Peace Corps Guest Speaker: Phoebe Crowe

 The Global Scholars program hosted Guest Speaker Phoebe Crowe on December 13th.  Phoebe is our first guest speaker who is actually a Mukwonago alumni.  While she is not a graduate of the Global Scholars program she seems she could be an honorary Global Scholar, we simply did not have the program yet when she graduated Mukwonago in 2015.

 

  Phoebe got her taste for global citizenship when she was at Mukwonago when she completed her junior year as a study abroad student in Italy.  She loved the experience and shared with other students upon her return by speaking to International Club, World Geography classes and really anyone who would listen.  After graduating and moving to Arizona, Phoebe completed her college degree and just recently joined the Peace Corps.  This was the focus of her talk and students really enjoyed her presentation style and experiences she shared.

    Phoebe is currently serving in Fiji as a Peace Corps volunteer.  She completed her three month training and was then relocated on Viti Levu, the largest island in Fiji.  Her role within the Peace Corps is to help improve economic development within her local community.  This will involve getting to know the small business owners and help them set goals, plan financing and work on business plans to help them make well informed economic decisions.  One aspect of this is she will be teaching financial literacy classes to help encourage people to keep track of their finances so they can budget their spending and plan for their future.

    Phoebe spoke with us from her home in Fiji through her computer, which gave students the great opportunity to see her living conditions.  Phoebe made it quite clear her conditions are very good in comparison to many areas other Peace Corps volunteers are placed. She walked around her home with her computer see we could see everything.  Her living space (bedroom, living room) was all one room.  A second small room with a hot plate for cooking and a bathroom with a real toilet and shower with an actual shower head (cold water only).  She mentioned the importance of always having extra water on hand in case the water gets shut off so she would still be able to cook and wash.  Some of the other luxuries that she had, thanks to a generous Christmas gift from her parents was an electric blender and small refrigerator that would be common for a dorm room.  The source for her electricity is an extension chord that runs from her neighbors house (important to keep a good relationship with that neighbor).  

    The cultural challenges/adjustments that Phoebe is adjusting to are many, and it sounds like community members are not afraid to let her know when she commits one of these errors.  For example, when walking through a room and walking around somebody

Haiti Made Guest Speaker - Will McGinniss

 One of the perks of receiving the Global Scholar certificate and completing the program at Mukwonago High School is that students also receive a travel journal from Haiti Made.  The product is great - we love the fact that the students receive something that can be used rather than just sit on a shelf - and the story behind the project fits perfectly with the Global Scholar process.

In mid April, Global Scholars were able to meet with one of the cofounders of the company that makes the journal - Will McGinniss.  He discussed his background, the impact the company has made on the Haitian communities and the challenges of helping run an international company in a country like Haiti which is currently a "Failed State."

Students listening to Will McGinniss during the presentation

Will McGinniss started by explaining his background and how he got recruited as the Bass player in the band Audio Adrenaline (long story short, mothers have great ideas and create opportunities for you).  His involvement in the band sent him across the country and around the world playing across Europe, in Brazil and other venues.  The band won two Grammys in the early 2000s evidence of their success.  At this time they also believed they should find a way to use their platform to do something good for those in need.  Their lead singer grew up in a family of missionaries and had many stories about living in Haiti which persuaded the band to open up the Hands and Feet Project Orphanage in Haiti.  However after a few years of running the orphanage Will described their realization that they were creating a huge problem in Haiti.  Because the orphanage was able to provide food, shelter and education for children, families began abandoning their children and their work was actually breaking families up.  This lead them to establish the company Haiti Made - a leatherwork company making leather goods and creating jobs for the people in the community.  The result is that the company (which pays workers two to three times the minimum wage of Haiti) employs between 45-90 workers (depending on customer demand) creating economic stability for families and the ability to reunite and keep families together. 

Since its founding, Haiti Made has teamed up with other artisans and also sells metalwork, paper mache products, wood products and bone made jewelry from their website and at various boutiques across the United States.  Between the orphanage and Haiti Made, their investments into the work in Haiti supports a few hundred jobs - in turn supporting many families and their economic independence.

