The UMD College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences congratulates students and faculty of the Department of World Languages and Cultures’s Cultural Entrepreneurship (CUE) program for their partnership with the First Ladies of the Hillside, a group of Duluth community members who received a St. Louis County Public Health Achievement Award.
Associate Professor Aparna Katre, Director of CUE, facilitates a collaboration called Food Forward between CUE students and the First Ladies of the Hillside. Together, they work to address food insecurity in Duluth’s Central Hillside Neighborhood through ready-made meal kits.
In a statement announcing the award for working to improve health in the region, St. Louis County praised the First Ladies of the Hillside for providing “creative, collaborative, local solutions to a Duluth neighborhood of high need,” adding, “their services include Food Forward, delivering prepared meals to residents at no cost.”
“We are humbled by this recognition,” Katre said. “Our work with the First Ladies of the Hillside exemplifies the value of Humanities and Social Sciences education for students and for community development. Food Forward is a long-term initiative which allows CUE majors to develop a unique and valued skill-set and mindset that can be applied in entrepreneurial ways throughout their careers.”
Associate Professor Jennifer Brady, Department Head of World Languages and Cultures, acknowledged the mutually beneficial collaboration between Duluth community members, Dr. Katre, and CUE students. “This partnership is a wonderful example of how intentional collaborations that extend beyond classroom walls positively impact our community and our students, create opportunities to learn from each other, and enhance the greater good for all,” Brady said.