Author: Anna Miller

Lynda Kohler: Literacy through Art and Experiential Learning

Lynda Kohler is guided by her belief that every child deserves to have the same opportunities to develop literacy and gain artistic skills.  Lynda Kohler never thought that she would work in the nonprofit sector while studying exercise physiology in college. After a career in the airline industry, Kohler became executive director of SHARP Literacy, which is a literacy program working with over 8,000 students in 36 of Milwaukee’s at-risk schools. SHARP Literacy uses the arts, experiential learning, and educational tours to build literacy skills in students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Since Kohler became the leader four years,...

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Beyond the holidays, organizations need help year-round

People enjoy volunteering their time during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but non-profit organizations need help and donations after the holidays end. In Milwaukee, there are countless opportunities to aid these organizations any day of the year. The holidays are supposed to be a time of giving. Hallmark cards and holiday commercials market a spirit of selflessness that emphasizes giving as more important than receiving. Many people take these messages to heart and work extra hard to give to those in need around their communities during the holidays, whether it be through soup kitchens or donations to food and clothing drives....

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Remembering the sacrifices of American Indian Veterans

Celebrated Smithsonian historian Herman J. Viola spoke at Marquette University about the overwhelming representation of American Indians in the United States military, past and present. American Indian veterans have been an essential part of United States military for the past 200 years. The numbers speak for themselves: 12,000 American Indians volunteered to fight in World War I, despite not yet being considered citizens. They also represented about ten percent the population that served in World War II, the American Civil War, Korean war, Vietnam war, and the war in Iraq. Despite their efforts, these veterans and their contributions have...

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New Sitcom “Public TV” Satirizes Milwaukee Public Television

Former Milwaukee Public Television producers Anthony Wood and Claudia Looze presented their new sitcom Public TV, which parodies the eccentric people and programs working in local public television. Milwaukee Public Television (MPTV, now Milwaukee PBS) and is locally recognized for its variety of quaint craft shows and outdoor leisure programs. But little is known about the host of eccentric characters and scenarios that are occur behind the making of the shows. MPTV alum Anthony Wood’s new sitcom Public TV gave audience members a glimpse of this wacky world at its first official live presentation at ComedySportz on November 21....

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Socialism and Milwaukee’s Amnesia

Many Milwaukeeans have forgotten about the three socialist mayors that governed the city during the first half of the 20th century, establishing institutions and programs that continue today and continue to affect our quality of life. Although Wisconsin is widely remembered as the breeding ground of the Communism witch hunter Joseph McCarthy, many do not know that Milwaukee was the first, and only, major United States city to elect a socialist mayor. Milwaukee did not have just one socialist mayor, the city had three. Socialism took root in Milwaukee in the mid-19th century with the influx of German immigrants...

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Women in STEM promoted at Discovery World Event

Exposure to science and technology was the purpose behind Discovery World’s first annual Girls and STEM event, featuring women in prominent industry-related careers and engaging activities. Discovery World launched their first annual Girls and STEM event on November 19, to overwhelmingly positive response. More than 1,600 visitors came to the museum to witness the numerous careers and opportunities available for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Along the Discovery World promenade, and filling their upstairs exhibit and labs spaces, were booths and experiences provided by long-time partners, like Rockwell Automation and Northwestern Mutual. Other organization in Milwaukee...

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