Red Star identifies Jacmel, one of the locations Will works out of.

However Will also discussed the risk analysis of working in Haiti, and when it comes down to international business, Haiti is on the bottom of the list of countries to invest in.  Primarily because of the uncertainty and instability of the politics of the country.  Recently, in 2021 the President of Haiti was assassinated (still has not been replaced).  The Prime Minister traveled internationally to seek help from other countries.  While Kenya has agreed to send military and police support, the country will not allow the Prime Minister back in.  This is because gangs have taken over about 80% of the capital city - Port Au Prince - and have shut down the airport, control the port and threaten violence toward anyone who works to bring outsiders into the city to stabilize the government.  So what does this mean for Haiti Made?

According to Will, the control of the gangs is limited to the capital city, and truthfully most internet searches focus just on Port-au-Prince.  Since the assassination in 2021 Will has ventured into Haiti and despite the turmoil, plans to travel back there in the next month as long as the airport reopens.  For the workers and the products?  Work is able to continue.  Will explained that the workers are still taking orders and are also displaying great bravery and perseverance to keep their company running.  While the port in Port-au-Prince is closed, it is not the only way to get products out of the country.  Their drivers find other routes to get products out of Haiti and to their customers.

Global Scholar students posing with Will.

The story and work of Haiti Made continues to keep my interest.  Some of the advice Will gave in regards to working in other countries and trying to help others in need seems so simple.  When you want to help, be sure to listen.  Billions of dollars have been spent in Haiti from other organizations to give people things they don't want and don't need resulting in a failed effort.  However, groups that talk to the people and ask how they can help, and then listen, those are the groups that find success, are accepted and truly make a difference.  

For Global Scholar students who were interested in hearing from Will but were not able to make the presentation, a video recording is posted on your google classroom page.  If you would like to see their products to support the workers of Haiti - check out the website here.  The journal our students receive is identified as the Kreye Journal in their leather products.

For more on Haiti Made check out their story on their website.

European Travel Opportunity.

 Social Studies teachers at MHS are planning a trip to Europe over the summer of 2025.  With this global travel opportunity I wanted to sit down with the teachers planning the trip to learn more.  Here are a few questions I was able to pose to Mrs. Cascio, one of the planners of the trip.

Where will you be travelling in 2025?

We will be starting in London, and will then be taking the "chunnel" to Paris.  We will then take a boat to Amsterdam and will be flying home from there.  Throughout these stops we will visit Churchill's war room from WWII and see the crown jewels.  In Paris we will check out the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre Art Museum and the Eiffel Tower.  After leaving Paris as we travel to the Netherlands we will spend some time in Amsterdam and visit Anne Frank's House and a diamond factory.  There are other destinations along the way but these are just a few highlights.  All of these stops include private guided tours so it is more insightful for everyone on the trip.

Why did you decide to organize a trip with MHS students to Europe?

We wanted to create an opportunity to experience both the past & the present and at a time when students have an understanding of both because of what they are learning in class.  We also love the cross curricular aspect of the trip including history, ELA connections, Art, Geography & culture and more.  We also want to give the opportunity to students who do not have an international travel opportunity.

Who are the students who are able to attend the trip and how many are able to participate?

Current freshman and current sophomores are able to join us.  Currently we have a cap of no more than 80 students and a deadline to sign up for the trip by March 21.

Have you travelled with students before?

Mr. Romo has travelled with students in the past taking students to Washington D.C.  However we both are experienced international travelers.  Mr. Romo did a study abroad in Spain and I (Mrs. Cascio) studied in Russia along with other travel experiences.

For students who are interested they can stop by Mr. Romo's room (252) or Mrs. Cascio's room (230) with questions.  There is also a parent meeting for interested families at 5pm on March 14 in room 42 of the High School.  You may also join the google classroom for information using the class code q3jv5db.

For more details about the upcoming opportunity and the trip, follow this link https://www.explorica.com/sign-up.aspx.  When asked for a travel code, use the code Romo-8101.

