Cocktails & Conversation: Access to the Outdoors Helps Children Bloom

RESCHEDULED FROM FEBRUARY 22 TO MARCH 23.

Due to the forecasted snowstorm, we have rescheduled Cocktails & Conversation from February 22 to March 23. All reservations will be moved to March 23 unless a refund is requested, which will be promptly honored.

Are you ready for winter to be over? Enjoy of glimpse of spring as Linh Buoen of Arden Oak Flowers & Design shows you how to assemble a beautiful, fresh floral arrangement that you’ll take home. If you’ve been to a paint-and-sip event, this is a similar experience!

You’ll then learn how environmental justice applies to early childhood education. You’ll come away with a new appreciation for our beautiful outdoors and some practical ways that you can help ensure that our youngest citizens have access to it.

Register here.

The Details

Tickets – $60 – includes one floral arrangement, an appetizer buffet with an assortment of items from the restaurants in the food hall and one drink of your choice. Additional food and drinks may be purchased from the restaurants at the North Loop Galley. Ample paid parking is available in an adjacent ramp or on the street.

RSVP via EventBrite by March 17.

Make a Floral Arrangement and Imagine Spring

Linh Buoen, of Arden Oak Flowers & Design, will provide all the materials and instructions to assemble a seasonal arrangement. Whether you’re an experienced florist or have never even put a bloom in a vase, you’ll come away with a creation you’ll be proud to display or share with a friend.

Linh started Arden Oak Flowers & Design in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when many of us looked to nature and flowers for respite from world events. Linh has always had an eye for design and she’s excited to share her talents with each of us.

Children Have a Right to Spend Every Season Outside

All children have the right to experience the outdoors. Opportunities to do so, however, vary widely and often relate to where a child lives. This issue is so important that the Children’s Cabinet of the State of Minnesota drafted a Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights in 2022. The vision is a state where all Minnesota children and families are inspired to engage with the natural world in ways that support physical activity, mental well-being, creativity, and appreciation for nature.

Carrie Johnson, Greater Twin Cities United Way Education Program Officer, explains the importance of a sense of belongingness and personal safety for children in age-appropriate outdoor spaces. One powerful example specific to early childhood is that ½ of preschool children are not taken outside daily.

Deb Lund, Executive Director of Baby’s Space, a Women United-funded partner in the Phillips neighborhood of south Minneapolis, will share how they ensure that children in their program have appropriate access to the outdoors.