Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Advancing Equity in the Extension Programming
- To generate a shared organizational understanding of Extension's public outreach mission, including efforts to specifically address the needs of historically underrepresented and underserved audiences.
- To enhance Extension's capacity for designing, developing, and implementing equitable and inclusive programming statewide.
Morning Wellness Session (Wear Comfortable Clothes!)
6:00am - Soul Line Dancing, Kristal Turner Childs, Group Fitness Instructor, and President of FEMPOWER LLC
8:30am - Gateless Creativity Salon, Lisa A. Kramer, Ph.D.
10:00am - Deans Welcome
10:10am - Dominic Ledesma
10:35am - Conference Chair, Danielle Hairston Green: Greetings & Learning Objectives (Day One)
10:40am - Conference Co-Chair, Greg Johll: Housekeeping
10:45am - Activities and Networking Chair, Jessica Beckendorf
10:50am - Introduction of Keynote Speaker, Angie Allen
11:00am - Plenary: Makin' Cake
Dasha Kelly Hamilton is a writer, performance artist, curator, and facilitator. Ultimately, she's a creative change agent, leveraging the creative process toward human and social wellness.
Her nonprofit, Sill Waters Collective, initiated literary arts programming for 20 years, creating platforms for thousands of voices to be honored and heard. The organization continues to partner on impact projects, including a creative leadership fellowship. Dasha has written for national, regional, and local magazines; produced three collections of poetry; recorded four spoken word CDs; published two novels and one collection of personal vignettes; has work included in several anthologies; and performed in the last season of HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Her stage production, Makin' Cake, will tour nationally beginning in 2022.
Dasha served as an Arts Envoy for the U.S. Embassy to teach, perform, and facilitate community building initiatives in Botswana and the island of Mauritius. She was also an artist in residence in Beirut and Toronto. Dasha has been an adjunct professor at Mount Mary University, Alverno College, Bryant & Stratton, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a recruiter and mentor with University of Wisconsin's First Wave Scholars Program. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University, an MA in Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University and a BS in Public Relations from Illinois State University.
Dasha is former Artist of the Year for the City of Milwaukee and the city's 11th Poet Laureate. She has been named a 2020 National Rubinger Fellow and 2021-22 Poet Laureate for the State of Wisconsin.
12:00pm - One Man Virtual Concert and Motivational Message, Dr. James Mable Jr.
1:00pm - Breakout Sessions
| Session Title | Description | Speakers |
| Presentation: Expanding Access: The Critical Role of Administrative Support Staff | Administrative support staff play a crucial role in Extension offices across the state, including efforts to expand access to underrepresented and underserved communities. In this session, facilitated by the Office of Access, Inclusion, and Compliance (OAIC), attendees will learn how administrative staff can partner with OAIC in key functions such as planning, marketing, and outreach strategies. Attendees will also build skills for ensuring language access and communicative equity. Finally, we will explore best practices in maintaining office civil rights documentation. | Rick Mills, Carlos Miranda, Kim Waldman |
| Panel: The Value of Cards: Engaging Diverse Community Advisors to Improve Research Equity and Reduce Health Disparities | Community Advisors on Research Design and Strategies (CARDS), are two standing focus groups of Madison community members affiliated with Goodman Community Center and the Lussier Community Education Center. Monthly CARDS meetings are coordinated by the Wisconsin Network of Research Support (WINRS), based at the School of Nursing. CARDS members draw on their lived experiences to offer researchers actionable feedback on a wide range of project plans and public-facing materials, including recruitment strategies and materials, consent forms, survey or interview questions, program handouts, smartphone apps, websites and more. The CARDS bring valuable perspectives from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds. In this panel discussion, Janet House and Denice Morgan (CARDS members), Jenny Abel (Human Development and Relationships Institute, Extension), Kristin Litzelman (Human Development and Family Studies, SoHE), and Kat Phelps (Wisconsin Network for Research Support, School of Nursing) will share how feedback from the CARDS was incorporated into the Planning AHEAD program for end-of-life planning. | Janet House and Denice Morgan (CARDS members), Jenny Abel (Human Development and Relationships Institute, Extension), Kristin Litzelman (Human Development and Family Studies, SoHE), and Kat Phelps (Wisconsin Network for Research Support, School of Nursing) |
