Where art and activism collide: a workshop to inspire creative thinking and writing while confronting social justice issues and elevating your personal experiences through spoken word.

Presenter Bios: 

Ali Muldrow: Parent, Partner, MMSD Board of Education Treasurer, Tuesday host of a Public Affair on WORT 89.9 FM

Mary Swenson: English teacher / educator, Instructional Coach, poetry lover 

Learn how to take an idea for social change and take the next steps in formalizing your concept into a bigger cause. Presentation will touch on research, fundraising, marketing, organizing volunteers, and basic needs for getting started. 

Presenter bio: Rowan Childs founded nonprofit, Madison Reading Project 10 years ago in response to learning about the discrepancies in literacy rates in Dane County. Rowan wanted to help provide fun new books to kids they could keep, grow their home libraries and literacy skills.

Background: Rowan grew up in England, Germany, and Chicago, and attended many schools throughout. Books and travel were always her constant companion. She has a background in sales, marketing, and community development which all of those skills helped her create and run a successful nonprofit. 

How do YOU imagine the future of the world? This workshop is an opportunity to envision a future you want to occupy. We'll work through a set of brief writing exercises designed to help you voice your hopes and dreams for the future of our shared planet.

Presenter Bios: 

Lauren J. Lacey is an Associate Professor of English at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, where she teaches courses in contemporary literature, gender studies, and environmental studies. Her scholarly publications include The Past that Might Have Been, the Future That May Come: Women Writing Fantastic Fiction, 1960s to the Present (McFarland, 2014), and her fiction has recently appeared in magazines including Silver Blade, Electric Spec, and Tree and Stone.

Rebecca Dickman is a senior at Edgewood College majoring in English and minoring in Art and Psychology. She currently works as a writing tutor and the Student Manager within the tutoring spaces at Edgewood. Additionally, she serves as a youth arts instructor for MSCR.  After she graduates this spring, she plans to attend graduate school for English Literature. 

Shay Pollard is a senior at Edgewood College majoring in English and minoring in Religious Studies. She plans to teach middle or high school post-graduation while working on a writing career, creating stories that promote critical thinking on how we relate to other created beings within our shared world. 

Jenna Sanchez is a student at Edgewood College studying Sociology, Spanish, and English. She is also a softball player for Edgewood and has been playing since she was 8-years-old. She enjoys reading, watching Grey’s Anatomy, and spending time with her family and friends!

High school students, are you ready for a unique workshop experience that combines creativity, inspiration, and relaxation? Join us for an exciting journey where we will explore entrepreneurship through the art of poetry. In this workshop, I'll present some of my poetry that captures the essence of my entrepreneurial journey. Through my poetry, you'll be able to hear about the triumphs of starting and running a business. We’ll discuss why and how I started my company Earthly Temptation.

But that's not all - we'll also incorporate a sound bath session to help you unwind, relax, and connect with your inner self. With soothing sounds from Sound Bowls, you'll be transported to a meditative environment that promotes deep relaxation and rejuvenation.

This workshop is perfect for those interested in exploring the world of entrepreneurship and poetry in a creative and expressive way. So come join us for an afternoon filled with inspiration, reflection, and relaxation. We can't wait to see you there and explore the world of entrepreneurship and sound healing together! 

Presenter bio: Sarah Branch is the proud owner of Earthly Temptation, a company that offers natural, organic, and sustainable products for the mind, body, and soul. Sarah has always had a passion for entrepreneurship and has spent years perfecting her craft. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share when it comes to starting and running a successful business. Her love for poetry and the art of sound healing has also led her to create unique workshops that combine creativity, inspiration, and relaxation. Sarah is a dedicated entrepreneur who is passionate about empowering others to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential.

This 55-minute workshop incorporates imagination and theater games to create a greater sense of self-expression, how one fits within a group, and how one fits within the greater whole. We will create a safe and fun space to engage with improvisation techniques, the Viewpoints acting method, breath work and movement.

Encore Studio for the Performing Arts celebrates 23 years as Wisconsin's first professional theatre company for people with disabilities and is one of the very few in the United States. Encore offers an innovative, inclusive, and professional environment where all people work together in the pursuit of artistic and theatrical excellence. Encore’s actors develop their creative skills and talents to communicate, through the performing arts, a challenging and authentic message about disability and culture.

Presenter Bio: Jessica Jane Witham, (she/her/hers) is an arts producer, director, performer and educator. Program Director of Encore Studio for the performing Arts and Artistic Producer with Whoopensocker, Jessica has worked with many wonderful companies including American Players Theatre, Forward Theatre Company, Music Theatre of Madison, Theatre Lila, the NYC Frigid Festival, and the NYC Fringe Festival. Additionally, Jessica is a certified yoga teacher specializing in trauma sensitive yoga and founded the hybrid theatre-yoga program TheatriKidz Yoga. Jessica attended American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and UW–Madison where she received her BA in cultural anthropology and MA from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration. 

