Eagan’s new Community Academy gets underway this fall, offering participants an opportunity to build connections, deepen their understanding of community, and make a difference.
But you might be surprised to learn that its roots lie in Ukraine — sort of. How’s that possible?
Prior to serving as executive director of the Eagan Community Foundation, Jamie Hopkins served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine and spent the next 10 years working in international development, focused on former Soviet Republics like Ukraine and Molodva.
“Under the Soviet system, nearly everything was run by the state,” she says. When that system collapsed, communities suddenly had to build the institutions that many Americans take for granted: nonprofit organizations, private businesses, local governments, and more.
“We conducted civil society development for these countries by bringing leaders to Minnesota — connecting them with people in the state legislature, city and county governments, and a wide variety of nonprofits,” she adds. Jamie also hosted conferences in Ukraine and helped participants create organizations there.
Years later, that experience inspired a new thought. Now serving Eagan Community Foundation, Jamie had an idea: “I started to think that the programs we developed back then for visitors from newly democratic republics could also be helpful in here. Unlike many older and larger U.S. cities, suburbs like Eagan haven’t had generations to build dense networks of civic organizations and neighborhood traditions. A community academy could be one way to help strengthen and speed up those connections.”
Turns out, as the old adage says, great minds think alike. Once Jamie started digging, she learned that other community foundations and cities offer similar programs, with great success. That bodes well for Eagan.
“Our hope is that this academy will educate Eagan residents on what it takes to run a community. You don’t have to be the mayor,” she jokes. Nonprofits always need board members, for example, and the City always needs advisory commission members.
Though she has dreamed about starting a community academy for several years, Jamie says the timing felt right this year, especially as so many entities and individuals were jumping in to help one another during Metro Surge.
"A strong community needs strong relationships," she says. "As the community academy works to cultivate civic engagement, we hope it cultivates neighborliness along the way."
Running from mid-September through mid-November, this 10-session experience will bring together roughly 15 participants to focus on community trends, local challenges, and opportunities to strengthen neighborliness across Eagan. Participants will hear from local leaders; explore topics like housing, economic shifts, and community identity; and collaborate on stipend-supported final projects designed to bring people together in meaningful ways.
Everyone is encouraged to apply, Jamie says — people of all ages and backgrounds, those still in high school and those just beginning their retirements, those new to Eagan and those even new to Minnesota. “Before I applied to be a board member at Eagan Community Foundation, I didn’t realize that so few people put their names in the hat. If you’re interested, it’s highly likely that you’re exactly who we need.”
This fall the Community Academy aims to spark connection, inspire local leadership, and help participants play an active role in shaping a more connected and welcoming Eagan. Interested? Click here to apply by Tuesday, Sept. 1. Finalists will be notified Thursday, Sept. 3.