Brian Miner, the new Coordinator of the Mille Lacs Area Partners for Prevention (MAPP) has deep roots in the area and many years of relevant experience in education and counseling.
Brian Miner graduated from Onamia in 1998 and has worked for Mille Lacs Academy, Central Lakes College and the Minnesota Department of Human Services, in addition to coaching baseball and football at his alma mater.
He started college at CLC and earned a bachelor’s in elementary ed and a master’s in counseling psychology at St. Cloud State.
When Brian heard about the opening with MAPP, he was immediately interested. “When we made the decision to buy a house here in Onamia, I wanted to do something to help the community, to make it a better place for the kids, and I thought this would be a good opportunity,” Miner said.
Miner started work on Nov. 21, and since then has been working to get up to speed on the state and federal grants that fund MAPP. He’ll also be receiving training as a Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist.
Brian is happy to be working in Onamia. “My family is here, my friends are here, and I’m familiar with the school and the folks who work there,” he said. “I love the lakes and rivers and parks, and I love small-town, rural living.”
MAPP was founded in 2011 through a planning and implementation grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Funding now comes from a federal Drug-Free Community grant. The grant expires Sept. 30, 2020, but can be renewed.
According to the website:
“M.A.P.P. is a coalition of concerned community members from Isle, Nay Ah Shing and Onamia who believe it is possible to reduce and prevent underage drinking and substance abuse in our area. We do this through several strategies including: In-school curriculum, area youth groups, Beverage Server Training and Positive Community Norms (PCN) media campaigns that tell the story of what’s really happening in our communities.
“M.A.P.P. was established in December of 2011 with the primary focus of sharing resources, ideas and information to bring about community awareness of underage alcohol and drug use issues and promote prevention.
The group’s mission is “To build a healthy empowered community through methods that prevent the onset and reduce alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among our youth.
Their vision is “A community that works to develop and maintain partnerships by engaging and empowering everyone to make healthy and safe choices.
Miner can be found in the old Spanish room at Onamia High School, where MAPP has set up a classroom for its youth group.”
For more information, contact Brian at Onamia High School or visit
http://mappcoalition.com.