"I just didn't know what to say..." Ever not known what to say to someone who speaks differently than you? Couldn't understand them? Speech disorders and speaking styles can get in the way of communication. Explore common issues and way to connect with others. 

Presenter bio: Elise Uphoff is the parent of a teen with a speech disorder and intellectual disability, and Chaplain at UnityPoint Meriter Hospital. Navigating differences in speech and conversation styles is at the heart of what she does as a parent and an interfaith chaplain. Formerly in Civil Engineering, Elise now is a disability advocate and community organizer. 

In 2020, the City of Fitchburg Approved Funding to Build a Teen Center by 2026. To make this huge project a reality, Teens and Adults have worked together to get input from hundreds of community members on different aspects of the project. In this session you will hear directly from other young people and share your voice in this future project. What should a Teen Center look like? What services should it provide? What organizations should manage the space? What design features should it have? You won't want to miss this interactive workshop!

Presenter Bios

Joe Maldonado Youth Development Program Manager for UW-Madison, Division of Extension, working to ensure that young people have a voice in decisions in their communities. He is also an Alder on the Fitchburg Common Council, leading efforts to build a Teen Center in the King James Neighborhood, a project that is expected to be completed by 2026.

Born in Uruguay and raised in Madison and Fitchburg, Mathias Lemos Castillo is a graduate of Madison West High School and Edgewood College. He runs his own leadership development consulting firm, MLC Consulting. In his role as a consultant with EQT By Design, he is the staff contact for a contract with the City of Fitchburg to study the planned construction of a Teen Center.

Taylor Seale is a Positive Youth Development Educator for Dane County Extension, a part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is an experienced arts in public health practitioner and researcher specializing in youth engagement, community outreach, and healthy community design efforts. She serves as the staff lead for the Fitchburg Teen Center Interns.

Awa Phatty is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on a Pre-Law Legal studies track. She is fascinated by the intersection of law, policy, and social justice and wants to address housing inequities and combat gentrification. Awa is a college intern on the Fitchburg Teen Center Project. She is an alum of Vel Phillips Memorial High School.

Ojaswi Pasachhe is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who is majoring in neurobiology and psychology on a pre-medical track. She is passionate about biomedical and psychological research, and I am also interested in serving the community. Ojaswi is a college intern on the Fitchburg Teen Center Project. She is an alum of Verona Area High School.

Sandy Flores Ruiz is a senior at Madison West High School. She is a PEOPLE and AVID/TOPS Scholar, a teen editor for Simpson Street Free Press, the President of Familia Latina, and a Boys & Girls Club of Dane County Youth of the Year Finalist. Sandy is a high school intern for the Fitchburg Teen Center Project.

As a transracial, transnational adoptee, my identity was formed by the deep desire to please and “fit in” within the classrooms of rural Tennessee. All I wanted was to be “normal” which really meant being a person my name and physical appearance would betray. When I felt I had sufficiently accomplished my façade, others would remind me of my true status. The pandemic introduced me to seven young men that would help me accept my Korean culture.

Presenter Bio: Adopted in 1968, Rosita is a transracial, Korean-American, Holt International adoptee. Her road has been speckled with Puerto Rican and Appalachian relatives. While quite content with her role as a “Tennerican,” she has discovered that her children, the second generation of adoptees, have inherited her racial ambivalence. As a result, Rosita returned to Korea in August 2014 and makes trips each year to relax in anonymity. She spends her time as an art educator, ceramicist, and performance artist and is passionate about issues of race, gender, and adoption. Find her on YouTube as The Korean Hillbilly and on her podcast, “Bless Yer Lil’ Ol’ Heart.”

The Native American Center for Health Professions presents a fun and interactive opportunity to learn about health professions and health equity through the lens Tribal Communities. Participants have the chance to exercise their new knowledge to win a prize!

Presenters: Breanna Brzezinski, Lina Martin, Tashya Chevalier, Autumn Chevalier 

The Native American Center for Health Professions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison works to enhance the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of health professional students and promote health education. Working with students from 6th grade through residency, our goal is to create a supportive community for students to continue on their educational journey whether it is within the health professions or not. 

A play that is about a group of people, that may be somewhat crazy, but also have something to hide and they are never on the same page. 

Presenter Bio: Micah Anderson is a West alumni and UW theatre major.

Come explore the ways in which the issues you care about show up in local and national elections and how to ensure that decision makers are listening to you. 

Presenter Bio: Charlotte Nichols is the Manager of Educator Development at The Civics Center. Prior to taking this role, she talk at Vel Phillips Memorial for seven years.