WE LEARN Annual Membership Meeting

March 10, 2007

Boston, MA

Director's Welcome – Mev

Introduction of Board of Directors

Accomplishments for 2006/ Review of Annual Report (pdf) – Mev

á      Women's Perspectives update – 2007 issue #2 – Women Who Dare, now available

á      Women Leading Through Reading – Happening in Rhode Island and received grant for Boston. Also working on Facilitator's Manual and applying to Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts

á      Marketing Video in process

á      Several National Conference Presentations

                 

      Financial Health:

WE LEARN is a mostly volunteer organization run by the director, board and committees

We need to improve fundraising for this year

Spending on Programming far outstretches operating expenses

The Annual Report only reflects last year. We have many exciting things in the works already this year.

 

In development:

Want to set up an advisory board

Will work on a strategic plan for this year.

 

Committees:

Special Thanks to the Conference committee. It will not be discussed at meeting, but is open to all who wish to join.

Brief description given of the committees/caucuses for breakout session (see notes below for each session)

 

Board of Directors: Elections

Slate for this year: Stacie Evans, Anna Yangco

Amelia Onorato made a motion to accept the slate, Klaudia Rivera seconded. Unanimously approved

 

Notes from Lesbian/Gay Issues Work Group

Participants: Deborah Schwartz (facilitator), Karen Wyman (scribe), Mandy Bonisteel, Jenny Horsman

General Discussion:

Why is this group so small? Is there reluctance to self-identify as lesbian?

Is there buy-in within WE LEARN that this is an area of interest and priority? Does this fit with WE LEARN's mission? The mission statement includes social justice issues, but is there agreement that sexual orientation is included in the social justice aim of WE LEARN?

Intersectionality – sexual orientation will compound experiences of oppression.

How can homophobia be addressed in the context of strong faith groups? How can an emphasis on faith and spirituality be balanced with openness to lesbians?

Possible Proposals

Propose to focus on lesbians specifically (rather than broader GLBT population), perhaps a survey of WE LEARN members and their networks.

o    Possible questions might be:

¤    How do you identify and what are the obstacles faced?

¤          Is this important to address?

¤          How are lesbian issues ignored/silenced (are they?), and what is the impact of that silencing?

o    Better questions might be:

¤    How are lesbian-specific issues being addressed now?

¤          How are others doing this?

¤          What tools are needed/being used to address these issues?

o    A survey might raise safety and identification issues

A possible pilot program to do a small-scale survey/study so that we have more information to inform next steps. Astrea would like to see a more specific project. Perhaps a project within a community-based organization that would create a curricular tool to address homophobia within ABE.

o    The Griffin Center (dual diagnosis youth treatment center) wanted to create LGBT safe space, so they surveyed staff to get a ÒpulseÓ on attitudes and perceptions. This process revealed a great deal about where things are in the organization. Important to ask Òhow do you address these issues?Ó and Òwhat are examples?Ó.

o          What collaborations might be possible with LGBT groups, literacy organizations, etc.? Collaborations could be valuable both as recipients of our findings and as resources.

Both Mandy (mboniste@gbrownc.on.ca) and Karen (karenw@gorhamschools.org) volunteered to read grant info.

Contact/connect with Nancy Howard about these ideas

Karen suggested the Maine Women's Fund as a potential funder as they have identified lesbian issues as a funding priority in the past.

 

Notes from the Women's Perspectives group

Participants: Amelia Onorato (facilitator), Michele Sedor (notetaker), Susan Kelley, Gladys Melo-Pinzon, Emily (from Project Hope), Jyothi Ravindra

Amelia gave the background of how Women's Perspectives came into being.  Michele talked about the process for this year.

Group Brainstorm:

            What should happen with women's perspectives?

*It's important to keep it because of outside (societal, etc.) factors that are not supportive of women's issues/education.

-this can be seen as an advocacy or organizing tool

*How do people find out about the call for writing?

(Amelia and Michele mentioned some of the ways they know about.  This led to more discussionÉ)

*If more people knew, maybe it would encourage more people to come to the conference.

