Dr. Tess ArenasNelson Institute Fellow

Director, OSLCBRUniversity of Wisconsin- Madison

June, 2013

Fall 2012: Recruit UW students to lead FIN Spring 2012: Students enroll in ES600, work with

non-profit to build curriculum for specific race/ethnic group

Summer 2012: UW students now employees of non-profit and offer 1 three week session for elementary kids and one for middle school

High school kids were Fishing Buddies

DNR’s Theresa Stabo and Arenas visit each club twice in Summer

• Club curriculum is culturally and linguistically tailored to each race/ethnic group.

Organizing FIVE new summer programs is messy!!

My brain

on “FIN”

Black self sufficiency and coalition building

Coalition building and Spanish vocabulary

African American and Latino

• All five clubs lead by UW-Madison students who enrolled in Environmental Studies 600 (ES600)

1. Know and use DNR fishing guidelines 2. Learn to obtain fishing license 3. Understand environmental justice and its

human impact4. Have fun!!

• Bad River Club used Native American stories about stewardship of the natural world and Ojibwa vocabulary related to natural world.

Spanish-English instruction Overview of traditional herbalist and Green Medicine

Intergenerational activities Traditional stories Hmong-English instruction

Theme included coalition building because participants were Latino and African American

Spanish-English instruction Spanish vocabulary lessons

Theme was also coalition building, participants were Hmong, African American, and Latino

Culturally specific games and activities were used

“I have never been given this level of freedom to create an entire program. At first I was overwhelmed but soon after I was on my way.”

Bad River Student leader: Dylan Jennings

“As a future elementary school teacher, this experience has opened my eyes to the impact of different learning styles.”

B & G Student Leader: Yesenia Saavedra

“I was searching for PhD programs in Chicano Studies but after FIN I changed my major to Environmental Studies.”

B & G Student Leader: Beatriz Canas

1. Student autonomy with guidance builds confidence and excitement

2. Reflection journals needed weekly to gauge ES600 evaluations as teachers, leaders, and role models

3. Service Learning contract needs to be solidified before any partnership

4. Non-profit were not always able to provide additional funding for their FIN, so have plan B and C

Urban League Bad River La Crosse Boys & Girls club