Education In State Budget, UW-Green Bay Cultural Trips, Women And Girls As On-Screen Heroes

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The state legislature’s budget committee is taking up the issue of education this week and is expected to approve a major increase for K-12 school funding. Our state capitol reporter brings us up to speed on the committee’s negotiations. From Wonder Woman to Stranger Things, more women and girls are being written in as heroes. We discuss why it’s happening now and what impact the representation could have. Plus, a look at how UW-Green Bay is using a series of day trips to expose students to other cultures.

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  • UW-Green Bay's 'Cultural Immersion Day Trips' Aim To Show Students Culture Is All Around

    A group of University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students will attend the Hmong Labor Day Festival in Green Bay on Sunday. It’s the first of three “Cultural Immersion Day Trips” being offered by the university’s Diversity Task Force, Office of Student Life, and American Intercultural Center.

    Mai Lo Lee, the interim director for the American Intercultural Center, said that Wisconsin offers students so many options for broadening their cultural horizons.

    “We are really lucky that in the state of Wisconsin, it literally is in our backyard,” said Lee.

    The other trips being planned include the Latino Fest Celebration in Appleton, which is about a 35 minutes bus ride from campus, and Indian Summer Festival in Milwaukee.

    Lee said that one of the primary goals of these trips is for students to recognize that culture is all around them.

    “One of the first things that we always demystify for students is that culture — everyone has it and that it is in your backyard, that it is in your classroom,” she said.

    Another objective for these trips is for students to realize that there are different cultures all around us domestically. Lee said these trips give students an opportunity to learn that there are a lot of Americans who identify with a lot of subcultures and other racial or ethnic groups.

    The cultural immersion day trips allow students to experience another culture is a very structured way, which allows some students to feel more comfortable.

    “I think one of the first thing is particularly if you don’t identify with these hyphenated groups, it’s safety in numbers, and also it’s being a little bit more organized,” she said.

    For example, for the Hmong Labor Day Festival, students will travel with professionals and with American students who identify as Hmong. Lee said those “experts” act as liaisons to the culture, to help explain the traditional food, activities and ethnic experiences.

    She said that even though these festivals are only a one-day event for the students, they create a bridge to that culture.

    “Once you feel comfortable, once you learn you will find out there are year-long celebrations and there’s year-long opportunities to immerse yourself within the Hmong community, within the Latino community, and within indigenous communities,” she explained.

    To find out more about the cultural immersion day trips and other multicultural opportunities offered at UW-Green Bay, visit here.

  • Budget Committee Approves Funding Bump For K12 Education

    On Tuesday the state legislature’s budget committee met to discuss education funding in Wisconsin. We talk to WPR’s state capitol reporter about what the committee decided and what else needs to be solved before a budget is passed.

  • UW-Green Bay Offers Cultural Immersion Day Trips For Students

    College students are moving back on campus and gearing up for another school year. At the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, students have the option of attending a free cultural immersion day trip. We talk to a guest from the university’s American Intercultural Center about the trips and what students can expect.

  • Women And Girls Are The New Heroes In Movies And TV

    Girls are increasingly becoming the heroes of TV shows and movies. We look at what is behind having more young women save the day on screen.

Episode Credits

  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Amanda Magnus Producer
  • Haleema Shah Producer
  • Mai J. Lo Lee Guest
  • Laurel White Guest
  • Spring Duvall Guest

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