2016 Changing Landscapes, Changing Lives: A Here at Home Cultural Tour for K-12 Teachers

This year’s Here at Home tour was set in north-central Wisconsin, where participants met the people who give this region its distinctive cultural identity. The tour included interactions with Hmong and Somali immigrants, as well as visits to the Ice Age Trail, a family dairy farm, the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, the Zapadni Ceska Bratrska Jednota Czech Opera House, and more. Specific activities included:

  • Stitching with Hmong elders at the Eau Claire Hmong Mutual Assistance Association
  • Interviewing the auctioneer of the Amish-Mennonite produce auction in Withee
  • Overnighting at a hand-built Finnish traditional-style lodge
  • Enjoying a meal and entertainment highlighting Czech heritage at ZCBJ Hall and Ceska Opera Hall in Haugen
  • Touring the Al-Taqwa mosque in Barron established by Somali refugees