§ ILI Annual Fundraising: We have received many donations from our Friends of ILI and we are extremely thankful for your support through these tough economic times! We need the continued support of those who have not yet given, as we are short of our budget goals for the year. For us to meet our budget goals we need 450 people to give $100 each, or 45 businesses to give $1,000 each, or a combination of both. As we have talked with people about our goal, we have already received 5 donations for $100 each! We are already on our way, and just need 445 more!
We understand that not everyone is able to give $100 or not every business $1,000. What we would ask is that you give what you are able to help us continue the work we started 12 years ago with 10 students that now has grown close to 1000 students. We are thankful for your continued support in which ever way you are able to give!
Please make checks out to: Intercultural Leadership Initiative
PO Box 1792
Woodruff, WI 54568
Or pay online at: www.ilileadership.org
ILI’s approved budget for the 2009-10 school year is $220,960.58. To date we have $92,984.15 either received or committed. (We realize the amount we have raised and the amount we are hoping to raise does not add up to the approved budget. It will, however, allow us to bring our award winning programming to the students of the Lakeland Area.) Thank you for helping us with our 12th year!
Here’s what has been going on in ILI in the new year-
§ ILI Staff met with Libby Burmaster, President of Nicolet College. We discussed issues that ILI has traditionally discussed with Nicolet over the years: Camp Facilitator certification, Service Learning Opportunities for Nicolet Students, Connecting students with Lakeland Area schools with Nicolet students, and Pre-College camps. We had a great discussion and Libby expressed her gratitude for the work we are doing in the community.
§ ILI Staff met with Larry Ouimett, Superintendent of the Lac du Flambeau school. We had a good conversation about the process of integrating ILI into the school’s curriculum. There is a lot of work to be done and we will continue to collaborate with the schools in this process.
§ ILI Staff met with students at the Arbor Vitae/Woodruff, Lac du Flambeau, and North Lakeland schools for our ILI In-school sessions.
§ We had wonderful sessions with the 6th grade ILI students. The ILI staff worked with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (GLIFWC) Wardens. The students had an opportunity to see how to build an emergency shelter and start a fire using a magnesium fire starting kit; go inside a spearing tent and see how decoys are used to spear fish; and hear about, see, and handle furs of animals in our Northwoods. This is our 3rd year working with GLIFW and now retired DNR staff Mike McKenzie. The students enjoy the outdoor activities and the things they learn in that hands-on environment.
§ ILI Staff met with the Positive Alternative Coalition (PAC) and the Vilas County Youth Coalition (VCYC). The PAC coalition is working in the area of healthy communities by focusing on reducing the use of alcohol by underage youth and the use other drugs community wide. The VCYC also works in collaboration with other coalitions (ie PAC, LdF Coalition, Lakeland Area Community Meeting, etc.) to bring healthy choices to youth to reduce the use of alcohol and other drugs by underage youth.
§ ILI Staff hosted the Lakeland Area Community Meeting. This group of people has met for the last 2 ½ years working toward a healthy Lakeland Community. As we have gone through the process of meeting we have identified 4 areas of focus: Youth, Parenting, Issues of Race, and Alcohol and Other Drug Addiction (AODA). Over the last several months we have been heavily focused on Youth and AODA issues. We would like to investigate how to engage the other two areas of focus. If you have any ideas or would like to be a part of our meetings, please let us know by contacting Craig Kerr at [email protected] or 356-5252 ext. 455. We meet the second Wednesday of the month at LUHS in the Library. (We meet at LUHS so that the Youth from the ILI After School Leadership Program can be a part of our meetings.)
§ Friends of ILI Newsletter: If you did not receive your ILI Newsletter, please contact Craig Kerr at [email protected] or (715) 356-5252 ext. 455. He will be happy to send you a PDF copy or a hard copy when he receives them from the printer!
§ Help raise money for ILI just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch.com (powered by Yahoo), or shopping online with GoodShop.com. Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter ILI as the charity you want to support.
§ ILI In the Media: ILI was in the Lakeland Times on Friday January 15. Dr. Faye DeMarte was quoted while speaking to the LdF Board of Education as saying, “’major, major revisions’ to social studies curriculum include the implementation of a consortium-wide sequenced course of study, as well as inter-district joint projects incorporating the resources offered by the Intercultural Leadership Initiative (ILI).”
§ Upcoming ILI sessions and events:
o 7th Grade ILI sessions at Camp Nawakwa. Be prepared to be outside all day!
Jan. 25, 26, 28, and 29
§ ILI Volunteers:
o We have a need for some volunteers to type up our session evaluation answers. This is a pretty straight forward activity where the answers from the student evaluations are typed up.
o We also have a need for a volunteer to help us with thank-you letters and other once-a-week mailings.
o We would be happy to find a volunteer that has grant writing experience that would be willing to help us write grants.
If you are interested in helping with any of the above opportunities or would like to be involved in any other way please contact Craig Kerr at [email protected] or 356-5252 ext. 455