In this workshop, participants can choose from 3-4 selected topics, such as cultural appropriation, 'color blindness,' reparations, affirmative action, or controversial speech on college campuses. Each participant will choose an issue based on their interests and comfort level. Students will then engage in small group discussions on their selected topic.

Please note that the workshop will include a content warning, as discussions may involve viewpoints that some find challenging or offensive. This is not a role-play; you will not be advocating but presenting perspectives, some of which you may agree with and others you may not. We are committed to creating a space where participants can explore differing opinions while feeling supported throughout the process. 

Presenter Bio: David Ross is a former West High School social studies teacher. He taught numerous courses, including Philosophy, APUSH, the Middle East, and Social Issues. 

In this workshop, students will explore the history of "Asian blepharoplasty," a phrase used to describe the surgery many Asians receive which gets rid of the monolid. Students will watch videos clips, read articles and hear a lecture on the history of this surgery and its impact on Asian across many different nations. 

Presenter bio: Mai Her is currently an English teacher at West High School. This year she is teaching English 1 and AVID 3. She has always worked towards advocating for Race and Equity issues throughout her life especially raising awareness around Asian American issues. She graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelors in English Literature and a certificate in Asian American Studies, Religious Studies, and European Studies. She continued her education at Edgewood College with a Masters in Secondary English Education. She is also the club advisor for Asian Student Union at West High School. In her free time she likes to spend time outside: gardening, riding her bike, and running around with her two very active sons. 

Students will learn about issues in our community that affect Black and Brown students and what BPSADC is doing that impacts them, directly. Students will have an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue. 

Presenter Bio: Kirbie Mack is a community activist, civil rights leader and has served as a former City of Madison and State of Wisconsin Government official. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She possesses a BA from Northeastern Illinois in psychology and a MA from the University of Wisconsin in Policy Affairs and Public Administration. Her community activities include:

• Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., Charter Member and 1st VP

• Blacks for Political and Social Action of Dane County, Inc, Vice President

• JFMJ Academy, Inc, Vice President

• Madison’s Justified Anger, Advisory Board

• NAACP, Madison Branch, former President and current Environment and Climate Justice Chair

• Southside Raiders Football and Cheerleading Coach and former Booster Club, President

Having cancer is rough no matter who you are. The ways we treat each other has made things tougher for some, more than others. Let's talk about what cancer health equity can and will look like. 

Presenter bio: Joshua Wright is a Community Project Coordinator for the Cancer Health Disparities Initiative in the Carbone Cancer Center. He works with organizations and community members to support health awareness through cancer prevention activities, education and programs. These efforts promote CHDI's mission to reduce disparate outcomes for populations that experience heavier cancer burdens. 

What does it mean to be a civic leader or to even have political power? Understand and explore civic engagement, by learning more about grassroots organizing, mobilization, and advocacy that can build the political power of the next generation of young people: You! 

Presenter bio: Maia Pearson, a graduate of Madison West High School, is the Vice President of Madison's Board of Education, serving on the board since 2021. Maia has over a decade of organizing experience, including running successful grassroots campaigns focused on engaging young people and communities of color. Maia has and continues to work directly with the community, government agencies, and local and national nonprofit organizations, focusing on issues around education, food and housing access, and equity in development. Maia received her bachelor's degree in International Relations and East Asian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Join us for 'Decode Your Dish: Unveiling the Secrets of Holistic Nutrition,' a dynamic workshop designed exclusively for high school students. Discover the art of deciphering food labels, empowering you to make informed choices about what goes into your body and the intersection between food and marginalized communities. Explore the impact of five common processed food ingredients linked to focus issues and health concerns, gaining practical insights into building a foundation for a healthier, more energized life. Get ready to unlock the secrets of informed holistic eating and pave the way for a future of vitality and well-being 

Presenter Bio: Keena Atkinson, founder of R'oujie Wellness, is a wellness professional in the US. From homelessness to housing provider, trauma-informed instructor, writer, Keena transforms lives. Her holistic wellness company offers movement classes, parenting, well-being, nutrition, menstrual health and domestic violence recovery support. Connect @keenasfa on social media or http://www.roujiewellness.com 

Rep. Francesca Hong will lead a discussion on the important intersection of youth politics and governance. This workshop intends to explore how students and activists can use their identity and lived experience to enact change in their communities and effectively lobby policy makers to act on important issues. 

Speaker bio: Francesca Hong is the representative for the 76th Assembly District in the Wisconsin State Assembly. 

Story of perseverance, resilience, accountability, and self reflection. Defying odds stacked up against myself as well as taking proper steps to build myself up.

Presenter Bio: Jamaal Eubanks is an educator, Father and the founder of Eubanks Solutions, a company offering a wide variety of programming aimed at serving marginalized and traditionally underserved communities across Dane County.

