Learning how to be a resource for youth struggling with mental health challenges through our free QPR Training.

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR): A suicide prevention gatekeeper training that teaches adults how to recognize warning signs, offer hope, and refer youth to life-saving professional care

Workshops are scheduled once enough attendees have submitted for them. The workshops are 8 hours long split in a single session or 2-day sessions of 4 hours each.

For more information, email: Ymhfirstaid@niu.edu

You are invited to experience the collective wisdom and personal experience of artists' interpretation of the theme Echoes of a Changing Planet. Participating artists:
Norm Knott, Marsha Goodheart, Holly Blair-Cascio, Susan Berry, Julie Kennelly, Maya Simmons, Caitlyn Jahn, Paula Flanagan-Marsh, Barbara Berney, Lori Gustafson, Sadie Hoessrich, Becca Houlihan, Jose Sente, Greg LaMont, Clara Krick, Jessie Crow-Mermel, Wren Medina, Cassie Blair, Ventie Houi, Drew Helge, Annette McLean and Cherie Heck.

Take Root: A Farm Business Class Farmers Rising - The Land Connection - Food Works

January 13 – June 6, 2026
Tuesday and Thursdays
6-8pm
Four quarters · Four weeks each · One-week break between sections
Final presentations on June 6
(Last official class day: May 21, followed by a two-week break)

Mentorships to follow (optional)

About the Program

Take Root is a comprehensive virtual training program designed for people exploring farm business ownership and farmers in their first 1–5 years. This guided, step-by-step course helps participants build the confidence, clarity, and practical skills needed to launch or strengthen a farm enterprise.

The course follows a structured 4-section curriculum, each lasting four weeks. Between each section, participants take a one-week pause to reflect, catch up, and prepare for the next phase. After the final session on May 21, students will have two weeks to finalize their plans before returning on June 6 for peer presentations. Once presentations are complete, students will have the opportunity to join a mentorship program specialized to each person.

What are the benefits of Take Root?

✔ Build a complete farm business plan

✔ Join a supportive community

✔ Learn from experienced farmers

✔ Strengthen your business knowledge

Course Sections:

Quarter 1: The Dream: Foundations of Farm Life

Quarter 2: Enterprise: The Business of Farming

Quarter 3: Operations: Building it Out

Quarter 4: Finance: Keeping and Maintaining the Farm

Tuition & Accessibility

Total cost: $500 (not including mentorship)
Enrollment fee: $25 (applied toward tuition)

To ensure the program is accessible to all, we offer:

Payment plan

Need-based scholarships (based on current grant-supported scholarship fund availability)

Mentorships to follow

We can not wait for a great year with Take Root!

Jillae- Farmer Training Program Facilitator at Farmers Rising

Matt Dietrich (Public Relations Officer) from the State Board of Elections will confirm that our Elections system here in Illinois is secure, safe, and fair. He will answer questions from attendees following his presentation.

Join us for a delicious new program that brings DKPL’s collection to life! On the last Tuesday of each month, we’ll dive into a carefully chosen cookbook to explore its organization—whether it's structured by season, ingredient, or technique—and evaluate the author’s writing style, from their storytelling to the helpfulness of their notes.

Each participant is asked to read the cookbook, choose a recipe, prepare it at home, and bring the dish to share with the group. We’ll gather potluck-style to enjoy a meal and compare our experiences, discussing what inspired our recipe choice and how the author’s style or the cookbook’s layout impacted our time in the kitchen. Cookbook Club is the perfect way to test-drive a new title while enjoying a feast with fellow food lovers!

Each month, the chosen cookbook can be picked up in the Adult Services Department near the reference desk.

June: Cooking in Real Life by Lidey Heuck
July: Jubilee by Toni Tipton-Martin
August: Open Wide by Benny Blanco

Registration is not required. This program is intended for adults.

For more information, please contact Amy at amyf@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 6108.

The 19th Amendment and the Power of the Vote! Musical Presentation
September 18, 7:00 – 8:00pm (Doors open at 6:00pm)

$25 – member rate/ $30 non-member
Register online at
https://www.cmaaa.org/events--receptions.html

Anita Kallen and Catherine Thomson will present a special musical show that celebrates the law that affirmed women’s right to vote. With music by Sondheim, Lennon & McCartney, Parton, Porter, and others, Anita and Catherine weave in the story of women's suffrage. Don't miss this powerful performance that will take you on a musical journey through more than a century of voting rights history.

Audience Acclaim:
"A wonderful performance by smart, strong women with beautiful voices, music, humor and a fantastic historical journey shared. "
"This show is touching and important. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking. It reminds me of how much I’ve taken women’s rights and liberty for granted. They were possible because of the long, painful fight by those who refused to give up their hopes and dreams."
"This was a wonderful show! Thoughtful, clever, funny, beautifully sung!".