About Bridges of Respect
The animal protection movement is a movement to uplift humanity. A sense of compassion toward animals is a natural precursor toward ethical and thoughtful behavior in people. Cruelty can only take place when humanity's most prized values of compassion, responsibility, mercy, and empathy, are absent. Our efforts to protect animals are our efforts to help humanity avoid the traps of ignorance, materialism, violence, and convenience that underlie all great injustices.
Established in March of 1999, Bridges of Respect offers a series of dynamic, educational presentations on animal and environmental issues for high school and up in the Twin Cities metro area (programs are modified for each age group).
The interactive programs encourage student participation and critical thinking by combining lively discussions with short videos and activities. Programs are flexible in length and format to meet the interests of the audience, and may be tailored to fit specific curricular needs. Bridges of Respect's instructors are available to present at school assembly programs, classrooms, after-school club meetings, and other community organizations.
Bridges of Respect is funded through grants and public donations. Bridges of Respect is a Twin Cities-based, tax-exempt nonprofit that seeks to transform our society into one that maintains a nonviolent and sustainable relationship towards the nonhuman world.
About Bridges of Respect's Humane Educators
We don't tell students what choices to make, we teach them that their choices matter.
Christine Coughlin
Christine Coughlin has been an Educator with Bridges of Respect since
2005. Along with an interest in ethics and protection of groups unable
to protect themselves, Coughlin brings a specialized knowledge of the
problems associated with keeping animals captive for human
entertainment.
Christine earned her BFA from the State University of New York at Purchase, and is especially committed to creating a non-threatening and thought-provoking dialogue with students. She is the current President of the local nonprofit Circus Reform Yes, and brings to the Bridges of Respect presentations her real world experience of working on animal protection with policy makers and the media.
Christine is also proficient in American Sign Language. For Deaf or Hard of Hearing classes or groups she co-presents alongside a Deaf Humane Educator.
Gilbert Schwartz
Gilbert Schwartz has been involved with social, environmental, and animal issues from an early age and has been working with Bridges of Respect since fall of 2003.
Gilbert graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) degree in 2005. Besides his passion for youth outreach and teaching, his academic areas of interest include philosophy, sociology, and communication studies.
Having garnered leadership and organizational skills in various social and political groups since he was a sophomore in high school, Gilbert has been an effective advocate for change. Currently he works as campaign coordinator for the Twin Cities animal advocacy non-profit Compassionate Action for Animals.
Shannon Kimball
Shannon Kimball began working with Bridges Of Respect in 2001. He
received insight and advice from Freeman Wicklund after shadowing him
during several of his presentations. He is also an active member of
Compassionate Action for Animals' fundraising committee.
Shannon is currently a student at Century College and working toward an art degree. He enjoys working with students to help put animal protection into focus with our daily lives. He is a member of many national educational organizations such as, the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine, Union of Concerned Scientists and Farm Sanctuary to name a few as well as, a lifetime member of the American Anti-Vivisection Society.
Program Advisors
Freeman Wicklund
Freeman Wicklund founded Bridges Of Respect in 1999 and served as the primary humane educator until 2003, and now works with Mercy for Animals, a national animal advocacy organization. Despite moving to Ohio, he takes an active and important role in advising Bridges of Respect and its humane educators.
Freeman studied philosophy and political science at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois before changing his major and school to get a B.S. in Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus. He received humane education training at the International Institute of Humane Education in Surrey, Maine.
During his nearly two decades of advocacy, Freeman has held numerous leadership roles within the animal protection, environmental and social justice movements. He currently serves as Adviser to Bridges of Respect and on the Advisory Board for both Seeds for Change Humane Education in La Jolla, California and the Institute for Animals and Society based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2001 he was one of the Green Party endorsed candidates for the Minneapolis Public School Board.
Gregory Oschwald
Gregory Oschwald has been working with Bridges of Respect since 2003. As an undergraduate at University of Minnesota, Morris, he took an extensive array of science and math courses, graduating with High Distinction in Mathematics.
In the past decade he has worked with numerous non-profits, within both the animal protection and social justice movements. He has served on the Compassionate Action for Animals' Board of Directors and as the Chapter Director for their most active chapter. He also served as the coordinator of Bridges of Respect's presentations from early 2004 until late 2006.
Greg brought a great deal of knowledge on environmental and animal issues obtained from many years of advocacy to the classroom in a thought-provoking manner and continues to offer his support.
Greg is currently pursuing a law degree at Yale University.
Ramona Ilea
Ramona Ilea is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Pacific University in Oregon. Her primary areas of interest are ethics and logic. She has taught courses in public health, environmental ethics, cultural diversity, and other contemporary moral issues.
She moved to Canada from Romania at age 15 and did her undergraduate work at the University of Toronto. In her free time, she has volunteered for local animal protection groups, worked on women's issues, and tutored immigrant students.
Ramona brings her extensive philosophical knowledge and teaching experience into the classroom, providing for dynamic, entertaining, and thought-provoking presentations.