Education
2-1-1 call centers are staffed 24/7 by trained Community Resource Specialists who quickly assess needs and refer callers to the help that they seek. Services are free and confidential. They offer information on a broad range of services, including:
- Food and housing support
- Mental health and substance abuse resources
- Legal assistance
- Youth programs
- Medical and dental clinics
- Job training opportunities
- Household items
and much more…..
Phone
- 2-1-1
- 800-543-7709
Web
Address
Offered through AEOA, free one-on-one help with basic reading, writing and math, GED prep/testing, college preparation, resume and job search, interviewing skills, career assessment, computer and internet basics, ServSafe, and budgeting. Services are available to anyone 17 years of age or older and are not currently enrolled in secondary school.
Phone
- 218-730-6960
Web
Address
- Norlen Industrial Park
2124 10th Street
Two Harbors, MN 55616
Serves pregnant mothers, children birth to 5 years old, and their families. Programming includes early childhood education, health, nutrition, mental health, disability, & family support services. We provide services to children with special needs or disabilities. The Head Start program has income guidelines with limited opportunities for families who are over income.
Phone
- 218-834-2280
- 218-749-2912 ext. 7351
Web
Address
- Norlen Industrial Park
2124 10th Street
Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Bridge to Employment-Assists parents and their dependents in meeting employment, education, and other goals. The program offers a combined support of SNAP food assistance as well as financial assistance. Must be enrolled in MFIP.
- Education-Integrated coaching program to assist individuals looking to further their education, learn computer skills, research career paths, provide guidance to pay off student loans, and take part in FAIM (assistance to pay for your education). Also offers GED certification, Certified Nursing Assistant classes, Community Construction classes and Stream Corps, an 11-month paid employment program.
- Free Tax Site-Free tax preparation and refunds for families and individuals with income up to $58,000.
- Common Cents Class-Free financial assistance class which provides information on asset building, creating a budget, understanding credit reports, getting out of debt, and obtaining a mortgage.
- FAIM-Helps individuals build savings to start a business, pay for education, purchase a home, car, or other asset. This program offers matching funds. Eligibility requirements include being a Minnesota resident 18 years or older, have earned income, be within income guidelines, and have assets below $10,000.
- Health and Food-Offers MNSure and SNAP navigation. Mobile Market is a refrigerated van which visits Duluth neighborhoods to provide produce, dairy, canned and dried goods, and some household products at affordable prices. Locally produced goods are also featured. If you are interested, you can pre-order products here and pick them up at one of the scheduled market locations. We accept cash, credit, debit, and EBT.
- Transportation-We can help you regain your license to drive and/or give you a bike to get around town and to work. Provides advocacy and support at court appearances, getting fines reduced or removed, and assists with insurance questions. Also offers JumpStart, an affordable car loan program offering financial coaching, low-interest rate loans, and a repair fund savings account.
Phone
- 218-726-1665
Web
Address
- Suite 102
2424 W 5th Street
Duluth, MN 55806
Community Education-Provides a large variety of trainings and activities for community members, such as being an in-home care worker, Red Cross babysitting classes and Wilderness First Aid, retirement classes, and sports classes.
Phone
- 218-235-1811
Web
Address
- Memorial High School
Washington Elementary
600 East Harvey Street
Ely, MN 55731
- cjhartman@ely.k12.mn.us
Many activities are available at the Clair Nelson Center, such as bonebuilders exercise class, yoga, dancing, crafting, alcoholics anonymous, and youth open gym nights. Please visit their website for more information.
Phone
- 218-353-0300
Web
Address
- Clair Nelson Center
6866 Cramer Road
Finland, MN 55603
Offers infant care, toddler classes (16 to 33 months) and preschool (33 months to 5 years).
Phone
- 218-510-0598
Web
Address
- 1073 Highway 61
Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Community Education-Offers Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), early childhood screening, a preschool program and childcare. Also offers school readiness, youth development, after school activities, driver education, elementary and junior high athletics, tutoring, adult basic education, defensive driving, health and safety training, job skills training, community and family events. For Two Harbors information, call 218-834-8201 ext. 8230 or Silver Bay information, call 218-226-4437 ext. 8137.
Phone
- 218-834-8221 (Minnehaha Elementary)
- 218-834-8201 (Two Harbors High School)
- 218-226-4437 (William Kelley School)
Web
Address
- Minnehaha Elementary
421 7th Street
Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Two Harbors High School
1640 Highway 2
Two Harbors, MN 55616
- William Kelley School
137 Banks Blvd.
Silver Bay, MN 55614
Resource for homeless and street youth ages 14-24 offering a youth drop-in center, housing assistance, mental health and wellness programs, education and employment assistance, and sex trafficking/commercial sexual exploitation care housing and programming.
