1

Student Information ​(for groups each student fill out this portion only)
Student Name(s) (First, MI, Last): Peyton E. David
Permanent Address & Zip Code: 522 State Street, Apt H Madison, WI 53703
Telephone: (914) 486-0300 Email: pdavid3@gmail.com
Year in School: Junior Major: Journalism and Mass Communications and Legal Studies
UW ID Number: 9075279159 Expected Graduation Date (Month/Year): May 2020

Please answer the following questions:

1. Title of the Proposed Project:
Writing in the Shadows: Supporting Youth Experiencing Homelessness Through Editorial Writing
2. How did you learn about the Wisconsin Idea Undergraduate Fellowship:
Email

Community Partner Information Faculty/Staff Mentor Information

Organization: Transition Education Program Faculty Mentor: Travis Wright
Address: 545 W Dayton St Madison, WI Department: Counseling Psychology
53703
Contact: Jani Koester Dept. Funding String School of Education
and Dept. Finance
Contact:
Phone: (608) ​204-2063 Campus Address: 309 Education Building
1000 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706
Email: jkoester@madison.k12.wi.us Phone: (608) 263-4669
Email: tswright2@wisc.edu

Student Grant Request

Select ​one​ category in ​either​ the individual ​or​ group column to indicate the expected duration of the project.
At the bottom, please indicate the amount you are requesting for your project. The maximum amounts you
are able to request per project type can found on the next page. Please contact the Morgridge Center for
Public Service with any questions regarding the financial reward request.
√ Individual Project √ Group Project
Summer 2019 Summer 2019
Fall Semester 2019 Fall Semester 2019
Spring Semester 2019 Spring Semester 2019
 2
Summer & Fall 2019 Summer & Fall 2019
√ Academic Year 2019-20 Academic Year 2019-20
Amount Requested: ​$5,000 Amount Requested:

Application Instructions, Conditions and Disclaimers:

Students must enroll for 3 credits of supervised research, senior thesis or directed study during the 2019-2020
academic year or during the 2019 summer session. Please note that WIF funded projects are not be eligible to
receive certain other campus fellowships.

When filling out your application, please indicate your Faculty/Staff Mentor’s department funding string and
their department finance contact’s name and contact information. This will make the transfer of project
implementation funds more streamlined. Please note that project implementation funds include all supplies
and expenses, such as travel costs, presentation materials, art supplies, etc.

Please use the table below as a guide for choosing the amount of money you are requesting for your project:

Individual Project Maximum Group Project Maximum

Summer 2019 - $2,000
-​Up to $1,000 can be designated as scholarship
Fall Semester 2019 - $3,500
-​Up to $1,500 can be designated as scholarship
Spring Semester 2019 - $3,500
-​Up to $1,500 can be designated as scholarship
Summer & Fall 2019 - $4,500
-​Up to $2,500 can be designated as scholarship
Academic Year 2019-20 - $5,000
-​Up to $3,000 can be designated as scholarship
Summer 2019 - $3,500
-​Up to $2,500 can be designated as scholarship
Fall Semester 2019 - $5,000
-​Up to $3,000 can be designated as scholarship
Spring Semester 2019 - $5,000
-​Up to $3,000 can be designated as scholarship
Summer & Fall 2019 - $6,000
-​Up to $4,000 can be designated as scholarship
Academic Year 2019-20 - $7,000
-​Up to $5,000 can be designated as scholarship

The numbers in bold indicate the ​maximum​ total amount you are able to request for a given project. You may
request up to that entire amount for project supplies and expenses. If not all funds are needed for supplies and
project expenses, you may keep up to the amount listed underneath as a tuition scholarship. This amount will
be sent to the Bursar’s office and applied to your tuition bill (s). The Financial Aid Office can advise you on your
particular situation. Please contact the Morgridge Center for Public Service with any other questions regarding
the financial reward request. (See sample budgets for an example of how to complete your detailed budget in
the project proposal section).

