On August 10, 2009, in a comfortable room at the Carondolet Retreat Center in Saint Paul, the staff of the Improve Group gathered for our yearly retreat. As we have all come to appreciate, our retreats are a mixture of hard work and a very enjoyable experience.

The highlight of this year’s retreat was a learning session on Participatory Evaluation Methods led by Stacie Toal of Canon River Consulting. Stacie is a former student of Dr. Jean King, Professor at the Department of Educational Policy and Administration, College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. Jean is a respected educator and an inspiring teacher and those qualities have passed on to her students. Stacie’s dynamic session presented our staff with great tools for future evaluation efforts along with facilitating a lively discussion on applications in our current work.

Another highlight of the day was a guest appearance by our newest Improve Group family member, Torrin Davis. Torrin was born this June to Staff member Becky Stewart and her husband Meleck Davis. Stacie, a new mom herself, kindly allowed time in her presentation for all of us to get our “baby fix”.

After a walk to get hearth-baked pizza we re-convened to discuss what quality means to the Improve Group and how we can best serve our clients. The day was a huge success and our gratitude to Leah for making our office a great place to work.

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Improve Group staff members have their ears perked up waiting for a call from Becky Stewart and hubby Meleck Davis. Becky’s due date was June 10th as she and Meleck await their first baby. We are sending good thoughts and wishes their way. Needless to say, Becky will be away for a while being a new Mom. Feel free to send her any good wishes on our Facebook page.

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The Improve Group was pleased to receive a surprise certificate in the mail signed by the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty. Groups who were awarded government contracts in 2007-2008 fiscal year were given recognition by the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

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We always said Leah does more than enough work for two people, however I don't think Leah #2 is going to be of much help. For Leah's birthday the staff decided to have a replica of Leah made in bobblehead form. "Little Leah" is only desktop size but she represents a larger than life, very special woman. Happy birthday Leah!

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In the last few weeks, a few of us around the office have been talking about changes we’d like to make in our lives… exercising more, eating healthier and managing stress more effectively. Before coming to the Improve Group, I worked as a Health Coach and helped people set realistic goals for themselves to make long-lasting changes in their health, from quitting smoking to losing weight. As New Year’s resolutions are on many of our minds this time of year, I’d like to give you a few quick tips for making changes.

Start small and build on your successes over time. Oftentimes, when we want to make a change, we try to do it all at once. We go from never exercising at all to trying to exercise 30 minutes a day, five times a week. That’s a big change and it takes a while to build up to that. We can get very discouraged if we don’t meet our goals and then give up entirely. Instead, I’ve found that people are more successful when they start small (exercise 15 minutes twice a week) and gradually build on those successes until they get to their ultimate goal (30 minutes of exercise five times a week).

Don’t make goals that require 100% performance. Even if you’d really like to eat healthy meals seven days a week, when you are first making a change, it’s important to give yourself some room for error. Aiming for five to six times a weeks means that you can slip up and still meet your goals.

Tell others of your goals. Having a buddy to check in with can be a huge motivator!

Set your goals based on your actions, not the outcome. When you control the action (healthy eating and/or exercises), that will eventually lead the to the desired outcome (weight loss, for example).

Best of luck in 2009 from Liz and all of us at the Improve Group!

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I have now been on my third staff retreat here at the Improve Group and I can honestly say there hasn’t been a bad one in the bunch. I think Leah, our fearless leader, has hit on a formula that works well. Here’s the recipe:

Step 1: Start with a really great staff that enjoys working with each other.

Liz, Leah, David, Steve, Eric, Susan, Deb (plus one) and Becky at Earle Brown Center 7.15.08

Step 2: Plan a day that has a good training element and a good business reflection and planning element.
Step 3: Make lots of good food available.
Step 4: Don’t forget what we like to call “forced fun” (which is nothing of the sort). Play games, do relaxation and have some neat prizes to win.

If you do all these steps I can guarantee you will look forward to your next staff retreat and feel refreshed and renewed for the work ahead.

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June marks the 8th anniversary of the Improve Group. Looking back over the past eight years, it is amazing to reflect on the dozens of organizations we’ve worked with, the amazing things we’ve learned, and the friends we’ve made over the years. For me, the connection we make with people is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work. Each day I work with talented, committed, passionate staff, and with organizations that are making a significant difference in the world we all live in.