| Presentation: Extension Call to Action - Strategic Initiative #1 - Expanding Understandings of the Land-Grant System History in the U.S. and in WI | Do you want to know more about the land where you work? Do you know the history of the land grant colleges? Have you considered what the WI Idea may mean in your communities? Join us to learn, discuss and consider how this applies to your work, your communities, and your role in organizational change. Gain awareness of how the creation of 1862 and 1994 land grant colleges and universities intersects with equity and the work of the Division of Extension. Learn what actions steps have been taken by CTA 1: including development of a resource library, additions to New Colleague Onboarding, tools & resources for colleagues and external partners. | Aaron Bird Bear -Tribal Relations Director; Extension and University Relations; Teresa Curtis - Extension - Program Development and Implementation Specialist; Pam Larson - 4-H Program Educator, Racine County; Kandi O'Neil -Extension - New Colleague Onboarding Director; Ariana Thao -Extension - Resource Development and Implementation Specialist. Todd Wenzel - Financial Associate Educator, Winnebago County |
| Flipped Classroom: Making Courageous Connections through Relational Networking | Extension Educators are the "boots on the ground" of the Wisconsin Idea, and one of our biggest strengths is that we "build relationships." This workshop gives colleagues the framework, language, and tools to better understand, articulate, and intentionally practice "building relationships" in their communities - as a foundation for initiatives to better address complex community issues and build equitable community change. The "Relational Networking" framework uses the concept of "wicked problems" as a starting point for addressing complex issues in our communities and asserts that wicked problems are best addressed through utilizing relational approaches. In this workshop, participants will learn about wicked problems and their own identities, and engage with one of the central skills for relationship building: "reflexivity." Reflexivity is the first component of the "Relational Networking" framework and training program for collaborative leadership and building equitable community change. We leave participants with tools to continue building their relationship building skills, and an invitation to participate in (or be trained to facilitate) future sessions of the Relational Networking Program. | Jessica Jane Spayde, Extension Crawford County; Jessica Beckendorf, Extension Waupaca County; Amy Greil, Extension Kenosha County |
| Flipped Classroom: Lifting a Mirror: An Opportunity for Deeper Dialogue with Ourselves and Our Colleagues | This capacity-building program will bring colleagues together for continued learning, discussion, and processing in response to the Wisconsin Restorative Justice Summit. In preparation for this session, participants will view (or review) ananda mirilli's sixty minute keynote presentation from September 2021 entitled Restoring ourselves and our communities in times of racial reckoning. Facilitators will encourage colleagues to explore their own personal trauma and privileges to enhance vulnerability in our relationships in ways that improve our Extension programs and partnerships. Using small group discussions participants will be invited to share their personal journeys to deepen our understanding of how systemic racism is a nearly insurmountable barrier in practicing restorative principles in ourselves and our communities. The flipped classroom will be a welcoming space to lift a mirror to ourselves and internally reflect with a community of colleagues. | Joe Maldonado, Division of Extension; Christa Van Treeck, Division of Extension; Restorative Justice Summit Planning Committee Member |
2:15pm - Breakout Sessions
| Session Title | Description | Speakers |
| Flipped Classroom: Making Courageous Connections through Relational Networking | Extension Educators are the "boots on the ground" of the Wisconsin Idea, and one of our biggest strengths is that we "build relationships." This workshop gives colleagues the framework, language, and tools to better understand, articulate, and intentionally practice "building relationships" in their communities - as a foundation for initiatives to better address complex community issues and build equitable community change. The "Relational Networking" framework uses the concept of "wicked problems" as a starting point for addressing complex issues in our communities and asserts that wicked problems are best addressed through utilizing relational approaches. In this workshop, participants will learn about wicked problems and their own identities, and engage with one of the central skills for relationship building: "reflexivity." Reflexivity is the first component of the "Relational Networking" framework and training program for collaborative leadership and building equitable community change. We leave participants with tools to continue building their relationship building skills, and an invitation to participate in (or be trained to facilitate) future sessions of the Relational Networking Program. | Jessica Jane Spayde, Extension Crawford County; Jessica Beckendorf, Extension Waupaca County; Amy Greil, Extension Kenosha County |