- Chemical Health-Licensed alcohol and drug counselor provides chemical dependency support and can conduct Rule 25 and diagnostic assessments. Requires no payment or insurance for services.
- Youth Drop-In Center-Provides hot meals, showers, lockers, laundry, basic need supplies, WiFi, groups, activities and group meetings. For youth ages 14 to 20, hours are Monday through Friday from 3pm-6pm. For adults ages 18 to 24, hours are 11 am – 1:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Hours are 12pm – 1:30pm on Wednesdays.
- Mental Health & Wellness-Provides daily support and on-going services to improve physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Intensive case management is used to help youth improve health while obtaining life skills, stable housing, employment, education, parenting education, and connections to community resources. Licensed alcohol and drug counselor provides chemical dependency support and can conduct Rule 25 and diagnostic assessments. Requires no payment or insurance for services.
- Futures Program-Voluntary program available to all Life House youth that may have been expelled or dropped out of school, who have little to no job experience, or who want to further their education and employment skills.
- Education-Offers online GED preparation, assists with high school enrollment/transfer paperwork and provides tutoring. Assists with entire college process (applications, meetings, tours, supplies, tutoring).
- Legitimate Hustle Program-Program targets youth who have multiple barriers to obtaining economic self-sufficiency. Provides comprehensive case management and job training in an environment that helps youth to gain essential employment skills, become stable in their recovery or overall well-being, and transition into career opportunities. The Transitional Employment Case Manager assists our youth with resume building, interview skills, transportation to and from interviews, connecting with local businesses, and any additional ways of assisting with pursuing employment opportunities.
Housing
- Life House Housing Program-Subsidized housing with supportive case management for adults ages 18 to 24.
- 2001 Apartments-Housing for adults ages 18 to 24, many of whom suffer with addiction and/or mental illness.
- Northern Lights-8 unit Safe Harbor supportive, transitional housing program for young adults ages 18 to 24.
- Gateway Tower-Mixed population building for adults ages 18 to 24 who live on a dedicated floor.
- Sol House-House for survivors of sexual exploitation (ages 15-20).
- Loft Emergency Shelter-10 bed emergency shelter for youth ages 15-19. Located at 102 W First Street, Duluth. Contact the Residential Program Manager at 218-722-7431, ext. 125.
- Host Homes-Program that matches young people ages 18-24 with caring and consistent adults who have a spare bedroom to offer.
Phone
- 218-722-7431
- Youth Safeline: 800-786-2929
Web
Address
- 102 West First Street
Duluth, MN 55802
Resources to find GED and English (ESL) classes, improve computer, reading, writing and job skills. Also offers a parenting program to help navigate the school system.
Phone
- 651-645-2277
Web
Address
- Suite 180
700 Raymond Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55114
- email@literacymn.org
A web-based means of finding information about education, services for people with disabilities, senior services, waiver services, unemployment, housing/homelessness, health care, transportation, jobs and money management.
Phone
- 800-333-2433 (Senior Linkage Line)
Web
Address
Provides prevention and early intervention services to children and families in Lake and Cook Counties.
- Learning Opportunities Through Stories (LOTS)-Provides early literacy skills to ensure that children are ready for school.
Phone
- 218-834-8403
Web
Address
- 616 3rd Avenue
Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Trisha.Scamehorn@co.lake.mn.us
Rural K-6 public charter school. Preschool available with before and after school daycare.
Phone
- 218-525-0663
Web
Address
- 5926 Ryan Road
Duluth, MN 55804
Offers Early Learning Scholarships to children under age five. The funds help families of young children pay for high-quality childcare and early education.
Phone
- 218-723-4040
- 800-433-4045
Web
Address
- 202 W Superior Street
Suite 800
Duluth, MN 55802
Friendly Visits–Volunteer visits for area seniors who are homebound or alone and who want or need contact with the community. We offer a simple walk in the park with a companion, stories and a laugh with a new friend, or sharing a hobby.
Transportation
- Local Transportation-Volunteer supported program that provides rides to and from local services/events/meetings, running errands and local medical appointments.
- Long-Distance Rides are specifically provided for medical appointments. Volunteer long-distance drivers are reimbursed by Northwoods Partners; clients are asked to make a donation to help us to sustain this program.