This is a pretty big milestone for us. Although we haven’t yet reached a decade, over the last year we have felt less like a “start up” and more like an established business, while retaining a great enthusiasm for what we do. Not that we don’t face many of the same issues small, relatively young businesses face: trying to predict what the future holds for us; making healthy and confident hiring, marketing and financial decisions; navigating regulations that effect us; and finding ways to compensate our staff fairly while keeping our prices competitive. However, these issues don’t consume us the way they used to.

I’m sure others share this experience: part of looking back is realizing that you would do some things differently now. It is all part of the growth process. One of the things I am most proud of is how we bring our history and experience to each new project, and get better every year. The Improve Group is looking forward to continuing to learn, grow and help organizations be their best in the years to come.

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Okay, we admit it; we will miss the old Improve Group Office location that gave us easy shopping access to the Mall of America. Those staff members among us will who could take advantage of the light rail system will miss the quiet commute. However, like all good evaluators we realize it is good to look to the future and embrace change.

Some of our children came by to lend a hand in moving but got distracted by the exercise ball at Liz’s desk. After a few days of dusty, high-spirited packing we left the office space on Killebrew Drive and moved to our new home on the corner of Mendota Heights Road and Pilot Knob Road where we are settling in very nicely.

Much like the story of the 3 Bears our office space in Eagan was too small, our office space in Bloomington was too big, but this one is just right. We have found a location with easy access from many major roadways (Hwy 110, I-35E, 13), a great conference room, free parking and a good spot for our IG Footnotes walking group to re-start their afternoon exercise breaks outdoors (if the weather ever permits).

Please feel free to stop by and visit our new digs or take a tour when you attend one of our Brown Bag sessions. The new address is 1385 Mendota Heights Rd, Suite 200B, Mendota Heights, MN 55120. The entrance to the Improve Group is located on the right (east) side of the building.

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On a very cold January 23rd several brave souls came to visit us in Bloomington for the first Evaluation Conversation Brown Bag facilitated by the Improve Group. This month's topic was logic models and the conversation was lively, engaged and informative.

Our discussion group included people from the non-profit, local government and state agencies (rep. health, education, community development). Attendees brought questions, examples and issues about logic models: when to use them, how to make them work to the best advantage of a program, and what are the limitations of logic models. President and CEO Leah Goldstein Moses gave evaluation tips and advice and we all learned from each other. One popular piece of information was to use logic models in a more pictorial than table format - showing directions, reasonings, etc.

The next brown bag is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26th from Noon to 1:00 p.m. The topic for the day is Evaluation in and with the Arts. Please join us.

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You may have noticed a "dip" in the quantity of new blogs over the last week, or be missing our regular Grant Gazing column in particular.

Sadly, our star author, Susan, has been dealing with a sudden and serious family illness this week. We've all been thinking of her and wishing her family well. If you have a personal relationship with Susan, I'm sure that she's included you on her Caring Bridge contact list.

Susan is hoping to be back at work in a couple of weeks. Until then, we will be thinking of her (and we will also be organizing something to help her - more about that in the coming days). I know she'd appreciate your kind thoughts, too.

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A reminder to all of our friends, colleagues and clients that the Improve Group office will be closed on Wedneday, August 22 for our annual retreat. We use the day-long retreat each year to reflect on the previous years accomplishments and challenges, find ways to make our work better, and learn a new skill. We'll blog later about what we learned in the past year.

We'd love to hear your organization's retreat stories (good bad and ugly!) please feel free to send them via our comments.

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We had a fun time celebrating Susan and Liz’s birthdays at lunch today. At the request of the birthday girls, we enjoyed Panera sandwiches, soup, salad and chips and finished off our celebration with some cookies and birthday apple pie. Yum! We brainstormed on costume ideas for the next Harry Potter book release and laughed about some recent sketches on the Daily Show. We always have a fun time at these celebrations and it was a great break from a busy week in the office.

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Improve Group staff are devoted to using evaluation to improve outcomes, so conducting a test presentation of our new workshop series seemed natural. On June 14th, 2007 we gave a pilot run of How Do I Know That: Creating tools to understand program outcomes and Inside Knowledge, Outside Perspective: Evaluating your organization form within. The series is aimed at those who want to begin or expand their evaluation knowledge and feel empowered to use it in their organization.

