2018 Community Assessment Moorhead, Minnesota Prepared by in the NDSU Community Assessment course (SOC 404/604), December 2018. Community Assessment of Moorhead, MN Prepared by students in the Community Assessment course (SOC 404/604) North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota. Atif Ahadujjaman Abigail Bak Jamie Behymer Zachary Bartsch Bob Bertsch Nick Birkhimer Puja Djafari Samantha Gion Samantha Gould Justin Guse Dalton Hamm Siyad Hassan Sawyer Heller Ryan Herbst Lukas Hillerson Nicholas Myhre Barameer Okumu Luke Preussler McKaia Ryberg Kyle Volkers and Dr. Gary A. Goreham, Professor of Rural Sociology and Community Development Prepared for the Community of Moorhead, MN, December 2018 2 Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the leadership of the following members of the Moorhead Advisory Council: Lisa Bode, Governmental Affairs Director, City of Moorhead Alison Brennan, Research Associate, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Ryan Pesch, Educator, University of Minnesota Extension Taylor Wilson, Associate Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd Christine Volkers, City Manager, City of Moorhead George Youngs, Jr., Faculty Emeritus, North Dakota State University Additional thanks to the following individuals for participating in project interviews: Anne Blackhurst, President, Minnesota State University Moorhead Brian Frederickson, Educator, University of Minnesota Extension Noelle Harden, Educator, University of Minnesota Extension Christina Hargiss, Associate Professor, North Dakota State University Holly Heitkamp, Director, Moorhead Parks & Recreation Department Brandon Lunak, Superintendent, Moorhead Area Public Schools Stephanie Maier, Chair, Leadership FMWF Steve Moore, Public Works Director, City of Moorhead Lindsey O’Driscoll, Gamma Phi Betta, Minnesota State University Moorhead Carolina Pettus, Girls Scouts Dakota Horizons 3 Table of Contents Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Table of Maps ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Table of Photographs .................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter One: Defining the Community ...................................................................................................... 10 Community ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Boundaries .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Definitions of Community ...................................................................................................................... 15 Personal Relationship .............................................................................................................................. 15 References ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter Two: Methods................................................................................................................................ 18 Data Collection ....................................................................................................................................... 19 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Methodological Issues ............................................................................................................................ 20 Ethical Issues .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Code of Ethics ......................................................................................................................................... 21 References ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter Three: Cultural Capital .................................................................................................................. 22 Community History ................................................................................................................................ 23 Race, Ethnicity & Gender ....................................................................................................................... 24 Cultural Capital and Challenges ............................................................................................................. 27 Cultural Capital Assets ........................................................................................................................... 29 Asset Map ............................................................................................................................................... 30 References ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter Four: Natural Capital ..................................................................................................................... 34 Topography ............................................................................................................................................. 35 Soil .......................................................................................................................................................... 35 Water ....................................................................................................................................................... 37 Flooding .................................................................................................................................................. 38 Air Quality .............................................................................................................................................. 39 Weather and Climate ............................................................................................................................... 39 Biodiversity ............................................................................................................................................. 39 Parks ........................................................................................................................................................ 40 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................... 41 4 Asset Map ............................................................................................................................................... 42 References ............................................................................................................................................... 43 Chapter Five: Human Capital ..................................................................................................................... 44 Health ...................................................................................................................................................... 48 Labor/Occupations .................................................................................................................................. 50 Leadership ............................................................................................................................................... 53 Asset Map ............................................................................................................................................... 54 References ............................................................................................................................................... 55 Chapter Six: Social Capital ......................................................................................................................... 60 Levels of Social Capital: Bonding and Bridging .................................................................................... 61 Groups in Moorhead ............................................................................................................................... 62 General Organizations ............................................................................................................................ 63 Culture/Arts............................................................................................................................................. 64 Educational Institutions .......................................................................................................................... 65 Service Groups ........................................................................................................................................ 67 Youth .....................................................................................................................................................