Fall 2021
Native November Speaker Series
Join the Native American Task Force as they celebrate Native American Heritage month with a month-long schedule of speakers celebrating Native American Heritage Month. Mark your calendars for every Monday from 10:00-Noon during November. Advance registration is required.
November 1: Land Grab U
Participants will watch together a 40-minute video featuring historian Robert Lee and journalist Tristan Ahtone (Kiowa) to learn about Land Grab U.org and the 1862 Morrill Land-grant Act’s relationship to Indigenous lands. Participants will then discuss ways in which land-grant universities might engage Native American Nations in consideration of the 1862 Morrill Act and expropriated Indigenous lands.
November 8: From Historical Trauma to Healing
Historical actions throughout United States history continue to impact tribal communities today. The Indian boarding school era is one of many assimilation policies that have had lasting effects on all of the Tribal Nations in what is now known as Wisconsin. In this session, participants will hear stories about that experience, learn about the presence of boarding schools with some of Extension’s Tribal partners, and most importantly, learn about the resiliency of Tribal communities. Colleagues will share about Indigenous food sovereignty, health, and language reclamation efforts that are strengthening Tribal communities.
November 15: “An Archaeology Led by Strawberries: Reclaiming Storywork, & Indigenous Wellbeing” with special guest Speaker Dr. Sonya Atalay
Dr. Atalay will present her current work on a series of land-based archaeology and repatriation projects utilizing a community-based participatory approach with Indigenous youth and elders. Centering Anishinaabe epistemologies and concepts of well-being, she explores how reclaiming traditional knowledge, ancestral remains, Indigenous language, and sacred sites can contribute to healing and well-being. She will discuss her use of arts-based research and knowledge mobilization methods—including collaborative comics, storybaskets and counter mapping, and augmented reality augmentations—as part of Indigenous storywork, demonstrating how lessons drawn from reclaiming tangible and intangible heritage provide a model for imagining decolonial research futures.
November 22: NIBI IS LIFE!
Nibi is the Anishinabe word for water. In this session we will explore relationship, reciprocity, responsibility, and relevance (the four R’s) in developing culturally responsive programming. Relationship building provides the foundation for developing more culturally respectful ways of fostering effective partnerships that weave in the 4R’s. This shifts our “western” oriented Extension service model to one that fully integrates indigenous perspectives into all aspects of programming. This is Extension’s responsibility.
November 29: Celebrate Our Partnerships in Tribal Communities
While the Division of Extension is accessible to all Tribal communities, there is a direct presence in four Tribal communities that will be highlighted. Participants will learn how these partnerships evolved and about the unique partnerships that exist today. This dynamic and culturally informed work has impacts not only locally for Tribal communities, but at the state and federal level as well. We close this month-long series with a celebration of our collective work.
Sessions will be recorded and made available on the Native American Task Force website.
Employee Spotlight: Luisa Gerasimo
Job title: Dunn County 4-H Educator
Where do you live? I live on a multi-generational organic farm with my farmer husband. Our daughter and her wife just purchased my mom’s big farmhouse and my mom and her husband “retired” to a smaller house on the same farm. Our son and his fiancé, and my two sisters also live on the farm. It makes it easy to share garden produce and to steal half-and-half when I need some for my morning coffee.
Where did you grow up? Mostly on the farm, but I also had some childhood years in Minneapolis and a few outside of Chicago. I attended college in the Bay Area in California.
How many years have you been with Extension? Three years and nine months almost to the day. Not that I am counting.
Tell us a little about your role in Extension: I support the 130-160 adult volunteers who work with 170 4-H families in my county. Our county has 13 community clubs and 6 chartered project clubs. Until the pandemic, I was also involved in an afterschool club called Building Bridges, which supports Hmong teens from the area. We hope to get that up and running again soon.
I see my role in county 4-H as a nexus between the past, the present and the future and between the national, state and local entities that affect our 4-H clubs, families and youth. Since the pandemic, I have enjoyed working more closely with colleagues in the area to put on virtual or hybrid 4-H programming.
After attending the True Leaders in Equity Institute in Washington, DC in 2019 with two Wisconsin teens, we came back and launched a committee to work on LGBTQ+ issues in 4-H. Over the past few years, the group picked up new youth and staff from across the state. Former co-leader Amy Mangan-Fischer helped us stay connected and on task. Among other things, we sponsored understanding pronoun workshops for staff and for the Virtual Learning Community (VLC) and we presented at Fall Forum. This summer we read, “I Wish You All the Best” by Mason Deaver, which is a YA novel book addressing many issues including gender, pronoun use, bullying, mental health, and the importance of caring adults and friends. Offered as book reading circle via VLC, participants raved about our youth and staff facilitators who made the discussions meaningful, and remarked the reading and discussions will affect the way they interact with others in the future.