Presenter Leah Goldstein Moses taught participants how to develop evaluations that fit smoothly with program activities while maintaining validity and accuracy. Presenter Marian Kimball Eichinger gave insight into how to improve the evaluation work within organizations and how to select the right tools to get legitimate results.

Attending the pilot was Cassaundra Adler - Financial Educator with Lutheran Social Services, Trisha Lee Cook – Member Services Associate for the Minnesota Council on Foundations and Nathan Salzl – Evaluation Specialist for the Greater Twin Cities United Way 211 Call Center. Also attending was Improve Group consultant Jules Goldstein (who is a member of the Board of United Jewish Fund and Council) and staff member Susan Murphy.

Our thanks to Cassaundra, Trisha Lee and Nathan who were a perfect blend of non-profit experience, foundation background and small and large organization perspectives. The attendees gave honest and valuable feedback on what were the most useful aspects of the training, what could be added or deleted to better serve the needs of the target audience and how to enhance specific exercises and teaching materials.

The pilot group gave a unanimous thumbs-up to the new series, saying:

• The workshops helped me figure out where to start with my organization's evaluation. I felt overwhelmed before and unsure whether I was representing my own opinions or had solid facts; now I know how to collect, analyze and present accurate data.
• I gained a great vocabulary for talking with funders, program managers and staff; the tools provided during the workshop can easily be adapted for our programs.
• I am excited to use the information for my program; I like learning and continually improving my program and was never sure how to ask questions to get honest and fair responses. I am going to review our surveys to make sure they are gathering the information I need.
• The workshops were very fun, very informative and I feel lucky to be invited.

Space in the July 19th sessions is available; to download a registration form click here.

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Greetings! My name is Collin Cunningham and I will be interning at The Improve Group for the summer. I originally came to Minnesota from my home state of Washington in order to attend St. Olaf College where I was a member of the diving team and a volunteer for the Northfield Community Action Center. Currently, I am a Masters in Public Policy student at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota and am interested in social policy, specifically education and poverty alleviation policy. I also enjoy reading, coaching diving, traveling, and spending time outdoors. I am looking forward to making the most of my internship here and getting to know the staff.

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The Improve Group was recently been selected as an approved vendor for strategic planning and evaluation by the Childrens Trust. The Children's Trust mission is to improve the lives of all children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their futures, supported with a unique referendum that funds the initiative through property taxes.

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As members of the American Evaluation Association we were recently asked to submit nominations for annual awards, including the Marcia Guttentag award for evaluators in their first five years in the profession. After reviewing the criteria, we knew Becky exemplified the criteria:

* Promise will have been demonstrated in early notable and substantial accomplishments.
* Contributions may include evidence of early involvement in professional activities and successful leadership.
* Contributions should have extended beyond the accomplishment of one or two evaluations of quality.

As part of our nomination of Becky, we got to ask some of our clients for recommendations. It was a delight to read their kind words:

Though Ms. Stewart began evaluating our project in January, her impact on our
evaluation processes has been profound. She helped us clarify our project objectives and improve the
alignment of our evaluation instruments with the newly refined objectives... Becky’s commitment to developing shared understandings of our project goals and measures has meant that each facilitator’s point of view and understanding has been engaged - Byron Richard, Perpich Center for Arts Education

Rebecca's biggest strength is reflecting the principle of responsibilties for the general and public welfare. Not only does she take into account the diversity of interests and values related to the general and public welfare in Northwestern Minnesota, she very much leads by example. She continually focuses on sound evaluation methods, a solid partnership approach and providing information and results that help us inform our partnership and improve our overall service delivery. - Colleen MacRae, Project Director, Stephen-Argyle Safe Schools Initiative

We are all rooting for you, Becky!

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Today was Sarah Myott's last day as an employee --and her first day as a contractor! We are going to miss seeing her every day; she has been a pleasure to work with and has taught us a lot (she is particularly organized and has an attention to detail we all envy). We are very glad we'll still be seeing her weekly, and wish her the best in the coming months.

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The U.S. Department of Education is expected to release a grant notice for Safe Schools Healthy Students grants on April 6. In the past, these grants have been available to individual school districts or a consortia of districts. The Department expects to make 20 awards ranging from $1-3 million.