| Flipped Classroom: Lifting a Mirror: An Opportunity for Deeper Dialogue with Ourselves and Our Colleagues | This capacity-building program will bring colleagues together for continued learning, discussion, and processing in response to the Wisconsin Restorative Justice Summit. In preparation for this session, participants will view (or review) ananda mirilli's sixty minute keynote presentation from September 2021 entitled Restoring ourselves and our communities in times of racial reckoning. Facilitators will encourage colleagues to explore their own personal trauma and privileges to enhance vulnerability in our relationships in ways that improve our Extension programs and partnerships. Using small group discussions participants will be invited to share their personal journeys to deepen our understanding of how systemic racism is a nearly insurmountable barrier in practicing restorative principles in ourselves and our communities. The flipped classroom will be a welcoming space to lift a mirror to ourselves and internally reflect with a community of colleagues. | Joe Maldonado, Division of Extension; Christa Van Treeck, Division of Extension; Restorative Justice Summit Planning Committee Member |
| Presentation: Cooperative Extension's National Framework for Health Equity & Well-Being: Opportunities to Advance Thriving as a Systemwide Value | The COVID-19 pandemic has elucidated the systemic inequities across our society that produce unfavorable health outcomes for marginalized and oppressed communities. Like many organizations across the country, the Cooperative Extension system is grappling with its role in addressing health, racial, and social equity. The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) approved with the Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health Equity & Well-Being in July 2021. The framework provides Cooperative Extension with a reference point and shared understanding of opportunities to advance health, racial, and social equity across the system. This presentation will provide an overview of Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health Equity & Well-Being. Participants will identify core values central to their equity efforts and discuss opportunities for interdisciplinary connections to advance health equity across Extension programs. | Amber Canto, UW-Madison Division of Extension Health & Well-Being Institute; Lesley Wolf, UW-Madison Population Health Institute Mobilizing Action Towards Community Health |
| Panel: The LGBTQ+ Youth Extension Experience: Stories and Thoughts | Panel members will tell real life stories (5-10 minutes each) of the ways our institution has impacted them through the unintentional use of procedures, forms, documents, and activities that do not always include or respect people who are non-gender conforming or are "queer." After the panelists have told their personal story or experience, the audience will be able to ask questions or make suggestions on how things can be improved for the diverse folks we serve in Wisconsin. | Luisa Gerasimo, Moderator; Emma McGovern, Sadie Daniels, Laura Merchant |
| Flipped Classroom: Introduction to Identity and Power | In this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to explore their unique combination of social identities and the ways those identities share their experiences at home and in the workplace. Participants will engage in a "Nine Corners of Identity" activity which will ask them to consider when, where, and why they are most and least aware of the social identities that either grant or limit access to privilege and opportunity in the US context. The conference session will be designed to promote dialogue, sharing and personal reflection. While all Extension professionals are invited to participate, this is an introductory session designed specifically for those who haven't yet dug deeply into social identity work. The sessions will provide a samples of the themes and formats used in Extension's Learning Community for Inclusive Organizational Citizenship. | Caitlin Yunis, John Kriva, Sadiyya Rahaman, Kari Weiss, Shelly Vils Havel |
3:30pm - Breakout Sessions
| Session Title | Description | Speakers |
