Austin Aspires

09/30/2026

The Congregational Preschool is holding an estate sale with a variety of early childhood materials, resources, furniture, and learning items available for purchase.

When: October 8th and 9th from 4-7pm
Where: 1910 3rd Ave NW Austin, MN 55912

You can view photos of some of the items that will be available in the link in the comments.

Please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested.

09/30/2026

🍎Attention early childcare professionals! Don't forget to register for SMIF's Fall Dine and Learn training series! Each event is free and Develop-approved:

✨Oct. 12 in Byron, Supporting young learners
✨NEW! Oct. 28 in Owatonna, Healthy homes
✨Nov. 4 in Kasson, Healthy spaces, happy faces: reducing food- and waterborne risks in Early Childhood programs
✨Nov. 11 in Austin, Healthy spaces, happy faces: creating safe and healthy learning environments

✨Register today! https://smifoundation.org/programs/early-childhood-development/early-childhood-trainings/

09/25/2026

What a great opportunity for families in our community to explore with MacPhail Center for Music - Austin, MN!

“When music is more regularly incorporated as part of children’s everyday lives, it can move the needle in their learning and development more effectively across many different parts of their lives: socially, emotionally, musically, and academically.” -Giuliana Conti (https://edsource.org/2024/can-music-boost-cognition-how-music-education-sharpens-the-brain/714100)

Looking forward to celebrating with you! See you Saturday 1:00-3:00 pm.

09/25/2026

We love seeing our community come together to support local families!

Thank you to Hot Off the Press Comics and Coffee for partnering with The Read Seed, Inc. as a roundup partner!

Can't make it in for coffee today? You can still support the local Imagination Library on Give Like Dolly Day!! Every gift helps put more books into the hands of local children. Support here: https://www.thereadseed.org/donations

And be sure to stop in for coffee tomorrow. ☕😊

This community is teamwork in action! 💛

☕️💗 IT’S DOLLY DAY! 📚✨

Today’s the day! We are so excited to partner with Hot Off the Press Comics and Coffee for a special Dolly Day Round-Up benefiting The Read Seed and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for children in Mower County!

When you stop in at Hot Off the Press today, Friday, September 25th, you can help put more books into the hands of local children simply by rounding up your purchase to the nearest dollar. Every little bit adds up to more free, high-quality books delivered right to the homes of children in our community. ❤️

We are incredibly grateful to Hot Off the Press for celebrating Dolly, celebrating books, and helping us make sure more local children get to experience the joy of opening a book in the mail every month.

Thank you, Hot Off the Press Coffee and Comics, for helping us make Dolly Day extra special! 💕

09/22/2026

Let's work together to make the resources in our community easier to access and ready for those looking for support!!

Our Resource Guide needs your help! 📣

The Mower County Resource Guide is an important tool for connecting individuals and families in Mower County with the programs, services, and resources available in our community. As needs and services change, we want to make sure the information in the guide continues to be accurate and useful.

We’re asking local organizations and community partners to review the guide and let us know about any updates, revisions, or resources that should be added.

If your organization has a change to share or knows of a resource that should be included, please submit your updates to us by November 1.

Together, we can keep this resource current and make it easier for our neighbors to find the help they need. 💙

To review the Resource Guide and submit any revisions, visit www.uwmower.org/resource-guide

09/17/2026

Rain or shine, we’re ready to welcome students tomorrow for a day of hands-on experiences, career exploration, and connections with amazing industry partners from across our region.

☔ Rain Ponchos? Check.
🛠️ Hands-on activities? Check.
💡 New possibilities to discover? Absolutely.

Different weather. Same bright futures.
See you at CareerQuest! 🎓🔍✨

09/04/2026

🏡 Looking for a little support? You don’t have to figure it out alone. 💛

The Austin Aspires Family Resource Hub is here to help families and caregivers find local resources and support all in one convenient place!

Whether you’re looking for help with:

🍎 Food
🏠 Housing
❤️ Health
📚 Education
👨‍👩‍👧 Family Support
🚌 Transportation
…and more!

👉 Families: Use the Resource Hub to explore local programs, services, and supports that may be helpful for you and your family. You can filter by service or the age of your learner.

👉 Community providers: Keep the Resource Hub handy when working with families. It’s an easy way to connect the people you serve with resources that may meet their needs.

💡 Know a family who could use some support? Share this post with them!

🔗 Explore the Austin Aspires Family Resource Hub:
www.austinaspires.org/resources-page

Use it. Share it. Connect families to support. 💚

09/04/2026

⚠️ An Austin Aspires email account recently had an unwanted visitor.⚠️

We are aware of the compromised account and have taken steps to secure the account and get things back to normal. If you received a message that seemed unusual, please disregard it and don't open the PDF attachment. Just one of those not-so-fun realities of living and working in a very digital world.

Thanks to everyone who reached out to give us a heads-up, and for your patience and understanding while we get things sorted out!💙