What motivates you in your position? I love seeing youth learn and thrive. It also never ceases to amaze me how hard our volunteers work to keep 4-H going in our community. Even leaders who no longer have children in 4-H see the value of having programs here for the next generation. I truly believe in the mission of 4-H: we help people find their spark by connecting adults and youth in an environment safe for trying things on. I am motivated to open up the “tent flaps” of 4-H and get more families in – families who may never have heard of 4-H. Almost everyone would benefit from time spent working on hands-on projects, learning to speak publicly, and to tackle disappointments in a way that leads to life-long resiliency. I believe that a diverse environment is a stronger environment and that diverse groups make better decisions.
One unique or surprising fact about you that you’d like to share with us: Despite the silver hair, I am in many ways the same human I was as a four year old. I want things to be fair. I want to have fun. Like most kids, I like to swim in lakes, admire trees, stomp on ice in puddles, and chase around in the yard with dogs. Umm, ok, that was probably more than one fact.
Photo at left: Luisa, a 4-H Educator, in her natural habitat: at the Dunn County Fair setting up an Alpaca Obstacle Course, July 2021. Photo credit: H. Pyka.
The Wisconsin Idea Internship Program is Back for 2022
Submit an internship position proposal by December 1st
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Extension is proud to announce the official relaunch of the Wisconsin Idea Internship Program (WIIP) for the summer of 2022! The request for position proposals will go out the week of November 1, 2021. Deadline for submissions is December 1st.
As a strategic initiative sponsored by the Dean’s Office, WIIP will provide Extension professionals statewide with funds to hire an in-person intern during the 2022 summer months (June-August). This high-impact learning experience aims to connect UW-Madison undergraduate and graduate students with Extension-sponsored programs, services, projects, and research efforts statewide. It will allow students to explore how and why we often refer to Extension as “The Wisconsin Idea in Action.”
We hope you will consider submitting an internship position proposal. Now is the time to think about…
- The critical issues and needs you or your team are working on.
- How an intern could support and advance your program, project, or research efforts.
- How you might design a position description that reflects an exciting and impactful experience.
- How your proposal aims to further develop the skills, talents, and assets of an emerging professional.
- How this opportunity might lead an intern to better understand the programs and activities of Land-Grant Universities, and the potential for considering a career with Extension.
More information, including the RFP and the application link, can be found on the WIIP webpage.
AAERG Update
The monthly Wisdom Wednesday series of the African American Employee Resource Group (AAERG) kicked off the fall season in September with a visit from August M. Ball, Founder and CEO of Cream City Conservation and Consulting LLC. Her lecture explored how social class informs decisions and experiences in the workplace, and framed an understanding of how White, middle-class norms inform the world of work. This dynamic discussion was followed up in October with a visit from Dr. Monica M. White, Distinguished Chair of Integrated Environment Studies and Associate Professor of Environmental Justice at UW-Madison, who led us on a journey that explored the work and legacy of the Freedom Farm Cooperative. The presentation illuminated valuable lessons on agriculture as resistance, and alternative strategies of rebuilding and investing in sustainable communities.
The next and final Wisdom Wednesday virtual session for 2021 is coming up on November 10.
- From Security to Sovereignty: Creating an Essential Economy
- Dr. Sylvia Wilson - Program Director, Teens Grow Greens
- November 10, 2021, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Our Wisdom Wednesday series have inspired colleagues to seek out untold narratives and to use what they have learned to provide programming that is more equitable and inclusive. " —Danielle Hairston Green
The AAERG will close out this year with an amazing panel discussion on Day 1 (December 1st) of the Division of Extension 2021 All-Colleague Professional Development Conference: Leadership Perspective from The Lens of 1890 and 1862 Land Grant Systems. We will be joined by Dr. Quentin Tyler, Director, Michigan State Extension; Dr. Carolyn Williams, Executive Associate Director, Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension; Dr. Andra Johnson, Dean and Director, University of Florida/IFAS Cooperative Extension Service; and Dr. Ivory W. Lyles, Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement and Director of Extension Services, Oregon State University. The Leadership team is excited to host this panel discussion and hope that you will join us.
If you are interested in joining AAERG, it is not too late. Please visit the AAERG SharePoint site and join today.
Civil Rights Reviews Show Progress & Opportunities
by Kim Waldman, Compliance Coordinator & Equity Strategist
I recently had the pleasure to meet colleagues in 12 Extension offices while conducting this year’s civil rights reviews. All reviews had three main components: 1) auditing documentation, 2) learning about how local context informs efforts to expand access, and 3) collaborating on additional opportunities to reach underserved communities. Through this collegial process, it was inspiring to learn about unique partnerships and creative collaborations—both among Extension educators and with external partners—which exemplify the Wisconsin Idea in action.
Through office presentations, colleagues demonstrated comprehensive knowledge about their communities as well as authentic, intentional efforts to build new relationships and understand underserved communities’ needs. They shared examples of how predecessors had planted seeds that grew into trusting relationships and now bear fruit in the form of expanded access. I heard how the ripple effects one educator’s relationships can extend to other staff, programs, and geographic areas. Educators described adapting programs to meet specific participants’ needs, and explained how they partnered with OAIC to provide more equitable programming.