Upon completion of the project, the student is required to submit a copy of their final paper or product, as well
as a brief reflection paper (up to 5 pages), and a final budget report. Each awardee must participate in the
Undergraduate Symposium, April 2020, along with various meeting and presentation opportunities throughout
the year.
 3
Writing in the Shadows: Supporting Youth Experiencing Homelessness Through Editorial Writing

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to introduce Madison’s youth experiencing homelessness to media

resources for them to share their writing with the greater Madison area. Youth experiencing homelessness are

in the shadows and have much less control over their living situation than adults do. On any given night, about

300 unaccompanied minors and young adults in Dane County don’t have a regular place to call home.1 Because

of a lack of stability and other life stressors that tend to accompany homelessness, youth experiencing
2
homelessness often fare worse in school, achieving less academically than their peers. ​Writing in the Shadows

looks to implement a weekly after school curriculum for middle schoolers who are currently experiencing

homelessness or have overcome homelessness that introduces editorial writing skills and offers them an

opportunity to be published in Isthmus. Along with valuable writing skills, the year-long program will provide

weekly stability, connections to other youth experiencing homelessness, and tools for self-advocacy.

1
https://madison.com/wsj/news/special/homeless/homeless-youth-face-peril-on-the-streets/article_cd8c0a41-e3f8-5c53-8
8ad-f360776b30e2.html
2​
Miller, P. (2011). A Critical Analysis of the Research on Student Homelessness. ​Review of Educational Research,​ ​81(​ 3),
308-337. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/stable/23014295
 4

Background and Purpose

In Madison, about 2,400 individuals experience homelessness on any given night.3 The count is

misleading, as there are a number of individuals experiencing homelessness — both youth and adults

— who are hidden. The Wisconsin State Journal reported youth experiencing homelessness are victims

assault, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental health problems. Moreover, “some engage in ‘survival

sex,’ trading their bodies for food, clothing, drugs or a place to stay. An increasing number become

ensnared in human trafficking.”4 As a result, youth experiencing homelessness are often at a higher risk

for dropping out of school. And being a relatively veiled population, public perception and awareness is

lacking.

The purpose of this project is to spark youth experiencing homelessness’ interest in journalism,

a skill that can build avenues for self-advocacy, and to raise awareness of the importance of addressing

educational barriers that result from experiencing homelessness. The project will focus on middle

school youth from O’Keeffe Middle School, which has been identified by the Madison Metropolitan

School District (MMSD) Transition Education Program (TEP) as having a large population of youth

experiencing homelessness. Middle schoolers have been chosen for this project because of the

noticeable decline in school engagement at this age.5 Youth who are experiencing homelessness are

also at risk for higher rates of mobility, which, combined with the multitude of other life stressors that

accompany homelessness, leads to lower school achievement and higher dropout rates in the future.6

3
https://madison.com/wsj/news/special/homeless/introducing-the-series-a-challenge-to-move-beyond-stereotypes-and/ar
ticle_372866d7-3bb9-5690-87e2-1c98b8f58995.html
4
https://madison.com/wsj/news/special/homeless/homeless-youth-face-peril-on-the-streets/article_cd8c0a41-e3f8-5c53-8
8ad-f360776b30e2.html
5
​Abbott, A. (2017). Fostering student interest development: An engagement intervention. ​Middle School Journal,​ ​48​(3),
34-45. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/stable/44320369
6​
Miller, P. (2011). A Critical Analysis of the Research on Student Homelessness. ​Review of Educational Research,​ ​81​(3),
308-337. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/stable/23014295
 5
Writing in the Shadows​ looks to create a supportive environment that touches on all of these

provisions and that raises community awareness about what youth experiencing homelessness face in

Madison.

This program will work with those who are experiencing homelessness or have overcome

​ ill run from September 2019 to May 2020 and will take place
homelessness. ​Writing in the Shadows w

two hours every week at O’Keeffe Middle School. A curriculum will be put in place to teach students

about writing across newspaper disciplines, including news writing, oped, arts and lifestyle, and sports

writing. During the program, they will produce their own work across these disciplines that will be

published online. At the end of each month, the students will produce a 12-page paper that will be

circulated around the school. Additionally, we will work to create an end of the year celebration at

Madison Public Library, where students will be able to share their work and their growth with their

family members and the community. Throughout the program, the desired outcome for the student

will be literacy and tools for self-advocacy, the ability to articulate how their homelessness has affected

them, an interest in journalism, and positive relationships with peers.

