Talahi Second Graders at The White House Children's Garden Project

Talahi Second Grade Volunteers and Teachers Ready, Set, Plant

Thursday, May 25th was a perfect day for planting and that's what 8 second grade volunteers did with the help of their science and math teachers, parents and several volunteers from Stearns History Museum. The second grade class at Talahi Community School along with their teaching team planted the first seeds for The White House Children's Garden Project at their school last month. The whole class participated in the seed planting and care of these sturdy young tomatoes, turnips, beans along with other vegetables and herbs that will be cared for this summer by children.

Volunteer Planters from Talahi Second Grade Class

The Talahi students participation in this project is now done. The grounds keeping staff and community volunteers from AAUW, RSVP and CMWS will take care of the young seedlings until June 9th when area children ages 7 to 11 will pick up their garden trowels, hoes and claws to plant more seeds and care for the garden throughout the summer as part of the learning and fun filled White House Children's Garden Project.

The 10 week program meets on Thursdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. To learn more and/or register your child, contact Stearns History Museum.

We are grateful to the wonderful 2nd grade team of teachers, students and support staff, The Stearns History Museum and the volunteers for shining a light on our gems as a community. We hope that if you are in the St. Cloud area this summer, you will stop by Stearns History Museum to see the project in action and view The Working White House exhibit from which the garden project sprang.

Do you like this post? We welcome your comments. Join Central Minnesota Women Shine on Facebook and Twitter. Contact us at CMWS to learn about our services, products and growing cooperative.

CMWS is expanding how can you participate?

Central Minnesota Women Shine is expanding through a netweaving of area women leaders from all fields, belief systems, cultures and walks of life. Our mission is to unleash the power of women entrepreneurs, initiatives and non-profits in Central Minnesota to achieve our shared goals for self, family and community. Our goal is to create both a local and virtual platform and space to provide training, marketing strategies and connections to products and services created by area women.

We are here to complement the systems already in place, i.e. we will work with area women to develop products and services based on our unique talents and resources that are not yet easily accessible and provide affordable marketing both locally and globally.

The CMWS cooperative provides affordable training and consulting services based on our netweaving model for living and doing business in the 21st Century. In the future, we will add a host of other services to include wellness, finance etc and will benefit Central Minnesota families. We will be looking for group insurance policies and investment opportunities for members and their families. Members would be individuals, businesses, initiatives or non-profits that support the goals of area ventures for women, children and community.

Mary Margaret White-Levilain of I Game Attitude LLC and Dara Westra of Performance Design Training Center LLC are the first investors in this project that is an organization, a netweaving network, and cooperative. We have created a basic framework based on input from various local women, and our own expertise and philosophies as a life coach and a software/softskills trainer.

Join us in this joyful and empowering journey to create the thriving community we all want to be and share this opportunity with your networks.

• Join us on Facebook, blogs, websites and other netweaving platforms  in the virtual world.

• Join us for a weekly social hour to share ideas, stories and just connect as human beings.

• Join us monthly for netweaving events to uncover the unique talents and resources we have to offer the world while boosting our own wealth and wellness. 

• become a member and share information about products and services developed in the Central Minnesota Area and discover more about the wants and needs of our community.

All events will be posted on our Facebook Page as well as the St. Cloud Times.

Thank you for your willingness to bring your energies and creativities to the table to help the women of Central Minnesota Shine.

Mary Margaret and Dara

Community Building with Central Minnesota Women Shine

Central MN Women Shine

Women leaders in Central Minnesota from all fields, backgrounds, belief systems and walks of life assert something new is needed to empower women to realize goals for self, family and community. These courageous women have stepped outside personal and collective comfort zones, looked beyond present perceptions and limits to explore possibilities. On May 11th, 13 of these women came together to share their visions, passions, resources and challenges as stakeholders in creating what we need to thrive: to feel our efforts are making a difference, that our voices are heard, that our care taker natures are balanced with self care and mostly we need to graciously accept a cash flow that validates the gifts and value we bring to our community.

