SOURIS – Strengthen ND, through its Creative Community Solutions (CCS) Grantmaking Program, has awarded $348,720 to four new projects that are developing, testing, and spreading community-driven solutions across North Dakota. With this latest round, CCS has now invested more than $6.3 million in 47 projects since its inception,supporting efforts that strengthen local problem-solving and expand community resilience across rural, urban, and statewide settings.

“These awards show once again that innovation doesn’t require flashy tools–it begins with people who know their community well and are willing to try something new,” said Megan Langley, executive director of Strengthen ND. “Each of these projects is building a pathway for others by developing, testing, or spreading ideas that tackle real challenges in North Dakota.”

The projects selected for funding in this round include:

— Pembina County Historical Museum, Community Cider Press Project, $35,500 to design and construct a handcrafted, colonial-style community cider press to activate the growing Pembina County CommunityOrchard.

— Central Dakota Forensic Nurse Examiners, Pathways to Healing, $189,000 to develop and test new survivor-centered medical care models for individuals impacted by sexual violence, domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking across 23 western North Dakota counties. The project includes developing improved referral pathways, testing expanded clinic settings, piloting mobile clinic days, and improving access to child-focused sexually transmitted diseases testing.

— EduTech, AI for All, $24,220 to introduce an accessible,community-based model to help rural municipalities and local organizations understand and apply artificial intelligence tools. EduTech will develop and deliver a four-stop statewide roadshow and begin building a rural AI practitioner network designed to increase efficiency and problem-solving capacity across North Dakota communities.

— Community Violence Intervention Center, Low-Barrier Legal Clinic Development, $100,000 to begin developing a low-barrier, survivor-centered legal clinic for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors in the Grand Forks region.