Karla Travis Case Study of our town, our school We are sowers. Parade Magazine, Photo

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1 PROFESSOR KARLA JENSEN, PH.D. PROFESSOR TRAVIS JENSEN, M.A. Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Nebraska USA

2 Karla Travis Case Study of our town, our school We are sowers Parade Magazine, Photo

3 State of Nebraska Photo

4 State of Nebraska Photo

5 State of Nebraska Photo

6 WORTSCHATZ Immigrant a person who comes to a country where they were not born in order to settle there (Undocumented student) Refugee a person outside of his or her country of nationality who is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion Acculturation the act of learning about a host culture (their customs, daily norms, traditions, etc.) Assimilation the process of participating in the cultural customs, daily norms, traditions, etc. of a host culture, while still maintaining one s native cultural beliefs and practices (State of Nebraska Office of Refugee Resettlement)

7 LOCATION OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKA

8 SIZE OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKA Nebraska = 200,349 km sq.; 9 persons per km 2 Germany = 357,021 km sq.; 229 persons per km 2 Overall approximate population of both the state of Nebraska and the city of Hamburg = 1.7 million Overall population of cattle in Nebraska = 6.64 million Sources: State of Nebraska United Nations Rangeland Management Photo

9 National Geographic Photo

10 Los Angeles 2, 414 km Chicago 838 km Houston 1,416 km Miami 2, 669 km New York 2,092 kilometers Source: State of Nebraska WHO IS COMING TO NEBRASKA? Refugees and Immigrants arrive from: Afghanistan, Bosnia, China, Croatia, Ethiopia, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Laos, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Sierra Leone, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan, Vietnam Distance from Lincoln to major ports of entry:

11 Office of Refugee Resettlement, Lincoln, NE

12 Office of Refugee Resettlement, Lincoln,

13

14 WHY IS LINCOLN DESIGNATED A RESETTLEMENT COMMUNITY? BENEFICIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR CITY Central Location Plentiful Jobs Affordable Housing Low Crime Rate Accessible Health Care Numerous Agencies to assist with Assimilation and Acculturation Effective Education Source: State of Nebraska

15 LINCOLN RESIDENTS AS CULTURAL BROKERS THE MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE Mary Pipher, Ph.D.

16 CULTURAL BROKERS What is a Cultural Broker? What kinds of things do Cultural Brokers do? Who can be a Cultural Broker?

17 FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AS CULTURAL BROKERS Who are these Cultural Brokers? Family who have acculturated Any community member with an interest in students, culture, education In what activities do they participate? English Instruction Career Counseling Advocacy Technology Training Arts / Sports Friendship

18 CULTURAL BROKERS CULTIVATING SUPPORT FOR LINCOLN S S NEWCOMERS Nonprofit Agencies Church Groups For-profit Businesses Tax-based Support Neighborhood Programs Cultural Fairs Local Media Courtesy Photo

19 CULTURAL BROKERS CULTIVATING ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND MULTICULTURALISM FROM K-12 K PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE UNIVERSITIES Lincoln Public Schools

20 CHALLENGE OF A MULTI-LINGUAL, LINGUAL, MULTI-CULTURAL STUDENT BODY 33,000 total students in Lincoln Public Schools (K-12) 45 languages spoken by 1,869 English Language Learners 41.6 % of ELL students are native Spanish speakers, 17.5 % Vietnamese, 12.2% Arabic, 28.7% other languages Lincoln Public Schools

21 WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION? LIFE AT LINCOLN S S UNIVERSITIES For Students Research Curriculum Service Learning For Faculty Continuing Education International Sabbatical

22 SUPPORTING UNDOCUMENTED AND REFUGEE STUDENTS AT LINCOLN UNIVERSITIES GED Program for Spanish Speaking Students Current College Students as mentors in the K-12 classrooms Admissions / Recruiting Orientation and Initial Advising Continued Advising Achievement Specialist Student Support System Multicultural Affairs Office Writing and Speaking Center Student Groups (IRO / MOSAIC) Tutors and Departmental Mentors NWU s mission statement / student declaration faculty declaration / core values NWU Archive

23 STUDENTS AS CULTURAL BROKERS Organizations Presentations in/out of class Art, Music, Theatre Sports Peer Tutoring Mentors Friends Nurturing a welcoming atmosphere NWU Diversity Office

24 SUPPORTING FACULTY TO TEACH IN A MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM AND TO BECOME CULTURAL BROKERS Overall World View Value of Education Individualism and Collectivism Perceived roles of men/ women, family members Perception of age (students, teachers, authority) Nonverbal Communication Language (Writing, Speaking, Listening) NWU Diversity Office

25 CONCLUSIONS Challenge and change can create fertile ground for growth Cultural brokers nurture learning and sow the seeds of multicultural understanding NWU Diversity Office

26 TIME FOR: QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS, CLARIFICATIONS NWU Diversity Office