| Flipped Classroom: Introduction to Identity and Power | In this interactive session, participants will have the opportunity to explore their unique combination of social identities and the ways those identities shape their experiences at home and in the workplace. Participants will engage in a "Nine Corners of Identity" activity which will ask them to consider when, where, and why they are most and least aware of the social identities that either grant or limit access to privilege and opportunity in the US context. The conference session will be designed to promote dialogue, sharing and personal reflection. While all Extension professionals are invited to participate, this is an introductory session designed specifically for those who haven't yet dug deeply into social identity work. The session will provide a sample of the themes and formats used in Extension's Learning Community for Inclusive Organizational Citizenship. | Caitlin Yunis, John Kriva, Sadiyya Rahaman, Kari Weiss, Shelly Vils Havel |
| Presentation: How to Facilitate Equity and Inclusion in Any County During a Time of Fear | While we have the best of intentions, we do not always realize the impact, positive or not, that we have on the people we educate, facilitate, and collaborate with and for. While diversity, equity, and inclusion have become words that we try to use concerning programming and policy, HOW we facilitate, educate, and collaborate is crucial, especially with the different groups and individuals we work with. Regardless of whether your county is rural or urban, how many people of color live in your county, or where your county stands on equity issues, this session will assist you in working with the people you have in the role you are comfortable with. Learn the HOW with a few skills and tools that will work for you in your role in your county when you facilitate difficult dialogues, contentious collaboration, and are looking to improve equity and inclusion. | Heather Quackenboss and Chelsea Wunnicke, Extension Educators in La Crosse and Richland Counties |
| Panel: Extension's History Related to Race and Race Relations - Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Four African American Extension Leaders from 1890 & 1862 Land-Grant Universities | Race and race relations have significantly influenced the creation and expansion of the Land-Grant University System and Cooperative Extension Service. The institutionalization of research universities was designed to support the development of an agricultural economy and serve the public good; but at the same time, it marginalized and suppressed the early contributions of Black Demonstration Agents and the value of research conducted at Black colleges and universities. In this session, four African American Extension leaders from 1890 and 1862 Land-Grant Universities will reflect on their careers and lived experiences working within the U.S. Land-Grant System. With over 75 years of cumulative experience supporting Extension’s public-service mission, panelists will offer a unique perspective on how their leadership roles at the state and national levels have helped advance the Land-Grant mission. Their institutional experiences and personal reflections promise to enrich our understanding of how Extension services must remain relevant to the needs and demographics of a 21st century society. | |
| Presentation: Being Intentional about Disability Access and Inclusion by Focusing on Accommodations, Accessibility, and Reflecting on Able-Bodied Privilege | Being intentional about disability access and inclusion is a practice that benefits all users, learners, and participants. The Americans with Disability Act is also a key component of civil rights that are sometimes overlooked. In this presentation, an assortment of different topics around disability will be covered. This includes an exploration of disability populations and identity, disability accommodations and accessibility, able-bodied privilege, and a few examples from colleagues around the state who have intentionally expanded access for participants with disabilities | Heather Stelljes |
| Presentation: Recordando Mis Raíces - Different Upbringings, One Connection | Members of LERG’s leadership team will share on “Recordando Mis Raices”, an ongoing professional development activity happening within their Resource Group. This activity promotes a broader understanding of cultural differences and similarities within Latinx/Hispanic countries. We will highlight the presenter point of view as well as participants feedback on the impact of the activity and how this is reflected in the approach of inclusive programming of their respective areas. | Janeth Orozco - FoodWIse Nutrition Educator and LERG Co-leader; Udai Olivares - Digital Media FoodWIse and LERG Co-leader |
4:30pm - Part 1: What's Your Story: Story Telling Workshop by NPR The Moth Local Producer Jen Rubin and Brendon Panke
Website Hosted by Wisconsin Union Conference Management | conferences@union.wisc.edu