From New York to Neenah, this industrious innovator’s journey to becoming a leader in the paper products world was marked by his commitment to serving his community and country.

Resources available for exploring this story include:
- A short animated video with captions and transcripts in English and Spanish
- A short biography book accessible as a slide deck, with per-page audio for listening along, and maps of key locations in the story
- Questions that can be used for conversation, reflection, and connection with the story
- A historical image gallery full of primary and secondary sources to explore
- A guide for activating the media with learners that includes story stats, extension activity ideas, and standards supported

This story is part of Wisconsin Biographies, a collection of educational media resources for grades 3-6. Explore the full collection at pbswisconsineducation.org/biographies/about.

After reviewing characteristics of a good leader and how to develop leadership skills, students are assigned the Leadership Project. In this project, students will break themselves into teams of two or three. Groups will play the role of a marketing/leadership team (they pick who they are representing) giving a 10 minute presentation (they should tell the audience who they are during the introduction). For example, in the past, students have played the role of Bo Ryan speaking to the Badger Basketball Team.

This documentary tells the story of one remarkable woman and the struggles she undertook to build a better community. Discover the story of civil rights activist Vel Phillips, Wisconsin's first African American woman elected secretary of state.

Lesson plans, video segments, and other resources available at: pbswisconsineducation.org/vel-phillips-dream-big-dreams