Peter Smerud News Today

Ziplining is fun when the sun is out, but when a 10 year old is plunging into darkness, it can be quite rattling.

FINLAND, MINN. – My 10-year-old daughter was stuck on a tower 30 feet in the air, crying and shaking. She had already conquered a series of ropes course obstacles, growing shakier and weepier with each skootch across thin wires and tiptoe over rounded logs. The finale, the zipline, had been the carrot coaxing her. She imagined a leap and a "Wheeee!" into the dark, chilly night. This vision ...

Minnesota’s outdoor learning centers generate a love of learning among kids. A recent visit with fifth graders to Wolf Ridge in northeastern Minnesota helps to understand why the centers are popular, and why lawmakers are interested in expanding outdoor learning.

His latest push is for state-funded sessions at environmental learning centers.

It gives every student in Minnesota the opportunity to learn how to hunt, fish, explore nature, and preserve Minnesota’s outdoor traditions.

Plus, most donors plan to give more this year, but that number has dropped since 2020. Also, a new fundraising conference is tailored for small charities with slim budgets

The “new normal” is wreaking havoc on staffing, business models, and peace of mind. How the job of leading a charity has become a crisis that never ends. Plus, see the rest of our <a href="https://www.philanthropy.com/issue/2023/04-04">April issue</a>, posted online today.