The “Building Connections” program series is designed to do just that by introducing neighbors in Waunakee to each other and to lived experiences that may be different than their own. The purpose of the series is to promote community engagement, build relationships, and foster conversations – all with a goal of continual learning and growth.
Programs are FREE and open to anyone age 16 and older who lives or works in the Waunakee area. They are scheduled to be held in-person at the Waunakee Public Library but will move to Zoom, if necessary. Please be sure to register to be notified of any changes.
You are welcome to register for individual programs or for the entire series.
Program Schedule | 2021-2022
Book Discussions (see below for full descriptions)
Tell Me Who You Are:
Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, and Identity
by Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo
Part 1: Wed, Sept 29 | 6:30-8 PM
Part 2: Wed, Oct 13 | 6:30-8 PM
The Undocumented Americans
by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Thur, Jan 20 | 6:30-8 PM
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
by Cathy Park Hong
Thurs, May 5 | 6:30-8 PM
Workshops and Experiences (see below for full descriptions)
Skills for Bridging the Divide
Presented by Braver Angels
NEW DATE! Thurs, April 28 | 6-9 PM
Poverty Simulation
Facilitated by Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
NEW DATE! Sun, June 26 | 1-5 PM
Waunakee Is Home – LIVE!
Sat, July 16 | 10 AM-12 PM
Program Descriptions
Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture, and Identity
by Priya Vulchi and Winona Guo
Chapters 1-5: Wednesday, September 29 | 6:30-8:00 PM
Chapters 6-10: Wednesday, October 13 | 6:30-8:00 PM
In this deeply inspiring book, Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi recount their experiences talking to people from all walks of life about race and identity on a cross-country tour of America. Spurred by the realization that they had nearly completed high school without hearing any substantive discussion about racism in school, the two young women deferred college admission for a year to collect first-person accounts of how racism plays out in this country every day–and often in unexpected ways.
Skills for Bridging the Divide
NEW DATE! Thursday, April 28 | 6:00-9:00 PM
In our current polarized political environment, many people avoid or dread conversations with friends or family members whose politics differ from their own. Braver Angels Skills for Bridging the Divide workshop teaches skills for having respectful conversations that clarify differences, search for common ground, and affirm the importance of the relationship. They also give participants a safe environment to practice those skills. This workshop is presented in partnership with Braver Angels, a nation-wide organization that works to bring Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.
The Undocumented Americans
by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Thursday, January 20 | 6:30-8:00 PM
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST – One of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard reveals the hidden lives of her fellow undocumented Americans in this deeply personal and groundbreaking portrait of a nation.
Poverty Simulation
Facilitated by Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
NEW DATE! Sunday, June 26 | 1:00-5:00 PM
This four-hour immersive learning experience is designed to help participants glimpse the realities of life when it is difficult to make ends meet. Over the course of the simulation, participants will be presented with a series of challenges that mimic the complex, everyday obstacles that billions of men, women, and children grapple with as they deal with financial insecurity. It will help to build empathy for families living in poverty and prompt strategic thinking and conversations about possible effective responses for our community.
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning
by Cathy Park Hong
Thursday, May 5 | 6:30-8:00 PM
Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong fearlessly and provocatively blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose fresh truths about racialized consciousness in America. With sly humor and a poet’s searching mind, Hong uses her own story as a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness in America today. A radically honest work of art, Minor Feelings forms a portrait of one Asian American psyche—and of a writer’s search to both uncover and speak the truth.
Waunakee Is Home – LIVE!
Saturday, July 16 | 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
This fun and engaging experience will be a mash-up of Create Waunakee’s “Waunakee is Home” Facebook series that introduced us to neighbors with a variety of backgrounds and experiences and The Human Library®, a library of people where you can borrow a human for conversation. It will give participants the opportunity to meet with neighbors who may have different lifestyles, diagnoses, beliefs, disabilities, social status, or ethnic origins for “open book” conversations to build understanding and connections. https://indeedhi.re/3HyUeif