Village Parks, MPRB’s premier language and culture learning program, has been offered in partnership with Concordia Language Villages since 1998. The program begins in February and continues through June, with weekly two-hour meetings exploring the many aspects of language and culture present in Minneapolis and beyond! Two cohort groups are available, so participants can choose the day and location that best meets their needs:

  • Wednesdays at Bryant Square Park 5-7pm
  • Thursdays at Folwell Park 5-7pm

The tuition-free program will include hands-on activities, from learning cultural crafts, sports, and games to preparing authentic cultural foods, all intended to illuminate some of the rich cultural and linguistic connections around us every day.

In addition to fulfilling volunteer hours, Village Parks participants complete a portfolio to document progress towards personal goals, as well as those related to language and culture. This is a great opportunity for those interested in working with international/multilingual communities in other countries, or here at home in the United States!

Participants attend a free overnight retreat at the beginning of April at Camp Iduhapi and receive a one- or two-week scholarship to a residential summer language immersion experience at Concordia Language Villages, or by special arrangement, to a virtual language immersion experience the following fall.

Register for the program here

Applications will be accepted until January 2, 2024

Contact Abdi Mukhtar at Amukhtar@minneapolisparks.org or Heather Vick at vick@cord.edu