Healthy Community Initiative

Cheers to Growing Up Healthy! The HCI program recently received a Seed Coalition 2025 Presidents’ Community Partner Award, which celebrates individuals and organizations who have meaningfully improved a community’s quality of life through collaboration with a college or university.

Growing Up Healthy was nominated by Seed Coalition member St. Olaf College. Seed Coalition consists of 40+ higher education institutions in Iowa and Minnesota who come together with the goal of “strengthening education for an engaged democracy.”

HCI staff members Jennyffer Barrientos and Kelsey Duffy accepted the award at an April 11 celebration held at Hamline University in St. Paul. The HCI program was recognized along with students, faculty, and community partners from across Minnesota and Iowa.

Growing Up Healthy has partnered with psychology academic civic engagement courses for several years to identify specific areas, including research, data analysis, and resource development, that will help advance its goals. Its programs provide significant support for families in Rice County with infant, toddler, and preschool-age children, particularly Spanish-speaking families. It promotes early connections between parents, children, and educators, emphasizing creative ways to learn through play, enhancing parenting skills, and helping children prepare for school. The programs have served more than 520 students since 2018.