We develop leaders, organizations, and partnerships with clients who are working toward a more just world.

Hello friends! 🌻

This summer, Bellwether Consulting has been working with Ramsey County to engage employers, workforce providers, and educators to better align programs and partnerships that support youth as they prepare for and enter the workforce. While this work is still underway, one of our immediate key findings is that the commitment to young people in this community runs deep. It's encouraging to see how many people and organizations are working to create more opportunities and brighter futures for the next generation.

If your organization hires youth ages 14-24 in Ramsey County, we’d love to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey and share your insights.

Best,

Allison

What We’re Reading

This month’s reads explore how government employees can better serve communities through human-centered design, clear and contextual transparency, and tools that illuminate the real-world impacts of federal decisions at the local level.

Four Truths We Know About Government Efficiency and Effectiveness

• This Code for America article shares four key lessons on what truly makes government work efficiently and effectively. It refutes the notion that making government efficient requires cutting access or imposing new regulations, and instead shows that human‑centered design can make programs cheaper and work faster.

The Impact Map

• The Impact Map is an interactive tool that tracks how federal budget cuts are impacting workers and programs across the United States. The State Dashboard is particularly helpful for synthesizing the data at the state and local level.

Transparency: Treasure Map or Tar Pit Trap

• This article from ELGL argues that transparency isn’t about dumping volumes of raw data online, but rather sharing the “treasure map” so people can make sense of it. Releasing detailed spreadsheets or engineering plans can lead to confusion and distrust, turning transparency into a “tar pit.” Instead agencies should provide the context behind the information they share to build trust and support meaningful public engagement.

Opportunities to Learn + Lead

Applications for Minnesota GreenCorps are open through August 6. This career program, coordinated by the MN Pollution Control Agency, places AmeriCorps members in government agencies, nonprofits, Tribal Nations, and schools across the state to work on environmental projects for a year. This is a great opportunity for future herocrats to gain experience and make a difference in their community.

Jobs for Herocrats

The Minnesota Olmstead Implementation Office is hiring a Deputy Director who will manage budgets, staff, and contracts, and provide leadership for interagency activities that advance the integration and inclusion of people with disabilities in Minnesota. Apply here by August 15.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is hiring three Sustainability and Public Health Coordinators to lead and support the implementation of sustainability and public health initiatives at the district level. Apply here by August 15.

Give a Herocrat the Spotlight

Know a state or local government employee who’s building relationships and making an impact in their community? Nominate them to be highlighted on our website, newsletter, and social media!

Bonnie A. Parker is a Community Engagement Planner at the North Carolina Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO). She is reimagining what youth engagement in transportation planning looks like. With pizza, resourcefulness, and zero funding, she led a focus group to hear directly from teens about how CAMPO can better reach their generation with the aim of bringing in more youth into transportation decision-making. Read more about her story!