The Teaching Press – UW-Green Bay's student-managed publisher and press

Experience Hmong Storytelling in its Original Tongue: An Interview with Ma Lee Lor

Oral storytelling serves as a connection to the past, present, and future while preserving history, culture, and traditions.

In Hmong culture, stories are classified as neej neeg, stories of the living, or dab neeg, stories of the dead. Neej neeg are stories that encapsulate life experiences; some are filled with grief, some serve to empower, some document spiritual or supernatural experiences, and many contain life lessons. Dab neeg are fairy tales, folktales, myths, and legends that highlight traditional beliefs, practices, and history. Both genres come together to preserve history by capturing the Hmong experience, past or present, and passing it on to future generations.

A Portrait of Grief and Courage: Hmong Oral Histories and Folktales is a collection of both neej neeg and dab neeg. It goes beyond oral storytelling and documents the stories of the earliest Hmong refugees in Northeastern Wisconsin. To celebrate Hmong Heritage Month, as well as the importance of oral storytelling, the Teaching Press conducted an interview with Ma Lee Lor, A Portrait of Grief and Courage’s transcriber and translator. Continue reading

Join us for a Book Tasting!

April 18, 2025 / meachamr / 0 Comments

The Teaching Press interns invite you to a Book Tasting, hosted in our new press room!

What’s a “Book Tasting”? It’s your chance to sample our books and the work we do. View live demonstrations of the printing process, press your own book, and savor the perfect pairings of titles and treats.

The event will be hosted both in-person and virtually via Zoom. Event details:

- - - Date: Wednesday, April 30th
    - Time: 4:30 PM- 6:00 PM. Drop in any time!
    - Location: Theatre Hall 380 at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay— and via Zoom
    - Light refreshments will be served.
    - This event is free and open to the public.
    - RSVP Here!

The Teaching Press Goes Back to High School: An Interview with Appleton East High Teacher Ryan Marx 

March 4, 2025 / wendam11 / 0 Comments

Don’t worry, going back to high school isn’t as terrifying as it sounds. In 2024, The Teaching Press created a classroom set of our favorite “foldie-outtie” book, Lower Fox River PCB Clean-Up Timeline, for students at East Appleton High School. In this exclusive interview, we had the chance to speak with environmental science teacher Ryan Marx about his plans to use this book as a teaching tool.

Mr. Marx’s Students

What made you want to use the Lower Fox River PCB Clean-up Timeline book for your classes?

I have been interested in PCBs ever since learning about the biomagnification of PCBs from Professor Bart Destasio at Lawrence University. When I heard about the book at the Fox River Symposium, I was eager to get it and share it with my students.

A group of 6 students engaged with the PCB Fox River Clean Up book.

The classroom set in action

Student Authors Speak Out: An Interview with Ebony Hardnett

February 5, 2025 / wendam11 / 0 Comments

The Equality Now Project aims to amplify and uplift diverse voices. In the spirit of achieving this, we’ve conducted four student interviews with authors from this project.

In this interview, we were given the chance to speak with Ebony Hardnett, author of the piece “Utopia,” and she expressed her desire for change within her community.

Author Ebony Hardnett

How did you feel returning to school? What challenges have you faced in getting your GED/HSED?

At first, I struggled with it. I was going back to school at 36, a full-time single parent, so I struggled at first. But then I just figured I had to complete it because I have children that are looking up to me, and I have to be about it. And it’s not so much just saying you have to finish school; I have to show them that I could do it too.

Student Authors Speak Out: An Interview with Jason Sanchez

February 5, 2025 / wendam11 / 0 Comments

The Equality Now Project aims to amplify and uplift diverse voices. In the spirit of achieving this, we’ve conducted four student interviews with authors from this project.

In this interview, we were given the chance to speak with Jason Sanchez, author of the piece “Social Media and the Bystanders of Hate,” and he expressed gratitude for the Literacy Services of Wisconsin and advocated for readers to be mindful and kind to people from all walks of life.

Author Jason Sanchez

How did you feel returning to school? What challenges have you faced in getting your GED/HSED?

Honestly, just the thought of returning to school was super exciting! I can say I was also nervous at first. It has been such a long time since I have done any schoolwork, I was nervous that it would be a little more complicated than before. The only challenge I faced was trying to stay motivated and determined while dealing with school and work at the same time.

Student Authors Speak Out: An Interview with Ariel Santiago

February 5, 2025 / johna09 / 0 Comments

The Equality Now Project aims to amplify and uplift diverse voices. In the spirit of achieving this, we’ve conducted four student interviews with authors from this project.

In this interview, we were given the chance to speak with Ariel Santiago, author of the piece “Bloom,” and she expressed herself with vulnerability and passion as she shared what’s next for her.

Author Ariel Santiago

How has your work with the Literacy Services of Wisconsin benefitted you or helped you feel more comfortable with yourself?

Being in the literacy services program was like a new door opening for me. Wanting to finish school and having Kathrine was the biggest motivation for me. I really opened up, I was never good at public speaking. Being able to be vulnerable and say what’s on your mind [in the classroom environment] helped out a lot.

Student Authors Speak Out: An Interview with Nicholas Henderson

February 5, 2025 / johna09 / 0 Comments

The Equality Now Project aims to amplify and uplift diverse voices. In the spirit of achieving this, we’ve conducted four student interviews with authors from this project.

In this interview, author and artist Nicholas Henderson, creator of the “Caged Bird” image located on the cover of this project, expressed how his love for art has impacted his life both inside and outside of the classroom.

Author and Artist Nicholas Henderson posing for a picture.

Artist and Author Nicholas Henderson

You talk about being an artist and a musician in your biography. What led you to those art forms?

I feel like it runs in my blood; it’s genetic. My family is full of artists who draw and make clothes. And I create music every day. My son creates music. For me, it helps me out mentally. It’s just something I enjoy doing.”

Equality Now Project, by HSED Students from Literacy Services of Wisconsin, On Sale Now!

December 16, 2024 / meachamr / 0 Comments

The Teaching Press is proud to promote community storytelling, advocacy, and literacy with our forthcoming release, Equality Now Project: Words of Advocacy, Injustice, and Celebration of Identities by HSED Students from Literacy Services of Wisconsin.

In the words of educator Kathrine Yets, the goal of this project is “to recognize these diverse voices. They are brilliant and they have the power to change the world.”

In this collection of essays, artwork, and poetry, Milwaukee-area writers, aged 19-60 years old, lift their voices to speak about racism, sexism, poverty, self-discovery, and the need for advocacy. Through the individuality of these authors, a diverse community emerges—one that is willing and capable of taking hold of their future and pushing toward equality for all.

On sale now at various retailers—or just click here.

Meet the Interns: Publicity Team, Fall 2024

December 11, 2024 / murrcp06 / 0 Comments

The Teaching Press had 10 students working as interns and staff in Fall 2024. We’re featuring their work in small batches—the same way we print books at the Press!

Our team of Fall 2024 Interns worked together and separately with strong dedication to a rigorous yet fulfilling production of proofreading and copyediting our upcoming title, Equality Now Project. Our publicity team was in part responsible for helping promote our Teaching Press newsletter, including our fifth-year anniversary as a publisher and printing house, our year in books which include titles A Portrait of Grief and Courage, The Viking House Saga, and Home Again and Again. In addition, our publicity team also helped promote outreach activities, organizing interviews conducted by our interns with Equality Now Project’s contributing writers, and our press release of Equality Now Project.

Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, here are our publicity team interns:

UW-Green Bay's student-managed publisher and press

Tags