Jorge Islas-Martinez immigrated to the United States more than 25 years ago. Today, he is well-known in the Whitewater community where he works as a bilingual liaison for the school district and volunteers with several organizations. One of his most recognized contributions, he started teaching English as a second language and is still running that program after 25 years. “I knew how hard it was, being here in the United States, not knowing the language. I took that as an example, my own experience, that I did not want others to go through the same thing,” said Islas-Martinez.
Last year, Islas-Martinez participated in Elevando, Wisconsin (Elevando), a leadership program through UW-Madison Extension. “Elevando, Wisconsin helped me to discover myself and more skills. Also, it helped me to continue being a better leader, and continue promoting education,” Islas-Martinez said, “This helps me to have more voice, to be the voice for myself and be the voice for others.”
While Islas-Martinez is passionate about teaching English, he welcomes a leadership program that centers around his native language. “We don’t learn a second language in 24 hours. It really takes time. We need time to adapt. We need to learn the new culture, we need to learn the new rules.” Offering the program in Spanish and discussing cultural values throughout the program means that more people can participate and gain the confidence they need to get involved in their community, whether or not they feel comfortable speaking English.
Through the lens of culture
Elevando’s goal is to foster leadership skills and expand participant networks. While it is open to anyone, Spanish is the primary language spoken, with language access services available to those who do not speak Spanish.
Jesús Vargas-Gutierrez was part of the original Elevando pilot and served on the advisory committee to shape the current curriculum. Initially, he was impressed that Elevando was interested in developing leaders within the Latino community. “When I read the slogan ‘Empowering leaders today for a better tomorrow’ and realized that I could develop leadership skills and that the program was offered simultaneously in English and Spanish, I didn’t hesitate to register,” said Vargas-Gutierrez.
Now Vargas-Gutierrez is Extension’s Elevando Wisconsin Leadership Specialist. Experiencing Elevando as a participant gives him a deeper understanding of the program’s significance to the Latino community. Being able to speak in Spanish and putting culture in the center of discussions is key. “This facilitated my participation and understanding of the topics discussed, allowing me to express my ideas and experiences more effectively and authentically,” said Vargas-Gutierrez. “Being in my native language, I could better connect with other participants and speakers, enriching the learning experience.”
Elevando invites participants to consider how their backgrounds, experiences, and culture are an asset. “We want participants to recognize their individual talents and gifts and feel empowered to use them to make a difference in their home, workplace, and community,” said Sarah Schlosser, Organizational & Leadership Development Outreach Program Manager, who works with Vargas-Gutierrez to grow the program.
Creating a sense of belonging
Civic health, according to the National Conference on Citizenship, describes how communities organize to define and address public challenges. Currently, a number of trends are affecting the civic health of Wisconsin communities, including increased loneliness, divided social networks, changing demographics, and a limited pool of engaged leaders. Studies show that when an individual feels safe, valued, and socially connected they are more likely to stay in the community and become civically engaged.
“In other words, if we create communities where all groups feel a sense of belonging, we will have stronger communities,” said Schlosser. “Individuals need to feel that they are valued, that they have belonging, and that they can contribute before they’re going to show up in the community and contribute.”
Elevando is doing that. The data shows that the program contributes to increased leadership skills, expanded networks, and a sense of belonging, leading to participants taking action in their personal and professional lives, as well as in their communities.
Connecting through Elevando Wisconsin
Since 2021, Elevando has reached 101 individuals with 44% of those participants identifying Spanish as their preferred language. The program meets via Zoom and covers traditional leadership topics such as discovering personal strengths, setting goals, building networks, and effectively communicating. Unlike traditional leadership programs, the curriculum was co-constructed by Latine leaders and includes content on practicing inclusion and keeping cultures alive.
Islas-Martinez says that Vargas-Gutierrez encouraged him to join, knowing that he would value the opportunity to connect with Latine leaders and find new resources for families in Whitewater. Islas-Martinez has already utilized his new connections made through Elevando. After hearing from guest speaker Jorge Antezana, CEO of the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce, Islas-Martinez followed up to discuss options for working together. They now collaborate regularly to offer classes in Whitewater, teaching business and entrepreneurship skills. “Those classes have helped people start new businesses and learn skills to make their businesses stronger,” said Islas-Martinez.
Antezana continues to be a guest speaker for Elevando because he sees the value in the program. Through his involvement, he has made connections that have opened up new opportunities for the Chamber. “I met other organizations, other people that connected with us, that we connected with them, and that we’re working together now to exchange services and experiences, collaborating mutually in developing projects together as we have in the city of Whitewater,” said Antezana, “I like to share these stories because it’s not just about connecting, it’s not just about supporting, but to involve yourself in the projects.”
Elevando is part of Extension’s Organizational & Leadership Development program, which develops the capacity of individuals and organizations to contribute effectively to strengthen their community. A new session of Elevando will begin in September 2024. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, contact Jesus Vargas-Gutierrez at (vargasgutier@wisc.edu) for more information.