- Grocery Delivery is available for people age 60+. Set up a store charge account and our volunteers will deliver your groceries right to your home. Groceries are delivered on Wednesdays.
Exercise Buddy Program– A trained volunteer will meet with you weekly in your home to help increase your strength, flexibility, and balance.
Community Exercise Group–Participants are led through a full body exercise routine that includes both seated and standing exercises. The program is designed give participants a safe and effective workout that will allow them to increase and maintain their flexibility, stability, and movement. Meets every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in the basement of First Lutheran Church.
Men’s Memories & Movement Group–Share memories, stories, and life experiences over coffee & snacks and conclude each session with movement, light exercises to keep you active and help increase balance, range of motion and strength. Meets every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the Ely Senior Center.
Matter of Balance Classes–Eight-week program that helps reduce the fear of falling and increases the activity levels of older adults.
Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance is a balance training regimen designed for older adults and people with balance disorders. TJQMBB is a 12-week progressive learning course where participants learn an adapted 8 form Tai Chi routine that is intended to address common and potentially debilitating movement and balance issues.
Caregiver Consulting–Caregiver Consultants can provide family caregivers with useful information, skills and tools, as well as help with problem solving. The consultant’s role includes developing strategies for the caregiver to achieve a balanced lifestyle that allows for both providing care and maintaining their own health. The consultant will help identify the caregiver’s strengths and needs, develop a personalized caregiving plan with goals. Along the way, they offer problem solving, coaching, and ongoing support to help the caregiver reach their goals.
Northwoods Memory Care Program–We help guide you and your family through the stages of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia by providing resources and consultation to help reduce stress and increase family support.
Caregiver Support Groups–Provides an opportunity to connect with others, validate each other’s experiences, and ask for advice, find out about useful resources, and safely vent your frustrations. Meets 4th Thursday of the month, 10 a.m.-11:30am, at the Ely Senior Center.
Aging Mastery Program (AMP)-AMP is a fun and engaging education and behavior change incentive program for aging well. The AMP core curriculum covers 10 topics. The classroom experience is a mix of didactic and interactive learning with an emphasis on peer-to-peer interaction. When they graduate from AMP, participants have set goals for positive actions in many aspects of their lives such as exercise, nutrition, finances, advance care planning, community engagement, and healthy relationships.
Powerful Tools For Caregivers–An evidence-based educational series that is six weeks long and is designed to help unpaid family caregivers take better care of themselves while caring for a relative or family friend. Caregivers learn self-care tools like reducing stress, improving self-confidence, managing time, goal setting, problem solving, communicating their feelings, locating helpful resources, and making tough decisions.
Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL)-The SAIL exercise class is a strength, balance, and fitness program for community dwelling older adults that meets two to three times per work for one hour.
ACT on Alzheimer’s–We bring dementia education to Ely in the form of newspaper articles, books, handouts, speakers, and a community conversation series. Check our calendar for upcoming educational opportunities.
REACH –Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health is an evidence-based caregiver consultation service. This program works one-on-one with caregivers to assess risk, assist with problem solving, provide skill building techniques, manage behavior changes and find time for themselves.
Caregiver Relief–We coordinate volunteer help for the person who cares for a chronically ill, home-bound loved one.
Volunteer Training–New volunteers receive a one hour, face-to-face orientation that explains our history, services, programs, policies, and procedures. Additional training may be provided to carry out specific services. Every quarter, we offer a themed Volunteer Social that provides an opportunity for socializing with other volunteers and continuing education on volunteering.
Tasty Tuesday-Join us at the Ely Senior Center to learn about healthy recipes, food preparation, and more! Participation is free and availability is limited. Class is typically the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Call 218-302-1778 for more information and to register.
Phone
- 218-365-8019
Web
Address
- 328 West Conan Street
Ely, Minnesota 55731
- office@northwoodspartners.org
University for Seniors (US) is an association of older adults (50+) dedicated to lifelong learning and cultural enrichment. Programs include study groups, lectures, workshops, social activities, trips and more.
Phone
- 218-726-7637
Web
Address
- 515 Darland Administration Building
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812
- usask@d.umn.edu
Master Gardner Program-Trained Master Gardeners and Extension Educators provide programs, information and resources in response to gardening and horticulture questions, climate change, plant biodiversity, pollinators, vegetable variations, and plant, insect and disease identification.
Phone
- 218-834-8469
Web
Address
- Lake County Service Center
616 3rd Avenue
Two Harbors, MN 55616