MINNESOTA — Neighboring the Chippewa National Forest is Concordia Language Villages, where language and nature intersect. Central to the mission of Concordia Language Villages is their stewardship of over 900 acres in northern Minnesota, thoughtfully managed to reflect the diversity of the cultures they share. This land serves as a living classroom where participants not only learn but experience cultural exchange. 

As part of the Eastern Region’s external speaker series, FS Talks (internal link), Mary Maus Kosir, executive director, shared how Concordia Language Villages accomplishes its mission, to inspire courageous global citizens, through cultural immersion. By immersing participants in culturally authentic settings, Concordia Language Villages promotes a sense of responsibility and connectedness that transcends geographic boundaries. This philosophy resonated strongly with the Forest Service’s commitments to conservation and education.

During the session, employees learned how Concordia Language Villages uses it’s eight unique sites to transport visitors to international environments. Construction of the first permanent site, the Norwegian Language Village Skogfjorden, began in 1969. Now, the camp runs year-round, architecturally distinct sites for Finnish, French, German, Korean, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish around Turtle River Lake, near Bemidji, Minnesota. Each of the Village counselors use the landscape as a backdrop and the environment as their textbook for their educational programming. Sustainability is also thoughtfully integrated into the village’s operations, ensuring that the land remains both a resource and a shared responsibility. This connected with Forest Service employees’ dedication to land stewardship in their work.

The Forest Service and Concordia Language Villages have a lot in common – from outdoor education and programming, to preserving cultural heritage and welcoming diverse audiences to experience the outdoors in unique ways. The session proved to be an inspiring exchange of ideas. Forest Service employees gained practical insights from Concordia’s emphasis on immersive, hands-on learning methods, which offered fresh inspiration for engaging visitors in the cultural and natural heritage within national forests and grasslands. The villages’ success in fostering a global perspective spurred ideas for enhancing the Forest Service’s educational and outreach initiatives. Ultimately, the dialogue underscored the shared mission of both organizations: connecting people to the world around them in ways that inspire and educate.