We have recently concluded our evaluations of two Safe Schools/Healthy Students grantee sites, for Spring Lake Park District 16 and a consortium of districts led by the Northwest Minnesota Council of Collaboratives based in Crookston. District 16 submitted their final report in December and received a very nice compliment from their program officer from the U.S. Department of Education:

You and your staff did a very nice job on the report. I was wondering if you would feel comfortable with sharing it and the evaluation report with other grantees. A couple of sites I work with seem to have struggled with these final and evaluation reports, and I think perhaps a concrete example might be of some help.

If your district or organization is interested in exploring this grant opportunity, please feel free to contact us; we are always happy to partner on new grant applications.

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A big thank you to all the great guests who attended our Holiday Party on December 19th here at the Improve Group offices. We had a wonderful turnout which filled up our conference room and the big space in the back portion of the office. Our visitors brought with them a total of 94 pounds of food and needed goods which were donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. Speaking of food, for the second year in a row our delicious catering was provided by Linda Savage and her business Class Act Catering. (The pulled beef and thumbprint cookies were standouts). Our conference room was buzzing with our small party-goers playing games, watching movies and munching an assortment of kid-friendly foods. Samantha Richard and Kimie Krienitz did a great job babysitting. Thanks also to the Improve Group staff who cleaned and decorated for the event.

Here are a few photos from the evening:

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Our work and staff have been featured in a few publications recently. In the American Education Research Association's Survey Research in Education Respondent, Leah Goldstein Moses was featured in the Spotlight column.

Our work with Performing Arts Workshop was also highlighted in the Macalester Today's class notes, due to the multiplicity of Macalester graduates (Leah Goldstein Moses '95; Rebecca Stewart '95; Tom DeCaigny '98; Anne-E Wood, '97; Jules Goldstein, '69) involved in our work. Tom DeCaigny was also presented in a feature article on performing alumni.

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The Improve Group received a welcome break from a busy winter workday with the arrival of fresh Panera sandwiches, pickles, salad, chips, bread and cookies from LiteFM. Two very cheerful staff members delivered the treats right to our conference room yesterday. The Improve Group were lucky recipients of the LITE Lunch Break from 102.9 LiteFM. Thanks and Happy Holidays to the good folks who make their listeners feel so appreciated. For more information on what fun things are happening at the LiteFM go to http://1029litefm.com/.

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This week, I missed a significant amount of work to be home with my kids, both of whom were sick. Because this week I happened to have deadlines, I did some work from home in the evenings and when the kids were occupied, so probably worked a total of 25 hours (as opposed to my typical 40) this week.

It made me wonder if anyone has studied the economic costs of caring for ill children. I thought epidemiologists, economists, particularly those interested in labor markets, and policy makers might be interested in the issue.

I found a few articles related to chronic or severe long-term illnesses and disabilities. Several articles, on the other hand, tried to quantify the economic benefit of vaccinating children against the flu.

One study found a $4 positive benefit of the flu vaccine per child, and a $35 positive benefit per child if everyone in a group setting like daycare was vaccinated. The study used very interesting assumptions, including about participation rates in the workforce and likely family behavior (they assumed it would always be a female caregiver who stayed home with an ill child).

In addition to finding a positive financial benefit, the study indicated that if the flu vaccine is found to also prevent ear infections (an issue I am personally interested in!) the financial benefit would go way up.

Just a little bit of musing as we head into the weekend. I hope everyone here in Minnesota has a chance to enjoy the slightly warmer weather.

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It was trick of treat day, October 31st, and the Improve Group staff was unaware of the fact that they were being haunted. Yes, a tiny Elvis had appeared accompanied by a lovely fairy princess. These cute apparitions were actually Leah Goldstein Moses’ children – 1 year old Adrian and 4 year old Claudia. They were visiting with their grandmother, Janice Goldstein and showing off their fun Halloween duds. I was especially happy to see Adrian wearing the “later-years” Elvis costume I had made a while back for my youngest son Nick. He is now 4 years old and has long outgrown it.

All of the staff’s children are very comfortable visiting the Improve Group offices. We even have a Parent’s Room equipped with toys and snacks along with video and computer capability for those days when on-site child care is needed.

After a quick snack of their own the small creatures disappeared. Yes, Elvis has left the building.

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From Leah:

Several of us have very pleasant memories of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, despite a recent tongue-in-cheek mailing that Susan received from AM1500 [Question for candidate who knocks at your door: 1. Have you ever attended the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs? (If yes, thank them for their time and move them on to the next house.]

