BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE
Bloomington Avenue, which runs through the South Minneapolis neighborhoods of Phillips, Powderhorn, Bancroft, Northrup, Hale and Diamond Lake, is one of the most diverse in the Twin Cities. These neighborhoods have been shaped by Africans, the most recent migrants; Latinos, who’ve been calling this area home for several decades; and longstanding residents of African and European descent as well as Native Americans. Their institutions, their music and food, their knowledge and traditions have created a unique mixture of cultural values and talents. One thing you can surely do on or within a block or two of Bloomington Avenue is get an education and enrich your life.
This can start as early as six weeks of age at Jardin Magico, a Spanish immersion child care center and preschool. Although Jardin Magico began on Minnehaha, its appeal has caused it to grow to two additional locations, with another on the way. The second campus to open was in a strip mall at 4040 Bloomington Ave., which otherwise houses a Family Dollar store and a car repair shop. Jardin Magico now occupies what used to be Nokomis Bowling Lanes, but with a total facelift in line with their Montessori-like program emphasizing art, light, nature and beautiful surroundings. They also converted a chunk of the massively underused parking lot into a safely enclosed yet sunlight-filled playground with loads of bright, colorful equipment, a high iron fence, and rubberized tiles to cushion any falls that might occur. Jardin Magico begins “instruction” in both English and Spanish in infancy, and the program, which goes through pre-K, also includes music, dance, art, field trips, kindergarten- and reading-readiness, nature studies, and much more.
Quite nearby, on the northeast corner of Bloomington and 42nd Street, is a high school that may one day reap the benefit of this early learning. El Colegio is a charter high school whose authorizer is Pillsbury United Communities, rather than the local school board. El Colegio is “rooted in the Latino experience,” in the words of its mission statement, and “builds upon the talents of bilingual, bicultural students and their families to provide the academic rigor, leadership skills, college and career preparation, and community connections necessary to become lifelong leaders and change agents.” While developing their leadership abilities and preparing for university and for life, the students also go into the community to volunteer (at Sabathani, Ebenezer, Waite House and others), to serve internships, or to create public art under the mentorship of local artists through a program called “Muralistas.”
Heading back north up Bloomington is Nawayee Center School, an alternative high school serving a different population with a different yet similar approach. Center School, as it was originally called, pre-dates the charter school movement by several decades. It started as a drop-in enrichment program in the 1970s and grew to be a full-fledged high school, picking up a nonprofit structure as it developed. Joe Rice, the current director, came to the school in 2001 after a career as an educator in South Dakota, first on the Pine Ridge reservation, then in Rapid City. He is a Choctaw, (fluent both in the language of his tribe as as well as in Lakota). He serves on numerous boards, including the Metropolitan Federation of Alternative Schools, and lectures on Native-American education. He is also the founder and leader of Phillips Indian Educators (PIE), which brings educators from charter, alternative and district schools together to share resources and address issues that continue to hold back the progress of Native-American students. Nawayee Center School is small but large in its impact, blending mainstream education approaches with Native-American traditions in programs that include a drum group, a rich and varied art program, a wellness program, a sexual health program, gardening, Lakota and Ojibwe languages, hiking, canoeing, field trips to sacred sites, and other programs incorporating traditional Native-American knowledge.
There are, of course, other ways to gain an education besides school. Neighborhood churches, the Powderhorn Park recreation center, and various programs that may combine these institutions have offerings for learners of all ages. One church you may be unaware of is the Japanese Fellowship Church at 4217 Bloomington. With services in Japanese each Sunday, the church also offers free Japanese lessons at 10 am. They also have a ukulele ministry called Praise Strings which is open to beginners wishing to develop their skill. They perform for senior communities and care homes around the cities.
One church most everyone in the Powderhorn area knows about is Walker Community Methodist. Having been the incubator of In the Heart of the Beast, KFAI radio and numerous other theater, music and art groups in the past, it might be no surprise that Walker Church is still doing innovative partnerships and interesting learning experiences in the 21st century. A partnership between another alternative church, The Story (thestorymn.com), and a faith-based nonprofit providing enrichment programs for youth, Ace in the City (aceinthecity.org), has taken up residence in the Walker building for some of their activities. Ace in the City’s programs mostly take place at the Powderhorn Park recreation center, where they offer basketball mentoring, homework help and other programs, but their offices are at Walker Church. The Story combines twice-monthly worship services in the Walker sanctuary with several “house churches” that meet at different times throughout the week and they do service work with Ace in the City and other local groups.
Walker Church also hosts three different movement/exercise classes, all on Wednesdays. In the morning at 8:30 a.m. there is a two-hour class in Rosen Movement. At 7:15 p.m. there is a class called Ecstatic Movement. And a brand new offering is the Vinyasa Yoga Flow class at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. And of course, Walker Church is still a place where you can develop your music skills, as ever. Two “jams” are regulars on the calendar: autoharp jams on the second Sunday of each month at 3 p.m. in the meditation room, and bluegrass jams on the last Monday of each month in the sanctuary.
Powderhorn Park itself, like all major Minneapolis parks, offers a plethora of activities for all ages. Activities include pre-ballet for 6- to 12-year-olds to Yoga and Zumba for adults. And a unique Powderhorn Park offering in the arts realm is the ceramics studio, offering all levels of instruction for decades.
Maybe you don’t want to learn anything just now. That’s fine, there are other things to do on Bloomington Avenue and its nearby streets. You’re still always finding out new things. Maybe you have a pet that needs some pampering, or just a better diet? There are two wonderful pet-oriented resources right on Bloomington. At 35th and Bloomington you’ll find K9 and Kitty Kutters, an eclectic pet grooming service. They are competent to put your pet at ease even if she or he is young, or aggressive, or timid, or elderly. They do a huge range of services, including two I had never heard of: nail dremeling and cat lion cuts. And of course they have the usual grooming services, including for exotic pets. The other resource is not a business but an institution—People and Pets Together. It’s a food shelf for your companion animal. If you qualify for SNAP or similar food assistance, and have a pet, you can get free high-quality food for him or her at this storefront near 38th and Bloomington.
Of course, there is always the great fallback activity—going out for coffee. Conversing regularly with a variety of folks is always a great, albeit random, learning experience. A great hangout with excellent coffee and nosh is Sister Sludge, at 46th and Bloomington. They feature friendly service, a relaxed vibe, and you should definitely try the shortbread. And how could we fail to mention that old stalwart, The May Day Cafe, at the corner of Bloomington and 35th? They have fabulous coffee, and an always imposing selection of baked goodies or healthier fare to go along with it, including nice and large almond croissants that are not too drenched in confectioners sugar. It’s also a place where you can buy postcards by neighborhood artists and books from neighborhood poets, while you soak up the old hippy ambience of Bloomington Avenue.
