Online Study Circle Fall 2024 - American Indian Studies: Wandering Stars (2024)

Online Study Circles Fall 2024 Conversations: American Indian Studies

Wandering Stars (2024) by Tommy Orange 

About the Online Study Circles Conversations
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) - American Indian Studies Program in partnership with CESA 12 is offering online book studies for early childhood staff, K-12 staff, institutions of higher learning, and partners to continue our personal and professional work, with a focus on American Indian studies and education. Join us in an Online Study Circles Conversations: American Indian Studies and the exploration of specially selected texts as a foundation for the group conversation and discussion on various Indigenous topics and issues.

*Individuals may only register for ONE of the four Online Study Circles Conversations offered for 2024-2025. One will be offered in Fall 2024, two will be offered during Winter 2025, and one during Spring 2025. 

** NOTE: You must be present during ALL the advertised time(s) to participate and be a part of the study circles. They will NOT BE RECORDED for viewing at an alternate time. Additionally, participants do NOT have permission or authorization to record either via video or audio the contents of the session they are attending.**

Date(s) and Time(s): Orientation: Monday, October 28, 2024 | 4:30pm - 5:30pm
1st Session: Monday, November 18, 2024 | 4:30pm - 6:00pm
2nd Session: Monday, December 2, 2024 | 4:30pm - 6:00pm
3rd Session: Monday, December 16, 2024 | 4:30pm - 6:00pm

Book(s) and Author(s): Wandering Stars (2024) by Tommy Orange

Description(s): Wandering Stars (2024): “Colorado, 1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion prison castle, where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an institution dedicated to the eradication of Native history, culture, and identity. A generation later, Star’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by the man who was once his father’s jailer. Under Pratt’s harsh treatment, Charles clings to moments he shares with a young fellow student, Opal Viola, as the two envision a future away from the institutional violence that follows their bloodlines. In a novel that is by turns shattering and wondrous, Tommy Orange has conjured the ancestors of the family readers first fell in love with in There There—warriors, drunks, outlaws, addicts—asking what it means to be the children and grandchildren of the massacre. Wandering Stars is a novel about epigenetic and generational trauma that has the force and vision of a modern epic, an exceptionally powerful new book from one of the most exciting writers at work today and soaring confirmation of Tommy Orange’s monumental gifts.” [Penguin Random House].

Participant Outcomes

As a result of participating in the Online Study Circles Online Conversations, participants will:

• have an opportunity to read and discuss selected American Indian-themed books with participants from across Wisconsin.
• learn about diverse aspects of Native American histories and cultural concepts.
• address bias, myths, stereotypes, and misconceptions regarding our Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations.
• engage in discussion with colleagues, and explore multiple perspectives about First Nations Studies and the education of American Indian students.

Online Study Circles Conversations: American Indian Studies
Consistent attendance is crucial to allow for learning and to result in a successful book study. Individuals who miss ANY of the Online Study Circles Conversations sessions will be required to return the book at their own cost. Please be sure your schedule allows for full participation on ALL dates and times listed BEFORE registering. No exceptions will be made.

Target Audience

• District Administrators and Principals
• Classroom Teachers
• Curriculum Specialists, Directors of Instruction, and Library Media Specialists
• School Counselors, Social Workers, and Psychologists
• Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs) Administrators and Staff
• Tribal, Community, and School Liaison's (Home-School/Title VI/Johnson O’Malley Coordinators and Staff)
• Tribal Education Directors and Staff
• Head Start, Early Childhood, and Preschool Staff
• College and University (especially Schools of Education) Students, Faculty, and Staff
• Library and Museum Staff
• Any others with an interest in American Indian Studies and Education

Additional Information/Disclaimers
The book circle sessions will NOT be recorded or otherwise shared after the scheduled dates. The DPI American Indian Studies Program has found that this allows for more candid conversations, richer dialogue, and increased participation.

This training webinar does NOT meet statutory license stipulations for "Wisconsin American Indian Tribes and Bands", which is often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31. For those seeking to address statuary license stipulations, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Educator Preparation and Licensing - Statutory License Stipulations webpage for a list of approved courses and workshops. You can also visit the DPI American Indian Studies Program for further information.

Training Format
Each Online Study Circles Conversations will consist of one MANDATORY 60-minute orientation session followed by three 1.5-hour discussion sessions.

If you MISS ONE of the discussion sessions, you will be required to return the book at your own cost. Since we only meet a limited number of times, this will be a firm requirement. Each session will have two facilitators who will support interaction and discussion but will not be in lecture-style form.

These sessions will be facilitated online using the Zoom cloud video conferencing platform.

Book Information

• Participants are initially provided with a copy of the book at no charge.
• Participation in the orientation session is a prerequisite to receiving the complimentary book. Regardless if you have participated in a past orientation for previous online study circles conversations, orientation attendance is MANDATORY for the book study you are registered for. If you are unable to attend orientation you will NOT be eligible to be a part of the book study.
• Books will not be sent until AFTER the orientation meeting has been held.

Facilitators

Bwaakoningwiid David J. O'Connor, American Indian Studies Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Phone: (608) 267-2283 or Email: david.oconnor@dpi.wi.gov

Tim D. Peerenboom, School Psychology Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Phone: 608-266-1999 or Email: timothy.peerenboom@dpi.wi.gov

Registration, Costs, and Disclaimers

• There are no registration fees to participate in the Online Study Circles Conversation offered by the DPI American Indian Studies Program. A scholarship, funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), has been applied to the administrative and instructional fees.
• Pre-registration is required and limited to 60 individuals* for each session (see above registration links/buttons by each of the books). Once spots are filled a waiting list will be generated but we cannot guarantee those on the waiting list will be able to participate.
• Individuals may only register for ONE of the four Online Study Circles Conversations offered for 2024-2025 (please see DPI American Indian Studies Program Calendar of Events for book studies available).
• Funding for this training limits individual acceptance to WISCONSIN RESIDENTS only.
• Orientation is a requirement of participation. If you miss one of the sessions, you will be required to return the book at your own cost.
• The Online Study Circles Conversations sessions will NOT be recorded or otherwise shared after the scheduled dates. The DPI American Indian Studies Program has found that this requirement allows for more candid conversations, richer dialogue, and increased participation.
• This training webinar does NOT meet statutory license stipulations for "Wisconsin American Indian Tribes and Bands", which is often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31. For those seeking to address statuary license stipulations, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Educator Preparation and Licensing - Statutory License Stipulations webpage for a list of approved courses and workshops. You can also visit the DPI American Indian Studies Program for further information.

* The DPI American Indian Studies Program reserves the right to prioritize enrollment to LEAs with federally identified IDEA status, Wisconsin's First Nations, and districts with significant educational equity needs.  For more great training opportunities offered by the DPI American Indian Studies Program, please visit our website at Calendar of Events. 

Location:  

The Online Study Circles Conversations: American Indian Studies for Fall 2024; Winter 2025; and Spring 2025 will be facilitated online using the Zoom cloud video conferencing platform.

Contact

Judy Ross, Administrative Assistant

CESA #12 
American Indian Studies Program, https://dpi.wi.gov/amind
400 Lake Shore Drive East, Ashland, WI 54806
Direct Line: 715-685-1837
judyr@cesa12.org | Visit us on Facebook