Annual Bridging Breakfast 2025
Bright and early on a sunny Thursday morning in Minneapolis, Minnesota, over 100 guests joined Civic Bridgers at our largest annual Bridging Breakfast.
With flaky croissants and infectious smiles, the energy was lively at The Lynhall No. 2640 filled with new and familiar faces!
Executive Director Libby Stegger greeting Sumaya Yassin and Maryam Irobe, Campus Bridging Initiative participants from St. Catherine’s University laughing while grabbing breakfast.
Programming opened with Libby expressing gratitude and sharing our video introduction
Applause and cheer filled the room as Libby recognized Fellows, host partners, and sponsors for their commitment to bridging.
Khaliah Booker and Mackenzie Whitehead-Bust, 2024-2025 Fellows.
Jill Carey, Vice President of Programs, facilitated a crowd favorite activity
Used in our Beyond Civics curriculum, participants are tasked to discuss villains in popular movies and TV shows, navigating the complexities of antihero identities to set aside our own views and build perspective. After talking with those at their table, a few guests shared their insights and takeaways to the whole room.
Civic Bridgers Board Member, Thomas Antony, pictured sharing his group discussion of alternate perspectives for villains in mainstream media.
Seen engaging in table group discussions, Board Member Christine Reed reps a new Civic Bridgers tote bag.
For the main event, a panel answered Libby’s thoughtful questions
Campus Bridging Initiative (CBI) participants Sumaya Yassin and Angelina Rueda, along with 2024-2025 Fellow and Civic Bridgers Program Engagement Coordinator Jasmine Nguyen, comprised the panel to inform, inspire, and illustrate Civic Bridgers’ program values and impact with authentic and personal stories.
Angelina represented our values of Humanity, Humility, and Accountability as she recalled a challenging moment during Campus Bridging Initiative. She found herself updating her view points, practicing self-regulation, and acknowledging the complexities of lived experiences as she worked with other students discussing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Six Principles of Nonviolence.
Executive Director at Banyan Community, Carl Schlueter, asked a question surrounding social media’s role in the work of bridging and how Civic Bridgers tackles this. Jasmine, who facilitated Beyond Civics at Banyan Community, thought back to a specific session where middle and high school students used the SIFT Method, a digital literacy evaluation strategy, to think critically about social media posts and sources of truth.
With friends and colleagues from St. Catherine’s University cheering her on, Sumaya named insights from her experience during the exchange weekend to the College of St. Benedict’s, highlighting her preconceived notions and changing views of rural areas.
Available to guests were the Civic Bridgers 2024-2025 Impact Report to learn more about programs, initiative, and success stories.
To close off the Bridging Breakfast morning
Libby and co-host Sean Blanchett emphasized the impact Civic Bridgers has in programming for youth leaders and the healing of polarization to bridge divides. Thank you to our sponsors for making this morning happen: The Rosenbaum and Gilbert Family, Eli and Jessica Cordova Kramer, Andrew and Sarah F. Wilson, Ellie Lucas, The Steinhaeuser Family, Revere Auctions, Pier Partners. Many thanks to all who donated to Civic Bridgers. Let’s strengthen our democracy together.