Curriculum

Each week, students will be taught topics like news values, how and what to report, advocacy

through reporting, editing, and more. This has been the framework for my own learning experience in

the journalism field, both in the classroom and as an editor for The Badger Herald. The curriculum will

also look at current events in Madison and have students analyze how those events are relevant to

their own lives. Through learning about current events, such as legislation revolving around affordable

housing, the curriculum will integrate students’ experiences.

 6
Because we want to build a highly stable environment, there will be volunteers from Isthmus

and UW students who work at newspapers teaching the class. Students experiencing homelessness

often have to compete to have their needs met, so recruiting volunteers with experience in journalism

is essential in creating stability. We will recruit student volunteers from publications like The Badger

Herald and The Daily Cardinal as weekly editors to work with the participants of the program to help

their work grow. We will also seek out professional staff from Isthmus and the Greater Madison

Writing Project. A weekly curriculum will be written out, as mentioned later in this proposal. The

program looks to be structured, but flexible, which is found to have more promising results for youth

experiencing homelessness.7 A sample agenda is as follows:

● Team building

○ Starting the day with a team building, or an energizer, is a good way to build familiarity

and trust with fellow students and instructors

● Presentation on the topic of the week

○ Integrating current events and having students interact with the presentation

■ Example: If the topic is about writing headlines, students could brainstorm what

the headline of their day would look like

■ These presentations will be created in collaboration with journalism school staff,

undergraduate publications, and professional publications.

● Writing exercise

○ Taking the topic of the day and working on implementing that in practice

7
​HEISE, D., & MACGILLIVRAY, L. (2011). Implementing an Art Program for Children in a Homeless Shelter. ​Studies in Art
Education,​ ​52(​ 4), 323-336. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/stable/41407913
 7
■ Example: If the topic is about opinion writing, having the students work on an

oped. The students will be given a writing prompt to first warm up and then have

them write a longer, more thoughtful piece.

● Pair and share

○ Have students pair up and share their work. Have them workshop their partners work.

● Individual work

○ Have students work with volunteers to revise their own work.

Online Product

The online product will be a social media tool used to create awareness in the community. Each

student will have the opportunity, if they want to and give permission, to have their work put online.

The online product will publish students’ analyses’ of news as well as oped-style articles. These

particular works will be edited by instructors and volunteers and workshoped with the class before

publishing. A different student will be published each week. Additionally, this website will be put on

social media, like Twitter and Facebook on accounts linked to the project and an account linked to TEP

to raise awareness within the community.

Moreover, students will have opportunities throughout the year to submit their pieces to

Isthmus for publishing consideration.

Print Product

The print product will be published monthly. Instructors will send pages to a printing business

and will coordinate with the school for the paper to be placed around the building.
 8
Print products won’t start until a month or two after the program begins to give students time

to learn about news writing and how to create a paper.

Benefits

O’Keeffe Students

Through the program, students will be able to connect with other students who are in similar

circumstances, mitigating the effects of social exclusion that often accompanies homelessness.

Additionally, the program will offer academic support by enhancing writing skills and offering a space

for academic collaboration.

Students and educators outside the program will also benefit, as the newspaper will be

circulated around the school. This allows for students and educators to gain a better understanding

about such a pervasive issue in the community. Awareness is the first step in being an activist, and

making this literature available will hopefully spark an ongoing interest in being a homeless advocate.

​WIF Fellow

My interest in learning about homelessness and being a homeless advocate started in Madison.

