Puentes/Bridges Rakes in Awards

The nonprofit Puentes/Bridges, based in Alma, WI, and its energetic director, Shaun Judge Duvall, have been widely recognized for unique contributions and exemplary leadership in rural Wisconsin.  Puentes/Bridges, provides language and cultural competence training for farmers and their Mexican employees on dairy farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.  Its core mission is to encourage cross-cultural understanding and facilitate community integration of two different cultures in a historically homogenous region.  Duvall also leads regular trips to Mexico to the regions supplying the workers to learn about their challenges, concerns, hopes and motivations for working in Wisconsin.  Puentes is also CRI’s partner in the Many Voices/One Community project (link to this copy in Projects).

In addition to local, regional and national media attention of all types, Duvall and Puentes repeatedly have been acknowledged with significant awards, notably:

• 2008 Wisconsin Agriculturist of the Year – awarded by UW-River Falls in April 2008
• Top Rural Development Initiative Award for 2009 – one of 4 organizations so honored by Wisconsin Rural Partners, June 2009
• Ohtli (meaning path or way) Award, in recognition of developing with UW-Extension and UW-River Falls a dairy technician certificate for Mexican workers on WI dairy farms.  It recognizes education achievement to which this working class of Mexicans rarely has access. This is the highest civilian honor that the Mexican government bestows.  Presentation made in Mexico City September 24, 2010.