If you last visited this website sometime around 2014, welcome back. We’ve missed you.

A lot has changed since then — in the world, in Lake of the Woods County, and here at LWPC. We thought it was time to dust off this corner of the internet, pick up where we left off, and keep you in the loop on what we’ve been up to.

But first — a moment.

The students who were active in our STUDs program back in 2014 are in their mid-to-late twenties now. Some of them have careers. Some of them have kids of their own. We think about that sometimes. We hope their time in STUDs meant something — that some small part of what they learned, or experienced, or chose during those years still lives with them. If you’re one of those former STUDs members reading this: we hope life is treating you well. You were part of something good.

So, what has LWPC been up to for the past twelve years?

The short answer: a lot. The coalition has kept going — through grant cycles, through a pandemic, through staff changes and community shifts — because the work still matters. Substance use prevention in a small, rural community doesn’t get easier over time, but the people who show up for it don’t quit either.

STUDs is still going strong, serving students in grades 6 through 12. National Night Out, which draws 500 or more community members each summer in Baudette, has become one of our favorite annual events. We’ve added programs like Narcan training and distribution, Safe Prescription Drug Disposal, and Responsible Beverage Server Training — reflecting the ways the prevention landscape has evolved.

Most recently, LWPC has been implementing a framework called Communities That Care (CTC) through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health. It’s an evidence-based approach that uses local data to drive prevention decisions — and earlier this month, we completed our first CTC Prevention Needs Assessment Survey with students in grades 6 through 12. 191 students participated. The results are in, and we’re reviewing them now. We’ll share what we learn right here.

This is us, in 2026.

Same mission. Same community. A lot more gray hair.

We’re glad you’re here, and we plan to keep this space updated with news, resources, and the occasional reflection on why this work matters. Stick around.

— Doris Knutson, Prevention Coordinator, Lake of the Woods Prevention Coalition lwpcstory.org | facebook.com/LOtWPC