AP HuGe Field Trip

 

We had a big week for Global Education.  The AP Human Geography class took a field trip around Milwaukee to view the religious landscape of southeast Wisconsin.  Along the trip we stopped at St. Josaphat Basilica to learn a little bit about the Catholic faith, Polish immigrant history in Wisconsin and how the building was a repurposed post office from Chicago that was purchased, torn apart and then built in Milwaukee as the Basilica.

  Our second stop was at the Congregation Shalom Synagogue in Fox Point.  The synagogue is a Reform Jewish Synagogue which was very interesting.  The building was beautiful, the artifacts were fascinating, and Rabbi Noah gave a great presentation on 3,000 years of history in about 20 minutes.  The students also loved this history of one of the Torah Scrolls they were shown which survived the Holocaust in Poland when it was hidden by a member of the Jewish community.  After the member was liberated from Auschwitz Death Camp by allied soldiers he found the Torah Scrolls and eventually they made their way to this Synagogue in Fox Point.  

We had a quick lunch at Cafe India Bar and Grill where many students had their first taste of Indian Food.  It was a hit with many positive comments and many students going up for a second or third plate of food.  

After lunch we visited the Masjid Al Noor Mosque in Brookfield.  The Mosque member and community volunteer who spoke with us did an excellent job.  Many of the students were able to push through the threat of a food coma after lunch and were very engaged as she spoke.  She related well with the students and was able to answer a wide range of questions about the Islamic Faith.  Before departure students were able to stop in to the Mosque worship space for a closer look and a few pictures.

Finally we stopped at the Haksa Buddhist Temple outside of Waukesha.  The Buddhist Temple is of the Theravada Buddhist tradition which is common in south east Asia in countries like Thailand and Laos.  Once again our presenter was able to relate a lot of the Buddhist concepts and beliefs to the students in a way that was easier for them to understand, and his humor was able to keep the kids attention during our visit.  

In the Time of Butterflies: Book Review

 Author Julia Alvarez has peeked my interest of history in the Dominican Republic ever since reading her book Before We Were Free.  After reading that novel I was intrigued and wanted to read her book In the Time of the Butterflies which I was finally able to do.  

When looking at the book list for Global Scholars, a title like In the Time of the Butterflies never got my interest, until I learned these "Butterflies" were not cute, fluttery insects, but the code name used for a group of women who helped plan a revolution and plot to assassinate the Dominican Republic's dictator, Raphael Trujillo.  Suddenly there was much more I wanted to know.

In the Time of the Butterflies is a historical fiction novel.  The main characters, the Mirabal sisters, are real historical figures in history.  However the experiences and dialogue in the book is Julia Alvarez's fictional imagination.  But the novel serves its purpose.  To tell the story of the Mirabal sisters to North American readers in a way that gets us interested in the history and experiences of people in the Dominican Republic.  The novel takes you through their childhood, years as revolutionary conspirators, time in prison and finally up to their murders, orchestrated by the government to try and silence their revolutionary influence.  In the Latin American world, the date of their murder, November 25th marks the International Day Against Violence Towards Women.

These books by Julia Alvarez are also interesting in consideration of her own experience.  Julia's family escaped from the Dominican Republic four months before the murder of the actual Mirabal sisters.  Her father was involved in revolutionary activities and after a group was arrested and interrogated he took his family to the United States for their safety.  This experience has seemed to impact Julia Alvarez by recognizing how lucky she may have been to escape to the United States, but also a feeling of guilt in regards to all of the people who did not leave the country.  In the Time of the Butterflies she tells the story of revolutionaries, and in Before We Were Free she tells the story of a girl who's father participated in revolutionary activities but did not flee for the United States, so she can predict what her life may have been like if they stayed.

