Seventh Year for Urban Field Experience in Milwaukee
In January, 2007 nine education majors: Amanda Larson, Leslie Cormack, Meredith Danforth, Kelsey Graham, Kristin Knepel, Tracy Lettenberger, Samantha Rosin, Ursula Sepulveda and Katie Tennessen participated in the Urban Field Experience in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The schools selected were the 68th Street Early Childhood Center and the Starms Discovery Learning Center. In 2006 , the Wisconsin PK-16 Leadership Council recognized the Urban Field Experience at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh as a Promising Practice Program, Dr. Lenore Peachin Wineberg is the coordinator of the program.
The urban field experience provides an early opportunity to immerse education students in culturally and economically diverse settings not typically found in the Oshkosh area. The Urban Field Experience provides an opportunity for University of Wisconsin Oshkosh preservice teacher to explore urban school environments and to learn about the community and its citizens through first hand experiences. Education majors shadow a teacher in a classroom for one week in January 21-27, 2007. The goal is to provide preservice teacher with positive experiences in urban areas where there is a pressing need to recruit teachers. The nine students and the coordinator, Dr. Lenore Peachin Wineberg resided at Mount Mary College dormitory in Milwaukee and participated in cultural activities e.g. visiting the Black Holocaust museum to get a sense of the city and community.
The following response is a frequent reply from students who have participated in the Urban Field Experience over the past seven years:
“I believe this experience has helped me understand more the cultural group of African American’s. I believe that my stereotypes of ALL MPS schools have changed. My stereotypes were changed.” (2007)