If we are to realize these goals and maintain a balance of wealth in the emotional, social, mental and physical domains, we are going to have to create it.

Performance Design Training Center and I Game Attitude are joining forces through a netweaving of the talents and openness of area women with the ever growing needs of area organizations, government, educational institutions and businesses to create and sustain wealth and wellness in our community. 

How does this work? We provide a safe and welcoming space, expertise, technology and support to connect the talents of area women with whatever you need in the area of local and global communications, product design, manufacturing and wellness. We help you to access the talents that are already here to create what you need while providing a sustainable income for women who are creative and open but may not have found their voice or lack resources needed to start out on their own.

What exactly do we do? This will evolve over time as our community needs change. Our main service, (what we see is most needed for the moment) is growing and managing virtual communications including social media platforms in a safe, respectful and profitable manner. We will also be conducting a survey of talents and needs to see what unique product or services area women could design and manufacture. We are essentially creating a bridge between the feminine skills of care taking and relationship building with the masculine skills of leadership and wealth building within and between individuals and groups.

Our next step is to explore the best business structure and cash flow for this new model that is a business, organization, concept and training center with a focus on the whole person, family and community. Over the next month we will be developing our business plan, and start our search for initial investors and participants.

We have had an overwhelming response from individuals ready to be a part of this. Leave your comments and questions here. If you are ready to invest in Central Minnesota Women Shine, take your own life to a new level, call us today at 266-5614 and ask for Mary Margaret to learn about I Game Attitude Leadership training to be a part of Central Minnesota Women Shine.

White House Children's Garden coming to St. Cloud

Investing in our children and our community is always profitable/offers high returns. The White House Children's Project is a high yield investment for our whole community. So why is it special, what can you do to be a part of it and how does it work?

We are creating a road map for schools, history museums, and wellness groups to provide this live, interactive, playful and profitable learning experience that connects us with our first lady, Michelle Obama and reflects the ideals on which our country was born. Adults can invest time, expertise, wealth and communication to support and expand this project. Children can participate actively or validate by visiting and realizing that they are part of a community that values all of its residents and the ideals upon which our country was built.


Children ages 7 to 11, living in or visiting the greater St. Cloud area can take part in the action. Community volunteers from all fields, walks of life and belief systems are working with staff at the Stearns County History Museum to incorporate the garden project with the exhibit. Master Gardeners, RSVP, AAUW and Central Minnesota Women Shine are providing time, expertise and tools. You can call Stearns County History Museum, (320-253-8424 or 866-253-8424) to ask how you can be a part of this community building project.

For the children, each session includes time working in the garden, (weather permitting).  Beekeeping, cooking classes, flower pressing and hiking are all part of the fun. A snack is provided, at each session ends with a reading from The Secret Garden. Children can participate in one session or be charter members. Those who participate in at least 10 sessions will have the privilege to take part in a field trip to a state garden treasure.

This project will shine a light on all children and adults who participate, acknowledge, support. We are nurturing self worth, community and citizenship.

Because we are all busy and want to maximize opportunities, there are other community events focused on wellness and nutrition that children can attend that count towards the 10 session reward:

• Saturday, May 7, visit a garden Center and get verification from staff
• Saturday, May 14, Camp "Bee" Well, St. Cloud Hospital, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
• Saturday, May 21, Building a Rain Garden, Wilson Park, 2:00 p.m.

A Special thank you for 2nd graders At Talhali Community School along with their teachers and parents for their openness and creativity to participate in this project:

Photographs by Helen O., National Geographic Kids

Second Graders at Talahi Community School in St. Cloud, have planted the first seeds and will soon be transporting the first vegies to the planting site which has been lovingly prepared by garden experts. We promise to have live photos and keep you abreast of activities over the next weeks.

To learn more or register call Stearns History Museum, (320), 253-8424 or (866-253-8424