We have two awesome webinars coming up over the next two months. We hope you’ll join one or both. 

April Webinar: Introduction to Straw Bale Gardening April 22 at 7pm Eastern

Now that the COVID-19 grants are awaiting final approval by Executive Council, the Board is turning our thoughts and energy to the 2022 Grant Process which will focus on care of creation projects. Over the next few months, we’ll offer a bunch of webinars on topics relating to the environment, beginning with an awesome introduction to Straw Bale Gardening with the Rev. Shaneequa Brokenleg, Staff Officer for Racial Reconciliation. If you are interested in growing things, but don’t have space for a garden, or hate weeding (or mice), then this method of gardening might be for you! Come join us for an information webinar (no need to buy any supplies until after you’ve heard how it works) to see if straw bale gardening is for you! 

Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Nation).  She is the Staff Officer for Racial Reconciliation for The Episcopal Church.  She is a priest in the Diocese of South Dakota, where she grew up, and the place she calls home.  

From an academic perspective, Shaneequa has a Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific and a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota.  Prior to priesthood, she worked as an epidemiologist and served Indian Country in the Great Lakes region for over a decade. 

From a cultural/spiritual perspective Shaneequa believes that we are all related (“mitakuye oyasin”) and that the Gospel calls us to be “good relatives” to one another.  Having grown up on the Rosebud reservation, she has experienced and witnessed the devastating effects of historical/generational trauma, colonization, and racism.  As a winktè (Lakota two-spirit), she is called to be a healer and move our communities in the direction of positive change, in the direction of reconciliation, toward living in right-relationship with one another.  She strives to live out her calling through her work, our church, her art, and in her life. 

May Webinar: Introduction to Grant Writing, Tuesday, May 18, at noon Eastern time

Join Heather Melton, UTO Staff Officer, to talk through some of the best tips and tricks for grant writing. Many congregations are facing two realities over the summer: reopening buildings and reconnecting with community members as the pandemic shifts into a new phase. For many congregations and ministries, this means that new ideas may come to light, or old problems with infrastructure resurfacing. This means that many of you will begin to consider applying for grant funding. Due to the pandemic, many funding sources may be experiencing financial losses over previous years, making the process more competitive then ever. This webinar will walk you through ways to search for grant funding, best practices for filling out a grant application, and tips and tricks to ensure your online presence supports your application. Feel free to bring with you ideas of projects so that we can help workshop your idea through finding sources of funding in your area.