We all know families with young children. In addition to all the joys of raising a child, families are facing more and more difficulties finding accessible, affordable, and high-quality child care—an issue many Improve Group clients have been working to address. We pair our growing knowledge of this topic with the creative, tailored approach we take in every project to support clients working to improve the quality and accessibility of child care across Minnesota. Here are a few lessons we have learned from our work reaching and engaging with various stakeholders.
2023 was one for the books at The Improve Group. As we reflected on the year in a recent staff meeting, we shared both concrete accomplishments as well as areas we made progress and continue to pay attention to. As an evaluation firm, always working to get better feels just about right.
Through all the changes, we had the support and well wishes of our awesome network of hard-working clients, dedicated partners, and loving family and friends. Thank you!
In case you missed it, here are some highlights from our year:
St. Paul – The Improve Group, a St. Paul-based evaluation firm, became a worker-owned cooperative over the summer, worker-owners announced today.
The Improve Group is an evaluation, research, and strategic planning consulting firm based in St. Paul. As a co-op, the organization’s 21 employees have the opportunity to own the company. Becoming a co-op continues The Improve Group’s work toward its long-time vision that mission-driven organizations will effectively develop more resilient, equitable, and thriving communities.
Anne Flueckiger is a longtime partner of The Improve Group who supports various projects with a focus on community engagement. Anne first partnered with us as an interviewer on the baseline Olmstead Quality of Life Survey and has worked with us on the subsequent follow-up surveys.
For more than two decades, The Improve Group has evolved to meet the needs of staff, our clients, and the communities that serve to benefit from evaluation. Today, we’re excited to announce we have become a worker-owned co-operative.
The Santee Sioux Nation is the current home to many descendants of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation, on whose land our office is located. Kameron Runnels, Vice Chairman of the Santee Sioux Nation Tribal Council, kindly gave his time to answer questions in an interview with Improve Group Chief Practice Officer Becky Stewart. Check out Part II below.
The Improve Group is pleased to announce Sara McGarraugh, an IGer since 2012, has advanced to Director of Consulting. Sara has grown alongside IG since joining the organization more than a decade ago as an intern.
The Santee Sioux Nation is the current home to many descendants of the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation, on whose land our office is located. Kameron Runnels, Vice Chairman of the Santee Sioux Nation Tribal Council, kindly gave his time to answer questions in an interview with Improve Group Chief Practice Officer Becky Stewart. Check out Part II below.
It’s the time of year when we remind our clients and partners that we close our doors for a week of winter/holiday rest from December 26, 2022 - January 2, 2023. We also want to share our new “office closure policy” taking effect in 2023.
The Improve Group’s office in St. Paul is located on land that belongs to the Wahpekute Band of the Dakota Nation. The State of Minnesota and U.S. government stole this land through ethnic cleansing and forced removal.