In Wisconsin's Northwoods, a grassroots initiative is making a significant impact on child food insecurity. Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK), serving Oneida & Vilas County, exemplifies the power of community-driven action.

FORK emerged from local residents' recognition of the unique challenges rural families face in accessing nutritious food. Founded by community members, the organization aims to provide nutritional support to children from food-insecure homes across the Northland Pines, Three Lakes, and Phelps School Districts.

On this episode of Beyond the Bell with WOSTA, our guest host Dan Gage sits down with Craig Knitt, Creative Arts Specialist for the Boys and Girls Club of the Bay Lakes Region in Northeastern Wisconsin, to talk about art in afterschool. Craig specializes in filmmaking and has had youth create, act in, and produce their own films. According to Craig, art and creation are a "...healthy and positive experience because that process is so in tune with what it is to be human...". Listen to their deep dive into art, creating, and the impact the artistic experience can have on youth.

On this episode, we sit down with Corie Zelazoski and Allie Hinkleman from the Northwoods Boys and Girls Club. They are joining us to talk about risk management as it relates to the ever changing circumstances of summer camp.

I’m Jennifer Smith, Program Coordinator with Marshfield Clinic Health System's Center for Community Health Advancement and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance. We are excited you are listening today to our conversation with Scott Mabie. Scott worked at Camp Anokijig from 2002 - 2023 and currently works with ADVOCAP. Over his career, Scott has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience on creating a supportive camp culture and is joining us today to talk about the realities of navigating challenging youth behavior at camp.

I’m Rachel Charron, Health Educator with Marshfield Clinic Health System's Center for Community Health Advancement and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance. We are excited you are listening today to our conversation with Jason Busack and Jill Jaworski from Madison School & Community Recreation. They are joining us today to talk about tools and strategies Summer Camp staff can lean on to better navigate times when program plans change on short notice.

I’m Rachel Charron, Health Educator with Marshfield Clinic Health System's Center for Community Health Advancement and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance. We are excited you are listening today to our conversation with Leslie Smith, Elementary Specialist for Madison School & Community Recreation - a department of the Madison Metropolitan School District. In her role, Leslie helps to support 15 school-age programs in the City of Madison. She is joining us today to talk about the realities of having hard conversations and share some tips and wisdom about how we can approach these conversations in an effort to make them successful and supportive for all involved.

I’m Rachel Charron, Health Educator with Marshfield Clinic Health System's Center for Community Health Advancement and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance. We are excited you are listening today to our conversation with the team from Mendota Elementary in Madison, WI: Shennon Lawhorn-Williams, Athena McNeal, and Turkessa Hayes. They will share with us the value of investing in your team as a way to support each individual member in their own well-being.

I’m Rachel Charron, Health Educator with Marshfield Clinic Health System's Center for Community Health Advancement and Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance. We are excited you are listening today to our conversation with the Director of Operations for the Boys and Girls Club of the Northwoods, Corie Zelazoski and Alli Hinkleman, the Club’s College and Career Readiness Coordinator. Corie and Alli are both passionate about working with youth and are joining us today to talk about ways to help campers engage with nature and the natural world. We often hear from camp staff that young people are less interested in nature and seem tied to their electronic devices. We will discuss some ways the Northwoods Club is working to change that dynamic.