There was no specific moment, rather it was through observation of other students and community

members, who I often see ignore individuals experiencing homelessness and treat them with little

humanity. As I became angrier with what I saw, I started reflecting on my own upbringing and biases I

had. I grew up with a mindset that taught me that those experiencing homelessness needed to “pick

themselves up by their bootstraps” or that they were “dangerous.” The myths I learned throughout my

childhood and into adulthood were endless. They were fueled by ignorance.
 9
I’ve spent much of my time at UW trying to dispel the biases I hold, and while it’s been a

process, my education has allowed me to grow. The first step to correcting myself is being aware that

the myth was ingrained into my thinking. I can read articles about homelessness all I want, but until I

connected with people experiencing homelessness, built a repertoire, and heard their stories I wasn’t

doing that much to help myself. I want to give the opportunity for the public to educate themselves

and the tools for the public to advocate. I am a believer that education and kindness are our greatest

weapons.

My interest in using journalism to breaking down barriers has stemmed from my experience at

The Badger Herald. I started as a reporter my freshman year, covering mostly campus issues about

diversity and student government. I’m now the managing editor, where I’ve written stories about

social issues pervasive in Madison, like affordable housing, the realities of unequal access to public

transportation, and more. Through this role, I’ve been able to make many connections around the

community. I also have extensive experience with creating websites with Wordpress, creating a print

product, writing and editing across disciplines, and pitching stories

I’m also a case management intern at Just Bakery, an employment training program for

individuals who have had severe gaps in their occupation for reasons such as homelessness or

incarceration. Many of the people I work with are currently incarcerated, and so I work with them to

ensure they’ll have housing, employment, and other tools for success when they’re released. There,

I’ve created good relationships with all of those in the program because I’m relatable, empathetic, am

able to facilitate conversations, and I make sure their needs are being heard. I believe both of these

qualifications, in addition to my passion for learning and growth, make me qualified to run ​Writing in

the Shadows​.
 10

Timeline

● March 2019: Secure space at O’Keeffe Middle School

● April 2019: Begin recruiting volunteers

● May 2019-August 2019: Create comprehensive curriculum for the year

● June 2019: With TEP supervisor, begin advertising program for eligible students

○ Start training staff at O’Keeffe on homelessness literacy and ​Writing in the Shadows

● August 2019: Begin enrolling students

○ Because most students are identified by TEP during August and September, we will

continue the recruitment process throughout enrollment

● September 2019: Program begins

○ Start social media interaction

○ Reach out to Madison Public Library to secure space for end of the year celebration

● October 2019: Monthly print production begins

● April 2020: End of the year celebration

 11
Budget

ITEMIZED LIST OF PROJECT EXPENSES --

NOT TO EXCEED THE AMOUNT LISTED ON
THE FRONT PAGE OF THE APPLICATION.
These items will only be reimbursed upon
submission of receipts). Expense amounts
should be reflected in U.S. dollars.
1. Wordpress Account $0
2. Social Media $100/month for 8 months: $800
3. Newspaper 100 papers/month + shipping costs: $1,900
4. Snacks ~$15/session $500
5. Writing supplies $200
6. Transportation costs Transporting students and families to and from end
TOTAL: of year celebration $300
$3,700

WIF SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

$1300

TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED $5,000

 01/08/19
UW-MADISON STUDENT RECORD
David,Peyton Elyse
MATRICULATION DATE 09/06/16
INSTITUTION(S) ATTENDED:
John Jay High School, Cross River, NY
CEEB Advanced Placement Test, New York, NY
CURRENT MAJOR: Journalism BA
CURRENT MAJOR: Legal Studies BMAJ
10/18/16 --GER Quantitative Reasoning Part A satisfied.