     For students in the Global Scholars program who are interested in learning more about this story and the Dominican Republic, I would recommend this book for juniors and seniors.  If a Freshman or Sophomore is interested I would recommend Before We Were Free.  Before We Were Free is a faster read and easier to tackle.  It triggers an interest in the history just was much as In the Time of the Butterflies.  I recommend the age difference for readers because In the Time of the Butterflies, Alvarez spends more time talking about the Mirabal sister's lives growing up and the development of their relationships with the men that become their revolutionary husbands. I was not as interested in these relationships and it may not hold the interest of a younger reader.  However I enjoy the change in writing style throughout the book.  Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different sister, one of which is only through the lense of her journal that she wrote while growing up and while in prison, and the different views helped keep my interest in a 300+ page novel that could have otherwise gotten "long."

I encourage you to read one these novels by Julia Alvarez and leave your own comment in regards to how well you liked her books.  

Red Scarf Girl: Book Review

Red Scarf Girl, by Ji-Li Jiang is a great insightful book about the Cultural Revolution in China by someone who experienced it.  Jiang is a young girl during the cultural revolution preparing to enter middle school.  Jiang was very smart and one of the top students in her class.  She was well respected by her classmates, friends and the school community.  However when the Cultural Revolution goes into full swing she documents her confusion as suddenly she is rejected, classmates want to avoid being associated with her and she learns about the history of her family and why the Communist government wants to punish them.  However all Ji-Li Jiang wants is to be a good citizen and make her family and community proud.  She finds herself in very challenging scenarios where she is put in position to prove her loyalty to her country by testifying against her own parents and family, or become an outcast.  

   
Jiang's experiences provide great insight for global scholar students who want to learn about a first person experience into Communist China during the 1960s, the Cultural Revolution, Communist Propaganda and the result of a society that promotes spying and reporting on your friends, neighbors and family.  

Below is a recorded presentation Ji-Li Jiang gave in 2001 about her childhood and book Red Scarf Girl.  The video was recorded by C-Span and presented at the University of Virginia and is available through this link on Youtube.

    Red Scarf Girl was a great book to read from the Global Scholar collection and is recommended for any student in the program, Freshman through Seniors.  You can find the book in the MHS Library or public library as well.  

CEO Visits Global Scholar Students

 

Just before students left for their Winter Break, CEO Steve Wallace visited students at Mukwonago High School to talk about his experiences in International Business with his chocolate company, Omanhene.

Mr. Wallace started his chocolate company in the early 1990's after reflecting back on his time in high school as an AFS exchange student. Mr. Wallace studied for a full year in Ghana where he built a strong connection and created fond memories with the many people he interacted with. You might say he became a poster child of the Global Scholars Program before the program existed. After returning home to the United States and working in business he decided to venture into the world of entrepreneurship in a non traditional way.

In most cases, chocolate is produced in countries found in western Europe, or in the United States. The main commodity however in producing chocolate is the cocoa bean grown in tropical areas. It just so happens that Ghana grows the highest quality cocoa beans which are then sold to multinational companies to be processed into the chocolate products we know and love. With this form of division of labor, the people that grow and harvest this product get a very small piece of the pie when it comes to profits, and most of the money stays in the countries of western Europe or the United States. Wallace wanted to change this. So he started Omanhene chocolate company that is a single source, premium chocolate, farmed and produced for export out of Ghana.

Steve Wallace's presentation was very interesting regarding his experiences and the development of Omanhene Chocolate. For example, he started the business making premium chocolate bars, but had to adjust to market demands to be successful and currently Omanhene focuses on chocolate powder (such as hot chocolate mix). However he has been able to expand and encourage Ghanaian investors to build a chocolate processing plant in Franklin, Wisconsin.

The presentation gave students a great look into international entrepreneurship with a focus on international economics & business. Students learned about the 95% failure rate of new businesses in food based companies, why he adjusted products, and the selection of his market area. Wallace also addressed an interesting question of how Ghana is working to make sure the cocoa beans harvested in their country does not involve any child or slave labor, which can not be said for other cocoa producing countries.Omanhene has expanded to sell its hot chocolate powders in 35 states around the country, primarily in coffee shops. For more information about the company, visit their website linked here, and to learn more about Steve Wallace's story students can check out his book Obroni which is in Mr. Montanye's classroom (228).