News and information for staff members and the Madison community
Vol. I No. 5 - March 29, 2006
Katie Allen and Tessa Begay, 7th grade students from Spring Harbor and Wright Middle Schools, were selected as two of four students who represented the United States at the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City, March 16 — 22.
Katie and Tessa were chosen based on their outstanding efforts in raising awareness and ecological restoration through the Title VII - American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) local action project.
At the World Water Forum, Katie and Tessa described the Wild Rice Cultural Awareness and Ecological Restoration project in a presentation to student environmentalists from around the globe.
Katie and Tessa have been active participants in AISES and have been learning about the impact the traditional wild rice harvesting method used by the Anishinaabe people has on the ecological systems. The project focused on the restoration of rice beds in local bodies of water and creating awareness on the ability of rice to clean and filter water.
The AISES students, with the direction of MMSD Title VII Coordinator Joni Theobald, studied the plant's life cycle, grew seedlings to reestablish rice beds in local lakes and created awareness in the community about wild rice's spiritual and ecological importance. There's an educational website for classrooms, to get the message out with hopes of other middle schools also embracing this mission.
The wild rice program is an example of environmental education at its best. The collaboration of the MMSD Title VII Indian Education program and Edgewood college biologist Jim Lorman, with financial support from the Foundation for Madison's Public Schools, Madison Indian Parent Committee, the MMSD and the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board made the project possible.
"Without their interest and commitment, we would not have been able to accomplish as much as we did," said Theobald. Their attendance was made possible through the financial support of Nestle Water Company.
The MMSD Title VII Indian Education program is part of the MMSD Department of Teaching and Learning and provides Native American students with academic support to meet their culturally unique needs. A variety of educational programs are offered, such as AISES chapters, tutorial assistance, parent support meetings and community cultural activities. Katie Allen and Tessa Begay are members of the AISES middle school chapter.
Restoring wild rice habitat to waters in the Madison area is one of the key
components of Katie and Tessa's research project. Students were able to
learn about wild rice by participating in the harvest.
Katie Allen (left), a Spring Harbor 7th grader and Tessa Begay, a Wright
Middle School 7th grader, explain their wild rice habitat work to members
of the media.
Last Updated: Wed Apr 26 07:48:49 2006
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