Will Heller

Natural Hair Care Institute Now Offering Up To $1,800 in Supportive Services for Students

The Natural Hair Care Institute is now offering up to $1,800 in supportive services to students! Supportive services can include rent, grocery, transportation, and childcare support. For more information, and to enroll, visit: www.nhci.education or email Autumn at [email protected]

Founded in 2022, the Natural Hair Care Institute is a non-profit, natural hair care institution that educates, motivates and prepares students for a career in natural hair care and hair braiding. During the program, students gain:

  • An advanced curriculum in natural haircare and braiding
  • Hands-on training on working with all hair textures
  • Support and supervision from knowledgeable staff
  • Assistance with securing clients and job placement after the program
  • Business building skills and customer service skills

Program Requirements:

  • Must be able to stand for 6-8 hours per day to do hair
  • Must commit to a 32-hour onsite training schedule Monday-Thursday, for 19 weeks

Eligibility:

  • Must be a resident of Minneapolis (proof of residency required: State ID, lease or utility bill with MPLS address)
  • Adult program – open to people ages 18-24
  • Meet income limits – these vary by number in household and are updated annually

Want to learn more? We are hosting an Open House at Natural Hair Care Institute for prospective students:

Friday, March 13
2:00-3:30pm
Natural Hair Care Institute
2909 Bryant Ave. S #104
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Learn more about the Natural Hair Care training and certification, meet the staff, tour the space and learn about the PUC scholarship for 18-24 year olds residing in Minneapolis.

Will Heller

2026 McKnight Fellowships for Community Engaged Artists: What to Know and How to Apply

Administered by Pillsbury House + Theatre in partnership with the McKnight Foundation, applications are open and close March 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM (CST).

The McKnight Fellowships for Community-Engaged Artist Program provides annual fellowship awards to two (2) outstanding mid-career community-engaged artists who are at a stage beyond emerging in their career.

For the purposes of this fellowship, community-engaged artists are defined as artists who use their artistic practice to build relationships aimed at producing social or cultural transformation. This intention drives choice and process throughout the conception, design, stewardship, and implementation of their work.

The Pillsbury House + Theatre–administered fellowship program uses an independent jury of arts specialists to competitively award two fellowships.

Fellows Receive:

  • A $25,000 fellowship award 
  • A $3,000 professional development fund 
  • Access to PH+T facilities and equipment 
  • Support from PH+T staff and community resources 
  • Consultation, support, and resources from Springboard for the Arts 
  • Access to Artist Residencies through the Artist Communities Alliance 

The fellowship period runs for one year.

For questions, contact Mike Hoyt at 612-787-3655 or [email protected].

For more information and application guidelines, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships

2026 McKnight Fellowships for Community Engaged Artists Information Sessions:

Dates & times:

Wednesday Feb. 25, 2026
5:00pm-6:00pm (CST)

Location:

Pillsbury Creative Commons
3529 Chicago Avenue S. Minneapolis, MN 55407

Virtual option:

(FEB. 25) – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85466410343?pwd=3JKXTvBWCRpbttVsb8CJkEKAfgHBlN.1

McKnight Foundation

Founded on the belief that Minnesota thrives when its artists and culture bearers thrive, the McKnight Foundation’s arts and culture program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Support for individual working Minnesota artists and culture bearers has been a cornerstone of the program since it began in 1982. The McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 15 different creative disciplines. Program partner organizations administer the fellowships and structure them to respond to the unique challenges of different disciplines. Currently, the foundation contributes about $2.8 million per year to its statewide fellowships. For more information, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships.

Learn More and Apply

 

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