Beginning in November of 2016, a group of community leaders and citizens, including representatives from the City and the school district, have been engaged in dialog to understand the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in Hastings. Periodic discussions presented ever growing and changing statistics, a broadening understanding of diversity, and conversations with a variety of residents to understand personal experiences, concerns, needs, and aspirations for the Hastings community.

Community leaders are now working to expand the conversation and facilitate community-wide learning opportunities in order to embrace cultural differences and commonalities throughout the city. A partnership with the YMCA Equity Innovation Center has been approved for funding and will begin work in September 2018. 

Visit the registrations page to sign up to receive updates on new learning opportunities, events, and general updates from the Initiative. 

Upcoming Events: (click the arrows to see all event dates/times)

Latest Updates

Equity Lab #2:  11/27/18

Nearly 75 Hastings community members gathered at the Dakota Pines Club the evening of November 27th to take the next steps to create a more Inclusive Hastings. During the first part of the meeting, the group viewed three different videos, all relating to how different people see, experience, and talk about the concept of race. These videos, plus a review of six current Hastings stories/case studies, provided the foundation for rich small group discussions.

The second part of the meeting focused on the “Empathy” phase of Design Thinking. The group discussed the themes chosen at previous listening sessions that define areas of opportunity for Hastings: “Community Conversations,” “Cultural Competence,” and “Trust & Safety”. From there, each participant selected a focus group to join.

For those of you who attended, please remember to think about the person or family you designed in your group. How might that person have "pains" or "gains" during this holiday season in Hastings?

Equity Lab #1: 10/23/18

Our first Equity Lab, facilitated by staff from the YMCA Center for Equity and Impact Lives, Inc., was attended by 61 community members. Participants were asked to share what they have seen, heard, and observed when it comes to equity and inclusion. We then worked through exercises involving real-life stories of someone feeling excluded in Hastings. Finally, the group brainstormed the most pressing issues facing Hastings in terms of equity and inclusion. Collecting all the feedback, Impact Lives staff have narrowed down these issues into three main areas of opportunity in Hastings: Trust and Safety, Community Building, and Cultural Competence. In our next meeting, we will dive into the opportunities in each area and decide where best to focus our energies as a community. 

Observations and Pressing Issues

Opportunities and Insights - worksheet for session #2

Leadership Think Tank: 9/29/18

Our work with the YMCA Equity Innovation Center and Impact Lives, Inc. kicked off on Saturday, September 29th, with the Leadership Think Tank. A group of nearly 40 people in various leadership roles in Hastings spent the day learning how to look at the world through an inclusive lens, the changing demographics in our city and state, how to lead systemic change, and identifying areas of opportunity in Hastings. Currently, staff at Impact Lives, Inc. are gathering all the data from this event to create a plan of action that will help us design a more inclusive Hastings. This plan will be presented at the upcoming Equity Innovation Labs detailed above. Everyone in the Hastings community is encouraged to participate in the Equity Labs.

Think Tank PowerPoint Presentation

Think Tank Recap - worksheet

Think Tank Interactions Transcribed

Community and Initiative Information

City and School Board Joint Proclamation April 29, 2018

Hastings City Council Approves Funding for Partnership with YMCA and ISD 200, July 9, 2018

2017 Hastings Community Survey (National Citizen Survey Livability Report)

Community Feedback

Below is the raw, unedited data collected at table conversations on April 29th:

Raw data, Community Feedback, Question1: What would a welcoming community look like?

Raw data, Community Feedback, Question 2: What will you do to make Hastings a welcoming community?

Below is the same information, coded and organized into themes:

Coded Community Feedback, Question 1: What would a welcoming community look like?

Coded Community Feedback, Question 2: What will you do to make Hastings a welcoming community?