*This could lead to more people using the publication after

*Could we add something that shows people how to use this in the classroom?  A guide for teachers to utilize this publication so it doesn't get forgotten between issues.

*Add artwork?  So many ways to show literacy – let's expand it to include artwork.

*Get women learners more involved in artwork and other facets of publication.

*Do programs get enough info?  What could the writings look like?  Are there examples of writing on the website that could be shared when the call goes out?

*Marketing?  Do we make more copies to send to more people?

*Who are the writers?  Is there a way to broaden the base?

*Barrier mentioned:  getting writings from women in mixed (male/female) programs.  How do you get writings that are only from women in a mixed class?

*How to engage more students – do more leadership connected to Women's Perspectives.

EndÉ

We tried to brainstorm how to narrow the theme of ÒWomen and MoneyÓ but didn't have enough time to pursue this.

Two people who are interested in helping out with Women's Perspectives next year:

Susan Kelley, Family Resources Community Action, 245 Main St., Woonsocket, RI  02895 

Gladys Melo Pinzon, consultant on gender development and conflict,

 

Notes from the Curriculum and Resource Development Work Group

Participants: Mary Buehrens, Silpa Kallenbach, Jae-Lynn Stark, Julie Quinton, Mary Jepson, Anna Yangco

Not sure how to collect lesson plans from teachers so we can use them.

How to get students here

What about a grant to help us find the ÒgemÓ lessons?

Could we use a framework such as that from Edmonton (Spiral) that could help us frame a collecting process for curricula?

We need a framework to help teachers know how to document their own lessons

Dave's ESL cafŽ - a place to look

Would have to actually solicit the work

1 person used the adjusted lesson plans idea from Women's Perspectives

ALRI in Boston funded a mini-grant for how to use Blues in the classroom

You would have to have some kind of review board prices

Publication of best practices to have @ conference

Edited guide for holistic education needed - of course, money needed

Having description out there is motivating in and of itself

Isn't there another group that's doing work like this?

Julie - will take task of finding organizations

Take on the Challenge is out of print

Could we use that as a framework for a web resource?

How do we build on that challenge?

Anna - can talk to Windsound and get more information about how they use their framework

Jenny's website also wants to have links

Other aspect - Research is necessary to support this

*How do we solicit materials?*

 

Notes from the Research and Policy Caucus

Short term goal:  Annotated Bibliography/ Expand on research link on the website

Need to find out what we know bout the research available.

Long term goal: Create fact sheets from the research collected

Issues/ Concerns/ Primary Areas of Research Interests of Caucus Members

Are there organizations/groups that can assist WE LEARN in finding answers to the questions raised?

Use of Art in Learning - Research to back artistic expression as part of the learning process. What is already known? Lit. Review (possible short term goal) Volunteer to research the area of Art and Learning: Allana Agada (?)

Another possible short term goal: update the resources on the website

Are there any upcoming policies that would affect ABE/ access to education programs?

 

 

Notes from the Website Design and Tech Integration Group

Short Term Goals:

Get what is already on the website into the new format we have been working on.

Need some one with the know-how to do it. Tap into the membership? Programs that  do web design?

Get online registration for the conference etc.

Find out technology needs of committees/ caucuses

Long Term Goals:

Build on the "wish list" from last year

Integrate all area of the organization with technology

Develop a technology plan

 

 

 

 

Notes from the Student Leadership group

More Activism - what's been missing

Militant Activism to defend programs

Student- what skill brining to show self as value to committed program

Teachers, Administrators, Students - together that affects the literacy field

Student body – needs support and strong arm to lean on

Importance of voluntary work - adapt as we go along

Action in Adult Literacy - emphasis on what students can do in their community

With strong person beside us with role model

We have power

Sit-ins/Rallies/Speeches/ fundraising

Teachers need leadership qualities, teachers need to learn

Educate men on women's issues

Students have most to lose by not having ABE programs

Civic literacy for students and teachers

Independence from institutional controls

Bill of Rights