We Live in La Crosse: Stories of Belonging

Who belongs in our community? Is it true that “all are welcome” and “hate has no home” here? Dr. Heather Linville (UWL) explores these questions through the telling and sharing of stories.

Multilingual individuals in La Crosse came together in a digital storytelling workshop in July 2022 to tell their stories. The stories explore three themes: belonging and home, identity and language, and journey and transformation.

Join Dr. Heather Linville as she helps audiences engage with these questions:

·What can we learn about ourselves and others through stories?

·What stories do we want to and need to hear in our community?

·Who feels they belong in La Crosse?

·What languages and cultures are represented here?

·How can we connect across our differences?

Presenter Bio: 

Dr. Heather A. Linville is Professor in the Department of Educational Studies and Director of the TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Her work focuses on improving educational opportunities and access for English learners in K-12 public schools. Dr. Linville co-edited (with Dr. James Whiting) Advocacy in English Language Teaching and Learning (Routledge, 2019) and she has worked in Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and Panama. Dr. Linville’s research interests include digital storytelling with multilingual learners, teachers’ advocacy for English learners, critical language awareness, and social justice for English learners.