Youth-led nonprofit aims to increase inclusion, accessibility in Bemidji community
Apr. 27—BEMIDJI — It's not often that the board for a nonprofit is formed entirely by people under the age of 22, but Lead for Inclusion was designed to be an exception.
The youth-led organization is a newly created Bemidji nonprofit with the goal of making every place in the community accessible and welcoming to people with and without disabilities. For the person who created the organization, Shannon Murray, having it led by local youth was the only way to go.
"They're the people in our community with the most skills and the most knowledge on how to be inclusive," Murray said. "With all of their skills and their passions, and knowing what they're capable of, I can't think of any other way I would want to go about doing this."
Having the organization led by youth is also important to Murray since the reason they were inspired to create the nonprofit was to address the gap in inclusive services and support people with disabilities face after they graduate from high school.
"We have some really great programs going on in the schools, but there's this gap after graduation," Murray explained. "(I wanted) to create and build a bridge so that we have inclusion everywhere in our community."
Supported by a fellowship from the Initiative Foundation and the Northwest Minnesota Foundation, Murray built the framework of Lead for Inclusion.
The nonprofit would have eight board members between the ages of 14 and 24, and include people of all abilities. While the youth lead the direction of the organization, Murray and another adult, John Rogers, provide guidance and support.
"I'm on this journey with these young leaders," Murray said. "They're really just wonderful young folks with energy and ideas, and this is something they've identified as missing in our community."
The eight young board members held their first meeting on Wednesday, which laid out the foundations of the organization and its mission. Lead for Inclusion will have three areas of focus: leadership and job skills development, community advocacy and outreach, and inclusive social activities.
Each of these areas is a way to address systemic barriers faced by people with disabilities, and each of Lead for Inclusion's members shares a passion for the work.
"I think it's really important to show the community that we do care about people with disabilities," shared Courtney Frenzel, a junior at Bemidji High School. "I want people to be educated through this, and share with the community the work that we're doing."
That work will often be challenging. William Duncan, a senior at Bemidji High School, shared the obstacles that people with disabilities face in gaining employment, something he's already experienced.
"There are times people with disabilities have tried to apply to jobs. Some of them are successful, but some of them are very rarely successful," he said. "(I want) to help people with disabilities be able to apply to jobs in whatever they're most passionate about."
Lead for Inclusion hopes to address the ableism present in the job market by encouraging more local businesses and organizations to consider people with disabilities as equal contenders for employment.
"I just feel that we shouldn't be ignoring people with disabilities," shared Connor Helm, a junior at Bemidji High School. "We should be able to give them equal opportunities to what I would have. I just don't see why there should be a difference."
This means, in part, challenging common assumptions about the capabilities of people with disabilities through education and advocacy work.
"We all have doubters," Duncan said. "I want to make sure that there's less of them."
But inclusion doesn't stop with the job market, the members of the new nonprofit also want to ensure people with disabilities are included in every part of what it means to live in a community.
"(Another focus) is social activities," Murray explained. "Everything that's wonderful about being in a community: sports, music, being outside in nature, playing games ... we want to do all of that inclusively."
While Lead for Inclusion is just getting started, Murray expects the youth leading the organization to truly make it into their own and create meaningful change in the community.
"Everybody came excited (to the first meeting)," they said. "They have a lot to give the community (and) all of this sets us up for doing the work together in a really good way."
Anyone interested in learning more about the organization or getting involved can reach out to Murray by emailing
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