Four of our staff attended the Humphrey Institute, with majors in planning, public policy, and program management. In a recent newsletter, I learned that the current entering class is 204 students (my entering class was closer to 100), with the following statistics:

Men/Women: 46%/54%
Minority students: 12%
International students: 12%
Minnesota residents: 62%
Average age: 27

With fond memories of my fellow students, professors and classes....

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A couple of months ago our staff created a recommendation list for books, movies, music and TV shows. Since we all lead busy lives, it is a nice resource if you are looking for something to do and haven't had time to read the entertainment section of the paper.

Some recent additions:

Movie: The Departed (Scorsese). Both Sarah Shannon and Leah Goldstein Moses enjoyed its plot and characters (not for the gore-adverse).

Book: Random Family (LeBlanc). Marian describes it as a moving portrait of a family living below the poverty line.

TV Show: Project Runway (BravoTV). The third season just ended; the fashion and competition are a stitch.

We'd love to hear your recommendations!

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Early this fall, our HR vendor, Administaff, held a school supply drive for students in the metro area. Our staff filled a box with school supplies ranging from glue sticks to pen cases.

See all the items collected:

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Two weeks ago several of our staff had the honor of attending Sarah Myott's commitment ceremony. She and life partner Kathy had their ceremony in the beautiful Pavillion at Como Park and celebrated with a reception at Black Bear Crossings. It was a beautiful ceremony and we are very happy for Sarah and Kathy!

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Today is Nathan Salzl's last day. We have really enjoyed his spirit, energy and enthusiasm around the office. His passion for learning has been infectious; he examined the subjects he researched while here (primarily around complex problem-solving through collaboration) from every possible angle and taught us a lot.

I know we'll keep in touch and am excited to hear more about his 2-1-1 evaluation as he rolls it out to more locations. We've heard from other clients how important an asset 2-1-1 is but that they worry its full potential isn't realized in the community. It will be interesting to hear how his evaluation results lead to further development of the system in Minnesota and around the country.

We'll miss you a lot.

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Dear Readers,

It has been an exciting 9 months for me, learning and growing (and improving!) with the Improve Group. As I move on to the next step in my career with United Way, it is a great time to reflect on what I have learned. Leah has an amazing talent for juggling multiple interesting and complex projects, which has made my time here a fascinating view into the world of program evaluation. The highlight of the experience was visiting the Q Center, outside of Chicago, IL, meeting with other Safe Schools/Healthy Students Consortia researchers. The conference really made the evaluation come alive, seeing several other similar research projects and the significance of how this grant program impacts peoples lives around the country. What seemed like a simple idea – Collaboration helps to get the job done – became a really powerful and important concept that requires support and advocacy from those who believe in its potential. Complex business relationships which discourage collaboration, or simple lack of relationships can prevent ultimate solutions from being formed. Future research on collaboration will yield answers to how these partnerships can be encouraged, and how these partnerships can be successful. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with the Improve Group, and with RTI on this exciting and inspiring project. My hope is that the Improve Group continues to grow and acquire grants that support this kind of inspiring work which helps and impacts people’s lives. Staff at the Improve Group truly are passionate about what they do and what I have learned in my time here will greatly influence my future career in program evaluation. Thanks so much to everyone!

Nathan Salzl

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Although we welcomed Becky back from India several weeks ago, due to the mysteries of international mail, we just received the following postcard from her work with the ILS measurement system.

These are fishing nets; Becky was offered (but declined) the chance to hoist and reel them.

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Leah Goldstein Moses, along with Tom DeCaigny of the Performing Arts Workshop, recently published an article in the Grantmakers in the Arts READER. The article describes our lessons from the UNECO World Conference on Arts Education. Other articles examine the flow of economic and creative capital, talk about the cultural divide, and examine organizing.

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On Wednesday we welcomed a new intern, Sarah Shannon. Sarah is a student in the Masters AND PhD programs in the U of M's School of Social Work, and this is her second field placement. Prior to starting her graduate degrees, Sarah worked at HIRED and staffed the Building Lives program which we evaluated in 2004 and 2005 finding participants made substantial gains in realistic life and career preparation through the individualized attention and support they received.