08/29/16 TEST CREDITS

PSYCH 202 SEC Introduction to Psycho 3.000
TOTAL CREDITS 3.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Fall 2016-2017 BA 1 BA Undergrad
SESSION A1: SEP 06 - DEC 15
ART 469 IC CADRLC Studio Seminar 1.000 A 4.000
ECON 101 SEC r Principles-Microeconom 4.000 BC 10.000
L I S 201 ZEC b The Information Societ 4.000 A 16.000
MATH 211 NIC r Calculus 5.000 B 15.000
SUM: EARNED CR 14 GPA CR 14 GPA 3.214 14.000 45.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Spring 2016-2017 BA 1 BA Undergrad
SESSION A1: JAN 17 - MAY 04
CNSR SCI 111 Finc'l Life Skills Und 1.000 A 4.000
ENGL 100 EC a Intro to College Compo 3.000 A 12.000
JOURN 201 SEC b Intro to Mass Communic 4.000 AB 14.000
PHYSICS 109 PEC r Physics in the Arts 3.000 B 9.000
POLI SCI 104 SEC Intro-Amer Politcs&Gov 4.000 BC 10.000
SUM: EARNED CR 15 GPA CR 15 GPA 3.267 15.000 49.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Fall 2017-2018 BA 2 BA Undergrad
SESSION A1: SEP 06 - DEC 13
ENGL 207 IC b Intro to Creative Writ 3.000 A 12.000
GENETICS 133 Genetics in the News 3.000 DR
COURSE DROPPED 10/31/17
JOURN 699 AC Directed Study 2.000 A 8.000
LEGAL ST 131 SECx Criminal Justice in Am 4.000 B 12.000
PHILOS 210 ZIC q Reason in Communicatio 4.000 AB 14.000
SUM: EARNED CR 13 GPA CR 13 GPA 3.538 13.000 46.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Spring 2017-2018 JBA 2 BA Journ Undergrad
SESSION A1: JAN 23 - MAY 04
COM ARTS 371 SIC Communictn&Conflict Re 3.000 B 9.000
JEWISH 432 HIC Struggling with God 3.000 A 12.000
JOURN 202 EC Mass Communication Pra 6.000 AB 21.000
JOURN 699 AC Directed Study 1.000 A 4.000
SOC 441 SAC Criminology 4.000 B 12.000
SUM: EARNED CR 17 GPA CR 17 GPA 3.412 17.000 58.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Summer 2018 JBA 3 BA Journ Undergrad
SESSION DHH: JUN 18 - AUG 12
LEGAL ST 425 SACx Crime, Gender and Just 3.000 A 12.000
SESSION ZMM: MAY 21 - AUG 19
JOURN 162eSEC Mass Media in Multicul 3.000 A 12.000
SUM: EARNED CR 6 GPA CR 6 GPA 4.000 6.000 24.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Fall 2018-2019 JBA 3 BA Journ Undergrad
SESSION A1: SEP 05 - DEC 12
ENGL 408 HIC Creative Writing: Fict H 3.000 A 12.000
ENVIR ST 349 SIC Climate Change Governa 3.000 AB 10.500
JOURN 345 IC Principles & Pract Str 4.000 AB 14.000
POLI SCI 470 SDC The First Amendment 4.000 B 12.000
SOC 641 SACx Sociology of Law 3.000 AB 10.500
SUM: EARNED CR 17 GPA CR 17 GPA 3.471 17.000 59.000

eBLCXG CRS GR PTS

Spring 2018-2019 JBA 3 BA Journ Undergrad
SESSION A1: JAN 22 - MAY 03
ELPA 502 Law and Public Educati 1.000 UNRPTD
JOURN 563 SAC Law of Mass Communicat 4.000 UNRPTD
LEGAL ST 400 SAC Wrongful Convictions 3.000 UNRPTD
LEGAL ST 694 ACx Crimnl Justice Fld Obs 3.000 UNRPTD
SOC 357 ICx Meth-Sociological Inqu 4.000 UNRPTD
SUM: EARNED CR 0 GPA CR 0 GPA 0.000 15.000 0.000

ADV STG CREDITS 3

UGRAD CUM CREDITS 85
UNDERGRAD CUM GPA CREDITS 82
UGRAD CUM GRADE POINTS 281.0
UNDERGRADUATE GPA 3.427
END OF RECORD
WIF Selection Committee
716 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706

WIF Selection Committee,

I am writing in support of Peyton David’s application, "​ Writing in the Shadows:

Supporting Youth Experiencing Homelessness Through Editorial Writing" ​

Our Program, TEP (Transition Education Program), supports students in the Madison
Metropolitan School District who are experiencing homelessness. We are very excited
to have the potential opportunity to participate along with Peyton and Dr. Wright in
this project for our students.

