Leading Local is a collaboration between the Winona Post and Engage Winona designed to strengthen civic participation in Winona County and beyond. The initiative brings together trusted local journalism, practical civic learning, and community conversations to help people better understand and engage with their communities.

In 2026 and 2027, Leading Local will offer workshops on how to get involved and take action, in-depth reporting on local issues, and community forums where residents can learn, ask questions, and share perspectives. These efforts are meant to make local news and civic information easier to find and easier to use. All activities are nonpartisan and open to the public.

The goal of Leading Local is to build confidence among residents to get involved in their communities, increase access to reliable civic and community information, and raise awareness of local news as a trusted resource.

A community survey to help shape the project is open through April 2026. Take the survey here!

Engage Winona’s January Newsletter - Coming together through connection, creativity, and care

Program Development Fellow, Angelina Rueda reflects on practicum meeting she facilitated with Civic Bridgers Fellows.

Engage Winona is excited to partner with the State of Minnesota on an innovative new project: MN StoryCollective. At its heart, the project is simple but powerful. People across Minnesota are invited to share short, anonymous stories from their own lives. These stories then form a collective resource that helps shape how the state invests in communities through future funding, programs, and policies.

You can share your story today at ourtomorro.ws/engagewinona. This partnership builds on Engage Winona’s ongoing work of valuing lived experiences, creating connections, and centering community voices in shaping our shared future.

August news from Engage Winona!

July 2025 Newsletter - MidYear Check-in at Engage Winona

Engage Winona Celebrates Lived Experience Leaders Graduates!

Mural unveiled at Habitat for Humanity Winona. The mural was created as a collaboration of the Winona Area Kitchen Table, and the Joy Labs.

Winona is making progress on housing, but there’s work left to be done. The Winona Area Kitchen Table encourages Winona to imagine an even more vibrant Winona — with housing options that meet the full range of needs in our community, from college students to working professionals to families to retirees. This is a vision that we can all work together for, and a vision that the Winona Area Kitchen Table is advocating for.

Key takeaways for the city of Winona from the 2024 housing study.