Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment 2005 Funded Projects
Addressing the Needs of Spanish-Speaking
Women with Breast Cancer and their Caregivers in Wisconsin with Online Health
Education and Support
Project Leader: Bret R. Shaw, Associate Researcher, College of Engineering,
(608-263-6236, bretshaw@chsra.wisc.edu)
Project Duration: 2005-2006
Undergoing treatment for breast cancer is complicated and can be frightening, especially for women who do not speak English. In addition to providing complex medical information, there are cultural differences for caregivers to consider. To improve the treatment experience for Wisconsin's growing Spanish-speaking community, a culturally appropriate online health education system for women with breast cancer will be developed and translated into Spanish. The Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS) program was developed by a multidisciplinary group of academics, health-care practitioners and patients from UW-Madison. The program has been extensively researched and consistently found to provide better information and improve quality of life for underserved women with breast cancer. The Spanish-language version of CHESS for women with breast cancer will be distributed using an extensive network of existing relationships throughout the state with HMOs and public and community health organizations. The linguistic and cultural translation phase of the project will be performed at UW-Madison in 2005 with dissemination of the Spanish version of CHESS' "Living with Breast Cancer," beginning in 2006.
Connecting Biology, Cultures and Classrooms
with Gene Chips
Project Leaders: James Nienhuis, Professor, College of Agricultural &
Life Sciences, (608-262-6975, nienhuis@wisc.edu);
Patrick J. Krysan, Assistant Professor, College of Agricultural & Life Sciences
Project Duration: 2005-2006
The field of genetics and biotechnology is rapidly expanding, with new advances being reported frequently. Genomics already is impacting many aspects of our lives in fields such as medicine, forensic science, evolutionary biology, agriculture, business and ethics. The purpose of this program is to integrate genomics and biotechnology into high school science curricula. The program will show that genomics is understandable and interesting and can be easily included into any biology classroom. The goal is to enhance biology curricula and develop an international network of science teachers through their participation in genomics workshops. These workshops will create connections with Wisconsin students in the classroom that are traditionally underrepresented in science education. The program will engage underrepresented regional and international students as well. The simplified gene chip and written instructional materials developed can launch students into the integrated process of gene discovery and continue to expand Wisconsin's leading role in the biotechnology industry.
Earth Partnership for Schools in Milwaukee's
Central City: Expanding the Model for Schoolyard Restoration
Project Leaders: Elizabeth P. McCann, EPS Program Manager, Arboretum/Graduate
School, (608-262-5367, epmccann@wisc.edu);
Molly Fifield Murray, Arboretum Outreach Manager, Arboretum/Graduate School
Project Duration: 2005-2006
World renowned for its ecological restoration work, the Arboretum will partner with Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center to conduct an Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) Summer Institute in 2005 for 40 to 60 K-12 teachers from 10 Milwaukee central city schools. EPS uses ecological restoration of school grounds as a means of supporting education reform in science, social studies, language arts and other subjects. Multidisciplinary teams of four to six teachers from 10 schools will participate in an 80-hour summer institute as well as a winter workshop. After attending the institute, the teachers will work with students to plan, plant, tend, manage and study their school restoration sites through hands-on, minds-on curricular activities that engage them in the ecological restoration process. EPS program evaluations show that students at all levels and with diverse learning styles master scientific concepts through this context-rich experience. This new professional development approach expands EPS to Milwaukee and enhances the Wisconsin Idea by promoting science education outreach to improve environmental literacy among K-12 teachers and students.
High School and Middle School Science
Olympiad Outreach Program
Project Leaders: Paul S. Peercy, Dean, College of Engineering, (608-262-3482,
peercy@engr.wisc.edu); Patrick V. Farrell, Associate Dean, College of Engineering
Project Duration: 2005-2007
This program uses students in the College of Engineering to help develop outreach programs in middle and high schools across the state with the goal of encouraging increased involvement in science and math. The program also provides UW-Madison students with training and opportunities to develop their outreach and leadership skills. The primary focus of the program will be mentoring middle school and high schools students on Science Olympiad teams. Science Olympiad was chosen as the outreach vehicle because it is established in Wisconsin — where between 80 and 90 schools take part — and in some schools in the Madison area. The college mentors will be trained for this purpose. After increasing the number of middle and high schools participating in Science Olympiad, the program would be extended to students in grades K-6 in collaboration with the Madison Children's Museum.
Hmong Literacy, Language & Jobs Project
Project Leaders: Donald A. Schutt, Director, Office of Human Resources
Development, (608-263-1016, dschutt@bascom.wisc.edu);
Marlys A. Macken, Professor, College of Letters and Science
Project Duration: 2005-2006
Integrating immigrants into their new lives in America can be challenging. This program uses faculty, staff and students to extend the resources of UW-Madison with Dane County's Hmong community. The program has three areas of development: workplace literacy skills training (through informal and formal programming); workplace skill development, and workplace culture acclimation. These three areas constitute the content for educational opportunities. To enhance the learning opportunities, carpentry will be taught to a subgroup of participants. They will restore and repair wood furniture at UW-Madison's surplus resale program. The sale proceeds will be used to support job placement and create a minority-owned, self-sustaining recycling/restoration business. This collaborative project involves several units of the the UW-Madison as well as United Refugee Services of Wisconsin, the KajSiab House, the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin Inc., the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Bureau of Migrant, Refugee and Labor Services, Madison Area Technical College, the Madison Area Literacy Council Dane County Refugee Task Force, the Wisconsin State Refugee Task Force, Office of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Office of Governor Jim Doyle, and the Wisconsin Hmong Mutual Assistance Associations.
Native Star Stories: Implementing an
Effective Space Science Outreach Program for the Native American Community
Project Leaders: Sanjay S. Limaye, Senior Scientist, Space Science &
Engineering Center/Graduate School, (608-262-9541, sanjayl@ssec.wisc.edu);
Patricia A. Loew, Assistant Professor, College of Agricultural & Life
Sciences/Graduate School
Project Duration: 2005-2007
This unique initiative will increase the effectiveness of space science outreach efforts targeted at Native American communities in the upper Midwest. The team includes a well-respected and accomplished Native American journalist and author as well as a space scientist and educator with extensive experience in the development and implementation of education and outreach programs targeting teachers, students and underserved communities. The proposed program involves primarily three tasks: implementing a visiting scientist program for primarily Native American schools in the Upper Midwest; hosting a cross-cultural, Native American and space science conference at a reservation; and developing a book suitable for middle school Native American students in particular, with broad applicability to the general student population.
Western Wisconsin Cultural Initiative
Project Leaders: Todd James Schendel, Collins Fellow, School of Music,
(608-819-1223, tschende@hotmail.com);
Amy S. Schendel, Collins Fellow, School of Music
Project Duration: 2005-2007
This program will enrich the musical offerings of rural school districts in Western Wisconsin by way of a student brass trio ensemble. In partnership with several schools, ensemble members will educate, instruct, facilitate and expose smaller farming communities in Western Wisconsin to music, reaching 5,000 people. In addition to important hands-on work with K-12 students, involvement from the community will be achieved through evening community concerts. The ensemble will engage in cross-disciplinary studies with music as a pretext and incorporate video and audio multimedia presentations with musical presentations.