Norma Francisco
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Norma Francisco 1999 fellow
Bold Idea
Mid-westerners are a people rooted in their land. That bond can be traced from a time when lakes and rivers formed the backbone of villages and transportation for European settlers. This connection with the land is even more significant for the Native American communities that preceded European settlement. Despite this connection, the region faces many environmental problems, from toxic fish to pollution from livestock factories. Water and air pollution laws are not enforced. Industrial expansion plans are approved without adequately assessing environmental impacts. The Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA), Wisconsin's first and only non-profit environmental law center, provides legal and technical assistance to grassroots groups promoting environmental justice in the Western Great Lakes region. MEA provides high-quality legal service to support a diverse social movement, builds local leadership, and implements innovative solutions to environmental problems. The center also runs an Advocacy Network of pro bono attorneys to represent individuals and groups on environmental issues. MEA has already vastly improved conditions in the Midwest.
Organization
If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach him how to fish he will eat for a lifetime. If you tutor a child, she may learn that day's lesson. If you teach a child how to learn, she will achieve for a lifetime. Teach a Child to Fish provides scholarships to students to study Kumon Math and Reading. The program teaches students how to learn while developing their confidence, study skills, and math and reading skills. Teach a Child to Fish also provides academic support and workshops to parents and students.
Biography
Norma Francisco, Ph.D, has been a senior academic advisor at Brandman University in Walnut Creek since 2008. While completing her doctorate in educational psychology, she vowed to help level the academic playing field for inner city youth, and in 1997, she launched the Kumon Math & Reading Center of East Oakland. To provide needed academic support and financial assistance to committed families, Norma established the Teach a Child to Fish Foundation with a fellowship from Echoing Green. Previously, Norma directed the Dental Hygiene Program of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 2003, she received the University’s Medal of Honor for outstanding contributions. She is participating with People Improving Communities (PICO) and Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) to bring employment and career opportunities to formerly incarcerated citizens. She has recently begun work on a new website for Teach a Child to Fish, and the revitalized program helps struggling youth learn how to learn, obtain scholarships, and prepare for careers.
