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FEBRUARY 2022
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Veterans bond with high schoolers through storytelling By Shannon Geisen Park Rapids Enterprise
Assistant Veterans Service Officer Darius Simon gave a detailed, personal tour of the All Veterans Memorial Museum to Park Rapids Alternative Learning Center students Ricoy Ronnebaum, Ezra Chilton, Delainey Grotto, Aneka Gorder and Grace Stevens. It's part of a project to connect local veterans with the ALC. SHANNON GEISEN / ENTERPRISE
Personal accounts
The project emerged when Coborn was brainstorming with SNAP-Ed Educator Donna A desire to improve comAnderson of the Universimunity involvement fuels the ty of Minnesota about how partnership between the Park to increase ALC’s community Rapids School District’s Alterinvolvement. native Learning Center (ALC) “I think the community is and local veterans. huge. That’s where these stuThe program connects mildents learn the most,” Coborn itary vets with teenagers in a said. “And the ALC lends itself meaningful way, benefitting to this type of learning, with both generations. smaller groups.” And history comes alive. Profound learning occurs ALC Coordinator Lisa Coborn when it goes beyond a classsaid, “There’s a lot of ways to tell stories and it’s really SHANNON GEISEN / ENTERPRISE room or worksheet, she said. Anderson helped to coordiimportant for this generation Hubbard County Veterans Service Officer Jerry Bjerke explains the significance of nate the pairings of veterans to see that.” Hubbard County Veterans emblems on the U.S. Navy uniform, such and ALC. In December 2021, Dave Free Service Officer (VSO) Jerry as military rank, years of service and duties. He served in the Navy for 30 years. spoke to ALC students. He Bjerke said his department was thrilled to participate when asked. “It’s a great served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1969 to 1971. Later that month, Bjerke and assistant VSO Darius recruitment tool. The other is it’s a history lesson,” he said. “I’m not here just to help the military. I’ve Simon, guided students through the All Veterans been helping my community since I was 14, 15 years Memorial Museum in Park Rapids. old with 4-H and FFA. I grew up knowing that it’s my civic responsibility to give back.”
CONNECTIONS: Page 8
Inside this issue... 2 Gilman has influenced countless skiers 3 Award-winning new flowers and vegetables 4 Having memory problems diagnosed 5 Sweet potato wedges 7 Social Security calculators 8 The pros and cons of aging
