The Bush Foundation in St. Paul has announced the second cohort of 2013 Bush Fellows.

Eight fellows in Minnesota and North and South Dakota will each receive two-year grants ranging between $30,000 and $80,000 to create positive change in their communities. Initiatives to be pursued by the newest cohort of fellows include the development of a community-owned food cooperative; designing arts experiences that create a path for students to become lifelong learners and thinkers; creating a regional distribution system to increase access to local food; promoting and establishing a new paradigm of nonviolent, healthy, and constructive masculinity among African-American males; and engaging the public around opportunities to reconnect, reflect, and re-imagine its relationship to the Mississippi River.

Since the program was launched in 1965, the foundation has awarded fellowships to more than twenty-two hundred individuals. In September, the third cohort of Bush Fellows will be announced, with a fourth to be named before year's end.

"The Bush Foundation has a long and proud history of supporting and developing individuals to be better equipped and better networked to effectively lead change in their community," said the program's manager, Martha Lee. "Just like the fellows we announced in May, these newest fellows aren't deterred by conflict or risk; they're willing to take on tough, complex problems in their communities and are committed to making them better places for everyone."

For a complete list of the 2013 Bush Fellows, visit the Bush Foundation Web site.