Richfield, Minnesota - Minnesota Independence College and Community (MICC) has been named Nonprofit of the Year by the Richfield Chamber of Commerce at the annual Circle of Excellence awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The award recognizes MICC's outstanding contributions to the Richfield community through its life skills and vocational programs for autistic and neurodivergent adults.
 
The event was sponsored by Friendship Village of Bloomington, Northwoods Promotions West, Aviator Studios, and Blue Hippo Bakery. In attendance from MICC included Amy Gudmestad, Executive Director, Anna Hilfers, Director of College Program, Aaron Carper, Director of Community Program, Anna Schenck, Careers Program Job Developer,  Amanda DeJong, Marketing Manager, and Grant S., MICC Student Ambassador.
 
The award ceremony began with an introduction by Kelsey Nagel, President of the Richfield Chamber, and the previous year's winner presented each award to this year’s recipients. The winners for each category were as follows:

MICC Careers Program partners will employers in the Minneapolis area to promote neurodiversity in the workplace and ensure participants and graduates find meaningful employment. One of MICC's employment partners is Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington. 

Von is the Director of Retail, Attractions, and Kids Experience at Great Wolf Lodge in Bloomington. Since Von was received with open arms to his position and welcomed to the "pack," he noticed how much the workplace culture was very family-oriented and inclusive on all fronts.

Experiencing his warm welcome first-hand, Von felt that as the department director, it was important to ensure this culture was carried on as a priority and he continues to nurture it on his team. Great Wolf Lodge has various internal programs for its employees to maintain a positive work environment and support their workplace culture. "As a lodge, we are all one Pack, and everything we do, we strive to do as a team." 

Von became familiar with MICC through some of the pack members, and when he learned more about MICC's mission and programming, he knew that this was a partnership that could enhance lives.

Presently, Von, Great Wolf Lodge, and MICC have a partnership that is very impactful! One of Von's best parts of his job is watching new pack members grow and develop in their roles at the lodge. Pack Member, Ava, comes to mind as Von has seen Ava extend in her job role not only in her abilities but in her comfort and confidence.

Von hope is that participant's who work at the lodge will gain a sense of accomplishment. He shared, "We want all our pack members to learn how fulfilling it can be to bring joy to families and by doing so, how this can also teach us to be leaders among our peers. I can't wait to meet the next young person who is passionate about bringing joy to families and becomes a part of our lodge!"

MICC was thrilled to celebrate this partnership at the annual Champion's Breakfast in October and are so grateful to have Great Wolf Lodge as a part of the employer team.

Join us as we work together to promote neurodiversity in the workplace and help autistic people succeed! Connect with us to schedule a training or to learn more about partnering with MICC's Careers Program as an employment partner.

MICC Careers Program proudly celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Disability:  Part of the Equity Equation.” NDEAM celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices.

“A strong workforce is the sum of many parts, and disability has always been a key part of the equation,” said Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, Taryn M. Williams. “People with disabilities make up a wonderfully multifaceted group. By recognizing the full complexion of our community, we can ensure our efforts to achieve disability inclusion are, in fact, truly inclusive.” (U.S. Department of Labor, 2022).

Employment is the principal source of such essential psychological needs as time structure, social contact, collective purpose, social identity/status, and activity and the ability to meet these needs correlates strongly with the individual’s well-being.

MICC Careers Program knows that employment is a vital piece of the puzzle to become and remain independent. More than financial freedom, employment provides a sense of purpose, social interaction, structure, and the ultimate ability to make decisions for yourself.

The Careers Program focuses on an employment-first model, ensuring participants are employed in the community and receive a competitive wage.

Participants enroll in Certificate Programs such as Culinary, Health Services, Hospitality, or Retail that are accredited by Century College and noted to have the best curriculum of its kind nationally. Our partnership with Century College has proven what we value, post-secondary education is for everyone.

MICC supports participants in finding meaningful employment aligned with their skills, interests, and preferences. When entering the workforce, participants experience a sense of belonging, personal growth, challenge, and confidence.

We are celebrating our February Participant of the Month, Cole!

​Participant of the Month is awarded by nominations from both peers and staff for individuals who have clearly demonstrated one or more of our three R’s: responsibility, resilience, and respect. Here are some of what people had to say about Cole’s RESPECT:

A peer wrote, “He always cares and asks how everyone is. He is very kind-hearted.”

Additionally, a staff member shared, “Cole demonstrates respect daily. He always asks his peers and staff how they are doing (and asks follow-up questions)! He is a great participant in class and respects the opinions of his peers.”

When asked why he has been recognized as Participant of the Month, Cole shared, “I think I was recognized as participant of the month because I am respectful and I like to ask people about their day and help others.”
 
Cole’s favorite thing about MICC are “the socials. Especially going to the zoo.” Two fun facts about him are that he likes holding doors for other people and he likes anime.

Congratulations, Cole!