, MN

What is Twitter, and how can you use it effectively to connect with your friends, colleagues, and—for business owners—potential customers? Go from being a novice to a power user.

Newsroom Café at Twin Cities Daily Planet office | Tue, 02/18/2014 – 4:30pm -5:30pm

Twin Cities Daily Planet
2600 Franklin Avenue E.
Minneapolis, MN

Join our group of emerging writers to workshop stories-in-progress. Non-arts writers are welcome!

There’s an App for That! at Stillwater Library – Pre-registration required | Tue, 02/18/2014 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Stillwater Public Library
224 3rd St. N.
Stillwater, MN

So many apps, so little time. Discover which apps should be loaded on your smartphone or tablet to improve productivity for your business or organization, plus how to use and organize them. Don’t miss this fast-paced and fun-filled session. Bring your smart phone and/or tablet.

Gain Google Search Visibility/Drive More Traffic to Your Website – Pre-registration required | Wed, 02/19/2014 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Twin Cities Daily Planet
2600 Franklin Avenue E.
Minneapolis, MN

How does Google decide what to display on page one when someone performs a keyword search relevant to your business or organization?

There’s an App for That! at Merriam Park Library – Pre-registration required | Thu, 02/20/2014 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Merriam Park Library
1831 Marshall Avenue
Saint Paul, MN

So many apps, so little time. Discover which apps should be loaded on your smartphone or tablet to improve productivity for your business or organization, plus how to use and organize them. Don’t miss this fast-paced and fun-filled session. Bring your smart phone and/or tablet.

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Oakdale Library – Pre-registration required | Fri, 02/21/2014 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

Oakdale Library
1010 Heron Ave N
Oakdale, MN

Do you have a LinkedIn account but don’t know how to use it? This workshop will demonstrate how to set up an accurate profile, discover new contacts and participate in groups.

Make the Most of Google Docs at Roseville Library – Pre-registration required | Mon, 02/24/2014 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Roseville Library
2180 North Hamline
Roseville, MN

Come and learn about Google Docs: Google’s version of documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, and drawings—all part of the Google Docs suite.

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Roseville Library – Pre-registration required | Tue, 02/25/2014 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Roseville Library
2180 North Hamline
Roseville, MN

Do you have a LinkedIn account but don’t know how to use it? This workshop will demonstrate how to set up an accurate profile, discover new contacts and participate in groups.

Twitter 101 for Your Business or Organization at Roseville Library – Pre-registration required | Wed, 02/26/2014 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Roseville Library
2180 North Hamline
Roseville, MN

What is Twitter, and how can you use it effectively to connect with your friends, colleagues, and—for business owners—potential customers? Go from being a novice to a power user.

February Social Media Clinic – Pre-registration required | Thu, 02/27/2014 – 4:00pm -6:00pm

Twin Cities Daily Planet
2600 Franklin Avenue E.
Minneapolis, MN

Do you use social media in your work? Have questions about Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or other social media?

Storytelling for Community Organizers: So What? – Pre-registration required | Thu, 02/27/2014 – 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Brian Coyle Center
420 15th Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN

Whether it’s relationship-building or a campaign tactic, storytelling is key to community organizing.

Google Tools at Roseville Library – Pre-registration required | Thu, 02/27/2014 -6:30pm – 8:30pm

Roseville Library
2180 North Hamline
Roseville, MN

Learn about products and services (often free) Google has developed to aid in collaboration, accessibility and business marketing.

Make the Most of Google Docs at Oakdale Library – Pre-registration required | Fri, 02/28/2014 – 10:00am – 12:00pm

Oakdale Library
1010 Heron Ave N
Oakdale, MN

Come and learn about Google Docs: Google’s version of documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, and drawings—all part of the Google Docs suite.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.

close
Facebook IconTwitter Icon