MADISON — PBS Wisconsin Education is premiering a biography of Electa Quinney, the newest addition to its Wisconsin Biographies collection.
Quinney Elementary School on Kaukauna’s south side is named in honor of the first public school teacher in Wisconsin and a notable mentor in the Mohican community.
The animated video depicting Quinney’s story will premiere at approximately 7:55 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7 at the conclusion of Finding Your Roots on PBS Wisconsin and is now available on the pbswisconsineducation.org website.
“Electa Quinney: Mohican Teacher and Mentor” was created in collaboration with the Stockbridge Munsee Community to share Quinney’s legacy of generosity and her dedication to education.
The biography explores how Quinney and the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans used both traditional Native and non-Native education to keep their traditions alive and preserve their ways of life.
Wisconsin Biographies is a collection of free-to-use, educational, online media resources to enrich social studies and literacy curriculum, using the stories of notable people in Wisconsin history. The collection brings Quinney’s story to life for learners today, with an animated video, a digital book with audio, a gallery of historical images and an educator guide.
Through an inclusive production model, PBS Wisconsin Education seeks to feature identities, perspectives and experiences in the making of educational media. For the production of Electa Quinney: Mohican Teacher and Mentor, PBS Wisconsin Education worked with educators, students, scriptwriters, story consultants, voiceover, art, music talent and advisors, and worked to gain approval on various aspects of the project from the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians Tribal Council.
PBS Wisconsin Education Director Megan Monday said PBS Wisconsin Education was grateful to work with the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians Community, including Monique Tyndall, director of the tribal nation’s cultural affairs office, and the individuals who contributed to the production.
“We couldn’t have done justice to the Electa Quinney story without the deep collaboration from the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Community,” Monday said. “Working directly with the community ensured historical and representational accuracy and enhanced the art and storytelling of the resources.”