At a time in their lives when they are struggling to find themselves, their lives are
complicated with homelessness and invisibility. The opportunity to learn about how to
share their voice and build writing skills is exactly what our middle school students
need. As we work with the BASES program (Dr. Travis Wright) at the elementary
level, we see ​Writing in the Shadows​ as a natural progression to supporting older
students. Over the last five years we have built a strong relationship with BASES and
have developed many best practices incorporating the UW and community supports in
our public schools. These lessons learned will be great assets to supporting the
success of this project.

Providing these youth with the tools to build their own voice and self-advocacy, while
bridging it to a venue to share their own ideas supports a youth led focus for ending
homelessness in our community. This project, which aims to connect students with the
media, helps to accomplish this goal.

Through recruitment within the school, we will ensure connections to youth who are
interested in wanting to expand their voice through writing and advocacy. We will
work together to secure a space and facilitate ease in participation, including
transportation along with family support.

We will co-create a curriculum, ensuring the content will address a variety of issues
pertaining specifically to homeless youth. We will incorporate the best practices
learned and enhance student writing abilities, support building awareness, grow
self-confidence and develop self-advocacy skills with these youth.
Connecting Peyton to a school based point of contact, TEP program contact, along
with Professor Wright will give her a solid group to problem solve and process with on
a regular basis. Evaluation will be based on student engagement, retention, and
achieving learning outcomes. Consistent feedback and input from students will be
collected and share with supervisors as well.

We look forward to the opportunity to build this new relationship and supporting this
project. We can see the direct impact it will have by building lifelong skills for our
students experiencing homelessness.

Thank you for your consideration,

Jani Koester

TEP Lead Resource Teacher

Transition Education Program
Madison Metropolitan School District.
February 7, 2019

Dear Members of the Selection Committee:

It is my pleasure to strongly recommend Peyton David for the Wisconsin Idea Fellowship (WIF). I have
known Peyton for this academic year as we have worked together to conceptualize and craft her WIF
proposal. My interactions with Peyton have ranged from serious discussions about issues relevant to her
proposal, her background and experiences, as well as Peyton’s future professional interests. Through
each of these experiences, I have become familiar with Peyton’s academic ability, intellectual promise, and
wonderful personal qualities. In this letter, I will comment on the important value of Peyton’s project, our
outstanding prospects for a successful collaboration, and Peyton’s terrific potential for successful
completion on the important work she is proposing.

Peyton’s project is entitled: Writing in the Shadows-- Supporting Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Through Editorial Writing. Through her efforts, Peyton will support and empower young people
experiencing homelessness through building their skills as editorial writers and connecting them with
media outlets that will allow them to share their perspectives and experiences with the world. In doing
so, Peyton will be addressing a critical gap in the way we understand and support young people
experiencing homelessness. Because of their extreme vulnerability, social bias against the homeless,
and a misunderstanding of the circumstances surrounding the lives of homeless young people, homeless
youth are typically left out of conversations focused on finding solutions for homelessness. As a result,
they are a “hidden population,1” though their numbers are growing at alarming rates. This is particularly
true in the Madison community, where roughly one in twenty young people experience homelessness at
some point during their childhood or adolescence.

In considering impact, Peyton’s innovative approach has much potential to foster the academic, socio-
emotional, and self-esteem/identity development of participants, among the most vulnerable and
marginalized learners in our community. However, beyond the important and direct impacts that the
proposed activities will have on participants, dissemination of their editorial writings has the potential to
educate and inspire our community and society more broadly. The first step for cities to address this
extremely vulnerable and growing population is through awareness, which is what this project aims to
do.