Perhaps most noteworthy was witnessing the dynamic synergy of collaborative office cultures whose commitment to expanding access is integrated across every aspect of their work. Expanding access is not an afterthought to get a document translated. Nor is it an exercise in organizing files of documentation for a periodic audit. In some offices we visited, regardless of position or task, a commitment to providing equitable access and programming to underserved communities is simply embedded and evident in all that they do.
As you can tell from my reflections above, this year’s reviews illustrated that, on the whole, we are headed in the right direction. However, there are still significant opportunities to expand access. It is important to evaluate who you are and are not reaching with your programming and to think critically about why that may be the case. For support in exploring questions like this and to strategize how to reach underserved communities, complete an OAIC Support Request (OSR) form. Request a consultation and our team will follow up to schedule a time to meet. There is no cost and there is no limit to the number of times you can request a consult. We are here to support you and be your partner in equitable programming.
If you are already doing intentional outreach, developing relationships, and/or are reaching underserved communities, it is essential that you document your efforts appropriately. Put yourself in the place of an auditor who is reviewing your civil rights files. Is it clear why a particular document is in your files? Are the dots connected regarding why a specific communication was sent, how it’s related to a flyer in your files, and how it’s linked to ongoing efforts to develop relationships? USDA/NIFA auditors won’t have the benefit of the impactful presentations I heard during my office visits. They will rely primarily on your documentation to substantiate our compliance with non-discrimination laws. It’s critical that we improve our documentation so that it clearly tells the story of the work you are doing to expand access and make the Wisconsin Idea a reality.
Watch this space for future tips on managing your civil rights files. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to contact me with any specific questions: kim.waldman@wisc.edu.
Remember to complete Civil Rights 101 by December 31
Remember that all Extension employees need to complete the new Civil Rights 101 course in Canvas by December 31st. Click the button below to self-enroll. Allow 30-45 minutes for the entire course. Progress is saved, so you do not need to finish it at one time. At the end, be sure to fill out the completion certificate request form to receive documentation for your civil rights files.
38th Street & Chicago Avenue: The Intersection of Healing and Hope
by Dominic J. Ledesma
Watching footage of George Floyd’s murder hit close to home for me, literally and figuratively. While I grew up in the East Metro Area of the Twin Cities, I was familiar the exact intersection where his life was taken on May 25, 2020. I worked for the Minneapolis Public Schools from 2008-2010. One of my sites was a middle school located on the south side, about five minutes east of 38th & Chicago.
The weekend of July 4th was the first time I had been back home in nearly a year and half. Making time to visit George Floyd Square was also planned as a part of this trip. After following all the coverage of community responses to Floyd’s murder worldwide, it was hard to know what it would feel like to visit 38th & Chicago. One thing I knew was that it was not going to be easy. To me, the loss of George Floyd was the loss of an uncle, father, brother, son, co-worker, neighbor, fellow human being, and community member. I didn’t know George Floyd, but then again, I did.
A half-block radius surrounding the intersection was closed except for foot and bike traffic. The memorial expanded out to all four corners of the intersection. It included pop-up art installations, a world map with pushpins for visitors, and benches and raised flower beds that were built by the community for the site. It appeared as if there was coordination among a group of volunteers to organize and maintain the space. Like us, most visitors to the area were there to pay their respects, to grieve, to reflect, and to honor Floyd’s memory.
It was extremely challenging to approach the very site where Floyd’s neck was fatally pressed against the pavement for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Each step closer was accompanied by an increasing amount of heaviness and contemplation. The only thing I liken it to, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the feeling I’ve had during visitation services for a loved one; the reality of encountering my own grief and the unalterable feeling of knowing that person has transitioned into their next journey. The number of ofrendas and mementos placed on site was overwhelming. There were so many items that a cordoned walkway was set up so that visitors could walk through and around the space where Floyd took his last breaths. There were pictures and drawings of Floyd, flowers, poems, candles, burned smudge bundles, scripture verses, tobacco offerings, and even stuffed animals, toys, and colorings left by young children. There was an opening line from one particular poem that sticks with me, “Grief is really love we want to give but cannot.”
I would encourage anyone to visit this space if you have the chance. The city of Minneapolis has since designated the intersection as a sacred space for racial healing. What is more, they are working with Floyd’s family and community members to develop a more permanent vision for George Floyd Square. The ever-expanding opportunities for ongoing healing and community engagement in this space are, in my view, a constructive way to acknowledge the consequences of Floyd’s tragic murder, and to do so with humility, humanity, respect, and reconciliation. From a personal and professional point of view, 38th & Chicago serves as a difficult and necessary reminder that we still have work to do as a society. It is my hope that we better recognize our individual and collective responsibility as a society to know better, do better, and know how to do better.
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Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, language(s), background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
For inquiries related to this publication or if you would like to make a financial gift to support the OAIC’s work, please contact oaic@extension.wisc.edu.
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