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Major topic of the office this week: who is a fair devotee and who prefers to avoid it indefinitely. Because Leah is a major State Fair fan, she was heartened to learn that others share her interest in enormous pumpkins, crop art, and hosta leaves displayed in beer bottles. Perhaps the Improve Group will enter in some cookie competitions next year? Either way, I hope everyone has a lovely weekend and time to eat something deep-fried.

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If you live or work in the Bloomington area you may have noticed a group of women in business attire and athletic shoes walking around very quickly. They may be seen marching through the neighborhood or, during inclement weather, parading down the halls of the Mall of America. They have even been found locked in the stairwells of the BLN Office Park after making a wrong turn in their new workplace. Do not be alarmed! They are just the “IG Footnotes” taking power walks during their lunch hour.

It all started out as innocent support of our co-worker Brooke Ahlquist who was preparing for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk, (August 16 to the 18th). Brooke asked if anyone would accompany her while she kept to her training. Staff members, Sarah Myott, Elizabeth Radel, Susan Murphy and President and CEO Leah Goldstein Moses joined the cause not only for Brooke, but for their own health as well.

Walks usually take between 20 minutes to half an hour and the pace is quick. Considering the Improve Group offices are located on the 6th floor the trip down the stairs is not too bad but the trip back up is a killer.
Besides doing good things for our bodies, we are learning about our new neighborhood and have stumbled upon interesting trails and green spaces.

So, if you see us in the area, give us a wave or join us for a few blocks. Be warned, good conversation is mandatory.

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Brooke recently completed the The Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-Day , a three-day walk covering MANY miles, with nightime camping. The group raised over $6 million for breast cancer research - AMAZING! Despite her sore feet, Brooke is cheerfully working on analysis today of participants in professional development programs.

Way to go, Brooke!

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Becky Stewart just returned from Kerala, India, where she studied and applied the ILS method of evaluation, a method that collects pictoral journal entries from program participants about their acheivements and outcomes. She'll be contributing an article about the ILS method in our September newsletter and describing how it is used in the weaving cooperative she visited. She was located about 30 miles outside the capital, Thiruvananthapuram (shown here with its airport at the very bottom of the screen):

Watch for her article in our upcoming newsletter!

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It has been a busy week at the Improve Group. Several of our projects require us to prepare multiple reports for different audiences; this is incredibly important to make sure we place findings in the appropriate context. However, it also keeps us extremely busy! We currently are juggling four reports for one project, one report and three articles for another project, and annual reports for three other projects. These days you'll find most of us typing away at our computers, so we are all looking forward to a break over the weekend.

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We are glad to have our research analyst, Liz, back from her trip to Tianjin, Beiging, Shanghai and Xi'an; so much so that we sent her on a site visit her first day back at work last Monday. Her trip to northern Minnesota helped her acclimate quickly back to the U.S.--she got to enjoy Bixby's bagel shop in Grand Rapids and try out the Dairy Queen in Cloquet. We missed her while she was gone, but because we've had several staff traveling internationally lately we are all feeling very cosmopolitan.

Liz was nice enough to send us a postcard which arrived today. What a stunning view of the Great Wall at Simatai!

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Our intern, James, just wrapped up his internship for the summer as he heads off to several camping adventures and finally St. Lawrence college. We enjoyed working with him a great deal. He helped keep us organized when we moved into our new office, cataloging our surprisingly large library and putting our supplies away. He also helped us in our analysis for several projects using Microsoft Access and Excel, and took photos of our staff. Thanks, James!

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Our business and project manager, Deborah, was married last Saturday at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. She and her new husband, Andy, are on their honeymoon in Belize this week. We are very happy for them!

Several Improve Group staff were able to attend the wedding - and had a lot of fun :-)

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We moved to our new office at the beginning of June. It's pretty wonderful. We had a LOT of ups and downs planning for the move; purchasing cubes and furniture was much more complicated than expected! Now that we are settled in, though, the office really seems to help us work better. For one thing, there is the conference room--functional, comfortable, and large! We hope to offer it to groups that want to hold meetings in the future - it can seat up to 16 and is "wired".

Another nice treat is our.... copier! Who knew a printer/copier/scanner could make such a big difference? We've only had it for a month, so I haven't tracked our output yet, but it sure has made preparing handouts and reports a lot easier for us.

Feel free to come visit us - we are just south of the Mall and you can find directions here.

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