The mission of the St. Croix Valley Foundation is simple: to enhance the quality of life in the St. Croix Valley. The foundation does that by offering numerous grants and scholarships to residents in six counties and two states in the St. Croix Valley — and it's based right here in Hudson at the new Alliance Center, a hub for local nonprofits (including former podcast guests Operation HELP and the Hudson Area Backpack and Food Program).

On this week's episode, Angie Pilgrim and Heidi Herron from the St. Croix Valley Foundation join the podcast to share more about the foundation's work. They give more detail on the types of scholarships and grants that are offered, talk about why they enjoy working for a nonprofit, and even read a few testimonials of previous scholarship winners whose lives were changed by the St. Croix Valley Foundation.

To learn more about the St. Croix Valley Foundation, head to scvfoundation.org.

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Nestled into the woods in a quiet part of Hudson is the beautiful new building of the Carpenter Nature Center, which also has a location in Hastings, Minn. The center's two campuses are home to animals, hiking trails, and education materials for kids and adults alike. Each of the two locations boasts hundreds of acres of land that provide a great escape right in our own backyard.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're joined by Jen Vieth, Carpenter Nature Center's executive director, and Abbey Holden, the center's outreach coordinator and animal care coordinator. The two share more about the history of the Carpenter Nature Center, talk about how each of them fell in love with animals at young ages, discuss many of the free activities and opportunities available through the CNC, and much more.

The Carpenter Nature Center's Hudson campus can be found at 279 South Cove Road. The Hastings campus is located at 12805 St. Croix Trail South.

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The Hudson School District has faced challenges in recent years. From the debate over a new high school to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced schools to go remote, tough decisions had to be made in order to do what was best for the Hudson students. Making those tough decisions isn't always easy, but it's something Jamie Johnson has learned to do as the president of the Hudson School Board.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Jamie joins to talk about his time on the board, how his longtime career as an attorney helped prepare him to be school board president, and shares about what the next five years might look like for the Hudson School District. He also talks about the additional volunteering he does in the local community, and offers some words of advice for parents as the 2024-25 school year approaches.

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