THE AMERICAN INDIAN TASK FORCE:
REDISCOVERING EXTENSION EDUCATION
David WilseyExtension Educator
Natural Resource Management & UtilizationCloquet Regional Office
Business
Forestry and Agriculture
Economic Anthropology
Northern and Southeast Minnesota
Mexico and Guatemala
Ecuador
THE AMERICAN INDIAN TASK FORCE
TASK FORCE MISSION
Build institutional capacity and long-term commitment to making a measurable difference in American Indian Communities
THE AMERICAN INDIAN TASK FORCE
Cross-state Collaboration (WI & MN)
Charge given by the Extension Dean
Part of the Administrative Leadership Consultive Group
Comprised of Extension faculty and staff
A. I. T. F. TIMELINE
August 2005: MN Extension meets with WI Extension Native American Task Force
March 2006: MN A.I. Task Force named by Dean
April 2006: 1st Task Force Meeting
Oct/Nov 2006: A.I. Opportunity Analysis
Winter 2007: Tribal Liaison Position Created
Spring 2008: Regional Educators Hired
OUTCOMES: PEOPLE
Administration:
• Dawn Newman - American Indian Tribal Liaison
Educators:
• Dave Wilsey, Natural Resource Mgmt & Utilization• Susan Beaulieu, 4-H Youth Development, Brainard• Joe Courneya, 4-H Youth Development, Crookston• Jennifer Garbow, Family Development• Unfilled, Water Resources, Leech Lake
• Savannah Pollak, Summer Intern, Cloquet
FOSTERING CHANGE...
A.I. Task Force:
• A response to an identified need (gap)
• A vehicle / catalyst for change
• Leadership role: the creation of “working space”
“REFLEXIVE” EXTENSION...LEARNING: THE NEW WAY OF TEACHING
Image: Savannah Pollak
ASK: “WHAT DO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOU?”
ASK: “WHO ARE YOUR TEACHERS?”
ALLOW: THE “EDUCATOR” TO BE
THE “LEARNER”
OUTLINING AN APPROACH
“Grounded”
Participatory
Two-Directional
I. AMERICAN INDIAN “STORY CORPS”
Image: www.storycorps.net
STORY CORPS OBJECTIVES
StoryCorps.net:Our mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening.
Image: www.storycorps.net
A.I. STORY CORPS OBJECTIVES
1.Capture the unique stories, experiences, and insights of Educators with A.I. experience in order to institutionalize this knowledge
StoryCorps.net:Our mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening.
Image: www.storycorps.net
A.I. STORY CORPS OBJECTIVES
2.Use this knowledge to inform and strengthen:
The foundation upon which new and renewed relationships with the AI community are built;
Future programming
StoryCorps.net:Our mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening.
Image: www.storycorps.net
A.I. STORY CORPS INTERVIEWS
Image: www.storycorps.net
Extension Educators
with American Indian
Experiences
American Indians with Extension Education Experiences
A.I. STORY CORPS: INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Image: www.storycorps.net
Extension Educators American Indians
1908 2008
Capture Apply
2108
II. THE FOND DU LAC “SONDEO”
The Idea:
Build a FDL / Extension Partnership
Building a Foundation:
2. Grassroots Goals:
1. Organizational Objectives:FDL & Extension Priorities(Example: FDL’s IRMP)
The Result:
Context-Specific Natural Resources Programming
2. Grassroots Goals:
?
How should we learn about
these?
“Sondeo” Defined
A rapid and participatory team methodology used to enhance information about:
> community context, and
> community members’ goals and constraints
Dave WilseyUniversity of MN [email protected]
The Sondeo is Participatory
> Engages community members on their terms and in their settings (homes, garages, truck cabs, etc.)
The Team is Inter-disciplinary
> Considers [Nat.Res.] issues from multiple perspectives
(such as: gender and age equity, economics, health,
environment, education, etc.)
Dave WilseyUniversity of MN [email protected]
The method Reinforces and Enhances what we already know...
But as often, dramatically Alters what we thought we knew!
Why do a Sondeo?
Dave WilseyUniversity of MN [email protected]
• An overview of community members’ goals, objectives, and constraints (related to NR)
• A common and jointly-built foundation for FDL / Extension collaboration on Nat.Res. projects and programming
• A possible scholarly publication
• An evaluation tool to be revisited
The Sondeo Report
Dave WilseyUniversity of MN [email protected]
The Result:
Context-Specific Natural Resources Programming
Building a Foundation:
2. Grassroots Goals:
The Sondeo Report
1. Organizational Objectives:
FDL & Extension Priorities
Evaluation Evaluation
Dave WilseyUniversity of MN [email protected]
THERE ARE MORE...
White Earth Science Summer School...10 years!!!
Horizons (more tomorrow)
Adapted existing Extension curriculum
Everyday informal interactions, etc...
Image: www.storycorps.net
SONDEO
American IndianTask Force
• Addressing unmet needs
• Changing rules of engagement
• Institutional learning
•Catalyzing change...
Rediscovering Extension!