1
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/07/07/a-hidden-population-youth-homelessness-is-
on-the-rise

Department of Counseling Psychology

University of Wisconsin-Madison 1000 Bascom Mall Madison, Wisconsin 53706
608/262-4807 Fax: 608/265-3347 E-mail: counpsych@education.wisc.edu www.counselingpsych.education.wisc.edu
In conceptualizing her proposal, Peyton has worked to develop a supportive and collaborative team,
reaching out to Jani Koester, of the MMSD Transition Education Program and one of the leading
school-based advocated for homeless young people in the nation, and myself, a faculty member focused
on researching school and community-based supports for homeless children and families. Peyton has
met multiple times with Jani and me to discuss her proposal and to receive feedback on her plans. What
I have especially appreciated is Peyton’s openness and responsiveness to feedback, which has
underscored for me that she is fully committed to learning and growing through this project and
implementing work that is as effective and responsive as possible. For example, during our initial
meeting, Peyton proposed developing a tutoring program in several local elementary schools.
Explaining that this was a need that was currently being addresses by other organizations, I encouraged
her to consider what need she was uniquely qualified to address. Rather than becoming defensive or
opting to working with another faculty member, Peyton asked me to help her better understand the
potential needs experienced by homeless young people. After a few days reflection, she returned to me
with the skeleton of her current proposal. In talking about her new vision, Peyton shared that she chose
to connect with homeless young people through journalism because of her previous experience with The
Badger Herald, where she’s taken an interest in advocacy in journalism. In doing so, Peyton
demonstrated her creativity, flexibility, and ability to think critically about herself and the needs of
others.

If funded, Jani and I will work with Peyton to support the recruitment of participants and to assist her in
developing relationships with other partners as needed. We will also work with Peyton to develop her
curriculum is responsive to the needs of homeless young people and pedagogically sound. We will
support Peyton in assessing, evaluating, and reflecting on her work through development, evaluation,
and sustainability planning. This will include identifying a timeline and benchmarks and outcome
metrics.

In evaluating the potential for success and the prospects for a successful collaboration, it is important to
note that Jani and I have a long history of collaboration, working together to implement the BASES
Program. Our longstanding and productive relationship will allow us to work easily and mentors and
partners in supporting Peyton. Peyton’s proposed efforts also align nicely with some of our current
work and we will surely be able to both create opportunities for her to embed her work in a supportive
structure and be available and connected to her efforts throughout the implementation process. Because
Peyton’s proposed efforts align nicely with our current work, there is also a high likelihood that we will
be able to sustain and build on her efforts after she graduates—making her (and the WIF) investment a
sustainable one.

In terms of on-going support structures, Peyton has agreed to enroll in my year-long service learning
course, Supporting Children Experiencing Homelessness at School, if she is selected to receive the WIF
Fellowship. The course is part of my BASES partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District to
provide one-on-one mentoring for young children experiencing homelessness. BASES mentors
volunteer in their partner student’s classroom for 1–2 hours per week, providing academic, social, and
emotional support. Volunteers also collaborate with classroom teachers to develop individualized
mentoring plans, enabling them to tailor their efforts to meet their partner student’s unique needs. The
course uses service, guest lectures, readings, reflective journals, discussions, and class exercises to
support students’ learning about homelessness, mentoring, and emotionally responsive teaching.
Participating in the course will allow Peyton to learn much that will prepare her for successful
implementation of her proposed work, and also provide an opportunity for us to check-in directly on a
bi-weekly basis. Of course, Jani and I will also plan to meet with her regularly and will be available for
consultation and support as needed.

In the end, through her work with me, Peyton has demonstrated critical/analytical thinking skills, creativity,
competence, intellect, a capacity for reflection, flexibility, being a self-starter, and a commitment to work
hard. I have admired Peyton’s curiosity and feel confident in her capacity to work well with a diverse range
of individuals. Peyton’s unique combination of personal qualities and intellectual capacity well equip her to
make an impact on the world and I have every confidence that she will, hopefully through her proposed
WIF activities. For all of these reasons, I recommend Peyton without reservation for this distinguished
opportunity. I know that she would carry on the fine tradition of the award.
Respectfully submitted,

Travis Wright, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology, Early Childhood Education, and Teacher Preparation
University of Wisconsin-Madison