Community Design Center of Minnesota

Photo: Children’s Garden at 3rd and Maria

Dayton's Bluff Children's Garden at 3rd & Maria

Photo: Working at the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary

Working at the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary

Photo: Family Cooking Classes

Family Cooking Class at local elementary school

Photo: Kids planting at a Community Garden

Local school children planting the Bates Avenue Raingarden

Community Design Center of Minnesota is a Saint Paul-based organization whose mission is to help revitalize low-to-moderate income communities by providing technical assistance and operating programs that will enhance the physical, economic, social, ecological, and spiritual well being of the community and its residents. We believe that building and renewing a community requires a holistic approach that creates long-term sustainable change.

Today we operate children's and youth programs on the East Side of St. Paul aimed at engaging young people in the civic life of their community as well as providing them with experiences that enrich their lives and develop important life skills.

Our programs are based on the following principles:

  1. Children and youth are resources and citizens, not clients.
  2. Communities work better when self-help is the model.
  3. The strength of a neighborhood depends on the opportunities it creates for the young to become involved in a variety of aspects of community life.
  4. Youth thrive when their experience gives them a sense of place and belonging and new skills.
  5. Our physical environment forms our thinking.
  6. Young people's respect for themselves and for their community depends on local adults modeling responsibility and achievement.

Spring 2008 Newsletter

Download our Spring 2008 newsletter: cdc_newsletter-5-2008.pdf (1.9 MB PDF)