ZIP MKE
28 ZIP CODES,
1 CITY
Vision
Our vision is to foster a more accurate depiction of the city of Milwaukee by engaging with students and encouraging them to change their perspectives in order to alter their perceptions. If we are able to change what we see, we are able to reconstruct how we see it, and create possibilities for change.
"OWN YOUR ZONE"
In collaboration with ZIP MKE, we have launched a photography campaign called “Own Your Zone,” which calls upon college students in the Milwaukee area to explore the city and document their experiences through photos. Students then have the opportunity to submit their photos to ZIP MKE, and to be considered for an exhibition that will take place in May at the Grohmann Museum on the campus of MSOE.
We started this campaign to address the issue of the single story of Milwaukee. Being college students ourselves and not having a full understanding of the city prior to the introduction of the efforts of this organization, we understand how easy it is to have a limited perception of Milwaukee. After learning more about the vibrant industrial and cultural history behind this city, we were inspired to encourage other students to seek a greater understanding and utilize their experiences to inform others as well.
Our goal in this project is to help tell a more accurate narrative behind the faces, places, and experiences that the city of Milwaukee has to offer, starting with an audience that we can easily relate to and form a connection with. It is our hope that our project will help this city be better understood by young minds, and that that understanding will be passed along to a broader demographic.
ABOUT ZIP MKE
ZIP MKE is a grassroots organization founded in 2016 that utilizing photography in depicting a city that is seeking a new narrative. The organization strives to represent all corners of the city, to resist limited perceptions of individuals and communities, and to repair wounds of division in the city with a comprehensive and authentic exhibition of Milwaukee’s faces, places, and experiences.
A CHANGE IN PLANS
Due to the unexpected events of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team decided to make some changes to our original project, as we were no longer able to carry out the rest of our action plan in collaboration with ZIP MKE. With that said, the submission period for the campaign was closed early, and the plans for the exhibit at the Grohmann Museum were cancelled. Submitted photos will be put up on the ZIP MKE website at the earliest convenience for our community partner.
Revised Vision
Our vision is to foster creativity in others and to help them capture and display their everyday experiences through various forms of media. Photography was used in forming a more accurate depiction of the city of Milwaukee by engaging with students and encouraging them to change their perspectives in order to alter their perceptions. If we are able to change what we see, we are able to reconstruct how we see it, and create possibilities for change. Blog entries were used to provide a space for stories to be shared and further encourage creativity during an unexpected time. Everyone has their own story and should be given every opportunity to share it and be heard.
THE QUARANTINE JOURNALS
A New Project
Being unable to carry out our plans for the previous project, our group was faced with the challenge of having to find a new project to take on and have the opportunity to continue to interact with the community. With that said, we wanted to maintain the ideas of our previous project, and therefore, decided to focus on giving people the opportunity to tell their stories and to allow others to connect with one another through this.
As a result, we created The Quarantine Journals, which is a blog that anyone is able to comment on. Each week, the blog was updated with two additional prompts for people to comment on. One of these prompts was more serious and reflective while the other was more fun and creative. Anyone and everyone was encouraged to participate, as we wanted to hear what this experience has been like for others as well as provide a space for creativity.
Through our previous project with ZIP MKE, we were able to see through research and the works of our project that Milwaukee has more than just a single story to tell. There are so many to be told. That was something that we were working towards showing others as well as ourselves, and that was an idea we wanted to continue with. During this time, while we are all facing a similar situation, our experiences are all going to be different. We wanted to give people the opportunity to tell their stories and for others to be able to see them.
RESEARCH ON SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
Precedent Case Studies
TEAM REFLECTION
Being a part of these projects has been a very enriching experience for us all. They have given us an opportunity to not only interact with our community, but also to learn and grow as individuals. With respect to the “Own Your Zone” campaign, our team was able to be of help in helping tell more than just the single story of Milwaukee. This was a very unique experience for us all, as many of are not from the Milwaukee area, and therefore, our initial depictions of the city were not accurate ones. Through working with our community partner, research, and exploration, we were able to gain a better understanding of the city ourselves. This put us in a position to help others. With that said, we were very appreciative of everyone that helped us with this project, spread the word of the campaign, and even participated by submitting photos themselves. We are glad that people took the time to be a part of this project and aid in depicting a more accurate narrative of the city. With The Quarantine Journals, we were able to connect with others and see what the experience brought about by COVID-19 has been like for others. Once again, we were able to see more than just a single story, and that was something that we really wanted to focus on. Every individual, every place, everything etc. has their own story, and those stories should be both told and listened to.
Throughout the course of these projects, we ran into some challenges. While these challenges were not always ideal, we realize that we were able to learn and grow from them. We set goals for ourselves in hopes that we will reach them, however, at the same time we have to understand that there will be bumps along the way. We definitely faced our share of bumps in the road, but we were able to problem-solve and learn form the experience, and that is a significant take away from this experience.
With that said, for those who would be interested in continuing this work or even doing something similar, we suggest you keep that in mind. Projects like this require a lot of planning, a schedule that you plan to stick to, reaching out to others, and a team effort. A challenge you may come across is getting people to participate, as it may be difficult to find people to reach out, but don’t let that keep you from reaching your goals. Work as a team and determine the best course of action and adjust that if needed.
"I don’t want to unite you with laughter or anger. I just need my story heard.”
Hannah Gatsby
BIO
LYDIA FISCHER
I am an industrial engineering student. I am also a part of MSOE’s Society of Women Engineers and Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. I wanted to partake in this project because I wanted to encourage others to broaden their perspectives of Milwaukee and encourage those around them to do the same.
JOSIE KUNZ
I am a student majoring in biomedical engineering. I am also on MSOE’s women’s soccer team. I wanted to be a part of this project because I wanted to have a role in impacting other people’s perspectives of their community and teaching people how they can be more open-minded and accepting of others.
RICKY BLAHA
I am an electrical engineering student. I wanted to join this project because I saw it as an opportunity to learn about the people and places of Milwaukee and I hoped to help others do the same.
KEONI YOUNG
I am a BioMolecular engineering student. I am involved in MSOE’s German Club as well as its Society for Biological Engineers. As someone that had a limited experience of Milwaukee, I wanted to join this project as a way to explore the city and see Milwaukee from a new perspective. This experience became even more exciting through the “Own Your Zone” campaign where we could encourage other students to explore and see Milwaukee.
MCKAYLA ZASTROW
I am BioMolecular Engineering student who is also a part of the women’s soccer team and SBE at MSOE. I wanted to be a part of this project because I experienced first-hand the impact ZIP MKE's efforts can have. I wanted to help give both community members and the city of Milwaukee an opportunity to tell their stories and have them heard.