He is a Madison native who grew up on the South Side of the city, an area that continues to hold special value in his heart. He looks to give back to his community through mentoring, coaching and being a role model for success for young people, especially young men of color.  

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.”

This workshop will dive into perspectives of those who believe the ACT is biased, racists and largely hurts students of color as well as the opposing views that the ACT provides opportunity for students of all backgrounds. 

Presenter bio: Langston Evans is an innovative educator who serves as the director of College & Career Readiness for the Madison Metropolitan School District. Langston brings over two decades of experience in schools and community-based organizations, supporting young people to build design and achieve their pathways to success.

An estimated 300 youth in Dane County are homeless every night. In this workshop, we will explore why this is the case, what is being done to prevent youth homelessness, and how we can further address this issue. 

Presenter Bio: Will Altaweel is a Youth Counselor in the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program at Briarpatch Youth Services, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the lives of youth and families. Will is also a West High alumnus, having graduated with the class of 2017. 

Learn how the past century of urban planning and street design has prioritized people who work office jobs in downtown over everyone else. This practice is inequitable, and makes walking, biking, and using transit more challenging and unsafe for women, children, people of color, and people who work non-office hours. We will also explore some street transformations on www.urb-i.com/before-after 

Presenter Bio: Sonia Haeckel is a transportation planner at Toole Design, a firm that is a leader in planning and engineering for walking, biking, and transit across North America. At Toole Design, Sonia typically helps cities figure out where future bikeways and sidewalks should go. She also makes bicycle wayfinding plans, and recommends ways to make it safer for kids to walk or bike to school. She is also a mother of a freshman at West. 

In this workshop we will be talking about our campaign called Police Free Schools. We have fought to get police free school since 2016 and was successful on taking them out in 2020 during the uprising. Our fight do not end here, there are still things we are demanding for. Come and learn about how you can be a part of our next fights. 

About the presenters: Youth Justice Team from Freedom - Inc. includes Selena Yang, Mai Thao Yang, Shyra Adams and Milcah Rimmer. We are the organizers from Freedom, Inc that works alongside with young people to build them up to be leaders and create a better world where they will want to live in. 

Have you ever been curious what someone who was in prison felt and experienced when they were released? Join Dani Crutcher & John Givens from JustDane for an enlightening workshop dedicated to exploring the transformative power of restorative justice. Through the authentic story of someone who was in prison for many years (starting when he was just in high school), you will witness firsthand the profound impact of empathy and understanding in the pursuit of healing and redemption. 

Presenter Bios:

Dani Crutcher: 

John Givens:

Uncover your strength within at 'Resilience Revealed'— Discover the power of resilience while exploring the dynamics of racism, restorative justice, mental health, housing challenges, and the transformative influence of equity. Join us for an interactive conversation led by Myesha Thompson, who has and continues to conqueror life challenges and will share insights to help amplify your voice and resilience in today's ever-changing world. 

Presenter Bio: Myesha Thompson, a driven Chicago native, is a trailblazer in finance, government, all things life skills, advocacy, and real estate. Although she was a teen mother, she continuously defies the odds. “I proudly disrupt the status quo. My journey is a testament to breaking barriers and redefining norms, continually pushing boundaries to create meaningful change." Stepping into real estate, included building a family home and acquiring an investment property less than a year after the completion of her new construction home. She's a supportive landlord and public servant in Wisconsin, championing equality. Through the creation of a life skills focused based program called the 'Circle of Life Balance,' Myesha empowers individuals towards true self-sufficiency in life skills coaching, housing, health equity, and financial autonomy. Her mission is clear: "Empower, build wealth, and advocate for all, no matter the circumstances." 

When you hear the words restorative justice or RJ, what do you think of? This is an opportunity for you to experience being in circle, share your experiences, as well as be part of shaping what this work looks like in our West community. You will have the opportunity to participate in a West Community RJ Project and share valuable feedback that will be used to make West a more equitable community. 

Presenter Bio: Ciarra Grobe has been the Restorative Justice Coach at West High School since the fall of 2021. She has lived in Madison since 2014 and received her masters in criminal justice from UW Platteville in 2017. While in Madison, Ciarra has worked as a paralegal for a criminal defense firm, supported youth and families while with the RISE Children Come First (CCF) Program, and remodeled Briarpatch Youth Services Youth Peer Court Program into a Restorative Justice Program. Ciarra enjoys spending time with her partner and two daughters as well as reading fantasy books and gardening. 

