Image credit: Pete Markham/Flickr
Help Shape the Future of Lake Superior Recreation – Your Voice Matters!
Please respond by November 5, 2024
Ami Choi, one of Minnesota Sea Grant's funded project researchers, is seeking participants from Minnesota's Black, African-American, Afro-Latino, and African immigrant communities for her project exploring experiences and challenges related to water-based recreation along Lake Superior’s stunning north and south shores.
Interested in sharing your perspective? Take a quick 2-minute qualifying survey by scanning the QR code above or contact baran158@umn.edu. If selected, you'll participate in a 60-minute interview and receive $100 as a thank-you for your time! Your story could make a difference!
Project Summary
Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior is an important outdoor recreation and tourism destination facing increasing demand, though ongoing efforts exist to diversify outdoor recreation participants. Although the Black and African American populations of Minnesota are the fastest growing racial group in the state, they account for only a small portion of outdoor recreationists.
Disparity in representation and inequity in participation may result in communities missing out on the benefits of outdoor recreation and may weaken the towns that rely on tourists.
This project aims to examine perceived constraints on water-based recreation along Lake Superior's North Shore by Black and African American Minnesotans and to co-create an action plan with community partners to address these constraints.
Funding
Support for this project is provided by Minnesota Sea Grant’s 2024-2026 Biennial Request for Proposal program. Every two years MNSG awards approximately $2 million in research grants through a rigorous, competitive, peer-reviewed process. Researchers based in Minnesota, who are not federal employees, are invited to apply. Grant awards average about $45,000 per year for two years, plus a graduate research associate whose cost does not count against the project budget.
Project team
Project Manager:
Ami Choi
choix667@umn.edu
Assistant Extension Professor, Tourism Center
University of Minnesota
Co-Investigators:
Xinyi Qian
qianx@umn.edu
Director and State Specialist, Tourism Center
University of Minnesota
Ingrid Schneider
ingridss@umn.edu
Professor, Department of Forest Resources
University of Minnesota
Why Sea Grant?
This project supports Minnesota Sea Grant's focus area of Resilient Communities and Economies through ensuring safe and equitable access of Lake Superior and analyzing the demographics of Minnesota's lake resources and barriers to underserved communities.
Lead scientist(s)
Ami Choi
choix667@umn.edu
Assistant Extension Professor, Tourism Center
University of Minnesota