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Continuing education in a business or profession is critical for growth, but trainings can be difficult to participate in when classes are held far away or are too costly. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation we take pride in hosting a variety of high-quality, low-cost training opportunities close to home for entrepreneurs and early childhood professionals here in our 20-county region. At SMIF, we are currently gearing up for fall training events that will be beneficial to many in our region.

For the eighth year in a row SMIF is looking forward to hosting the Entrepreneurial Bridge event, a celebration of entrepreneurial innovation in the region held on Sept. 27 in Albert Lea. Equal parts training, networking and inspiration, there will be a variety of speakers who will share stories and practical advice for businesses. Craig C. Culver, one of the entrepreneurs behind the Culver’s restaurant chain, will share how his family turned one restaurant into a growing franchise with 800 locations. Deeann Lufkin, one of the owners of CannonBelles Cheese in Cannon Falls (and a SMIF loan client!), will share how her award-winning cheese business has been creative with financing over the years. Registration is currently open at smifoundation.org/bridge.

SMIF’s fall events will continue with an early childhood training series that launches on Sept. 20 and runs through Nov. 17 with a total of six classes. Theresa Peplinski’s classes will explore how nursery rhymes and foundational math are important for future educational learning. Raelene Ostberg’s classes will help caregivers learn techniques for working with toddlers during difficult moments and encourage emotional intelligence in young children. We are looking forward to hearing from these, and other, well-known speakers for this exciting fall series.

We know that in order to deliver quality trainings to early childhood professionals, it is critical to accommodate their schedules. Therefore, in addition to holding these sessions in the evenings, these classes are also held in different parts of the region — in Owatonna, Austin, Kasson, Dundas, Hayfield and Stewartville. Dinner is also provided for free at these classes. Individuals can choose to opt in to as many sessions that they are interested in. One major benefit is that all of these trainings are “Develop-approved,” so attendees will receive credit for participating, further aiding them in reaching their professional goals. Registration is currently open at smifoundation.org/ectrainings.

SMIF’s continuing education opportunities have trained thousands of professionals in southern Minnesota over the years. We know that providing high-quality, low-cost trainings close to home is critical for the growth of our region.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions. You can reach me at timp@smifoundation.org or 507-455-3215.

Tim Penny is the president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. He represented Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1982 to 1994.