Through storytelling and interactive activities, this workshop will expose the differences between the traditional criminal legal system (which focuses on punishment and exclusion) and a restorative justice approach (which seeks to recognize impacts, repair harm, and address needs). This workshop will discuss the perspectives of harmed parties and responsible parties, as well as the ripple effects and impacts of harm on both individuals and communities. Students should be aware that this is a space where harm, violence, and serious and sensitive crimes may be discussed in the context of restorative justice and the criminal legal system. 

Presenters: Shana Toor, Claire Carey, Haley Swanson, Grace Kraimer, Larz Guider, Jodi Klagos 

Organization Bio: The Restorative Justice Project (RJP) at the University of Wisconsin Law School facilitates restorative justice dialogues between harmed parties and responsible parties in the aftermath of serious and sensitive crimes. RJP is committed to serving the community by promoting restorative practices, developing alternatives to the traditional criminal legal system, and reducing racial disparities in the criminal legal system. 

We will be having a round table discussion speaking about the inequities of the population that we serve face. 

About the Presenters from the YWCA:

Libby Tucci: Race & Gender Equity Practitioner - Lead

Kiana Burnette: Restorative Justice Community Program Manager

Andrea Gaines: Residential Housing Manager

Katey Nelson: Operations Director 

Explore Solarpunk concepts of a liberated future with a deep connection to nature as you creatively imagine a more equitable future through an art form of your choice. Then, discover some concrete organizing steps that you can lead to bring your visions to life! 

Presenter Bio: Karen Polnitz (she/her) is a writer, performer, organizer, and educator who enjoys growing alongside each new group of students she is able to guide in exploration. She holds a B.A. in Playwriting from UC Santa Barbara and an M.A. in Teaching from Fresno State University. She has served as an arts, high school, and spirituality educator for the last decade, organizes and supports social justice efforts in the Madison area through Families for Justice and within her virtual job based out of Fresno, CA. 

This workshop will be centered around how to support LGBTQ+ youth. We will talk about terminology and definitions, why it's so important to support LGBTQ+ youth, and how to support and protect LGBTQ+ youth. 

Presenter Bios: 

Tyrone Creech Jr. (he/him) is the Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at GSAFE. He comes from one of the longest standing black families in Madison, going back four full generations. Graduating from East High School in 2007, Tyrone went on to UW-Platteville to focus on his successful post high school athletics, where he discovered himself and came out at the age of 21. Upon returning to Madison, he’s gone back to pursuing higher education at MATC, focusing on a Communications degree with emphasis on LGBTQIA+. Tyrone has worked with GSAFE as an adult mentor for over four years, being a staple at the Leadership Training Institute camp that is held every year. Since sports have been a part of his life for so long, he dreams of one day focusing his advocacy in the queer community on LGBTQIA+ young athletes, providing guidance through his experiences and hope to nurture their confidence and activism into their future lives. No matter the occasion, Tyrone brings his leadership, confidence, and loveable personality to the table in hopes of positively influencing everyone he connects with.

Sue Neeley (she/her) is the Director of Youth Programming and Family Engagement at GSAFE. She is very passionate about serving children and youth and supporting educators and families. Sue has worked with children and youth as an Assistant Director (Pre-K through 5th) at Goodman Community Center. All of the work she has done, since graduating from Winona State University in 2006, has been centered around children and youth in some capacity. Sue is a first generation American. Her parents left Laos and stayed in a refugee camp in Thailand during the Secret War in Laos. They were later able to immigrate to the United States with most of their family. She speaks Lao fluently and enjoys cooking and sharing Asian cuisine with her family and friends. Sue is a proud wife and a mother to 3 beautiful children and 2 lovely dogs. When she's not working or volunteering, Sue enjoys walking in the woods, dancing, martial arts, playing games, and singing karaoke.

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. 

Data is a fancy word that basically means "information." In this workshop, you will learn how to access public information about your school, neighborhood, and city. Bring your charged Chromebook! 

Presenter Bio: Blair Mosner Feltham is a public school worker and advocate. She has taught social studies in California and Wisconsin and currently works as the Equitable Multilevel System of Supports site coordinator at Sun Prairie East High School. She is also a member of the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education. 

Can reading a book transform your world?  Why are those behind bars denied the right to read?  We will talk about Wisconsin Books to Prisoners and how you can get more involved! 

Presenter Bio: John Peck is one of the founders and longtime volunteers of Wisconsin Books to Prisoners.  He also has family members who are formerly incarcerated. 

Every community in Wisconsin is affected by hate, hate crimes, and violence. We may not know where or when violence will occur, but we can plan how to respond with strength and resilience. This workshop will introduce students to recent stories of hate crimes from across the state and begin a discussion about what students can do to work against hate in our communities. 

Presenter bio: Benny Witkovsky (WHS class '08) is the coordinator of the Youth Powered for Unity project on hate crimes and hate motivated violence in Wisconsin.