Business ownership is an important vehicle for wealth creation, especially for members of economically disadvantaged communities. UW–Madison Extension’s Community Food Systems Program serves food business entrepreneurs through direct education, networking, and evaluation to improve entrepreneurs’ readiness and increase their access to licensing and regulatory information and other entrepreneurs. The Food Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (FEED) Initiative […]
Over the past decade there has been a need to better understand how decision makers in western Lake Superior orient their roles to issues and challenges that arise, which would provide needed resources and learning opportunities. UW–Madison Extension’s Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Program (CTP) aims to provide decision makers with opportunities […]
Concerns about young people’s mental health in Wisconsin precede the COVID-19 pandemic — in 2019, 28.5% of Wisconsin high school students reported feeling sad or hopeless. UW–Madison Extension’s Behavioral Health Program provides direct education to young people and adults to build individual knowledge and skills on positive self-management, stress, and coping skills to improve mental […]
Outdoor spaces provide many benefits, including increased life satisfaction and improved physical and mental health. However, many individuals with disabilities experience barriers to accessing outdoor spaces and programming. Since 1941, Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center has provided young people with educational opportunities focused on environmental and leadership education. In 2022, UW–Madison Extension worked with 18 […]
Extension helps older people build social connections by creating opportunities for people to learn, share and grow together. Allowing space for participants to share meaningful conversation and life experience with one another builds relationships, individual confidence and encourages social connection. When older people are socially connected to others and their community, they have a better […]
Private landowners are uniquely positioned to shape the future of Wisconsin’s forests — they own nearly 60% of the state’s forestland. However, relatively few landowners seek management assistance, leaving many acres unmanaged. UW–Madison Extension’s Wisconsin Coverts Project is a free woodland management program for private landowners, which provides landowners with training and resources to manage […]
Critical minerals are an important research topic given their use in the development of batteries and electric vehicles. As a result, it is vital that researchers can examine geological samples easily and without having to repeatedly travel to and from an onsite repository. Part of UW–Madison Extension, the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) […]
One of the goals of Extension’s Health and Well-Being Institute is to improve the health and well-being of communities through education, policy, systems, and environmental approaches by mobilizing collective action. One way to mobilize collective action is to work with local health coalitions, which are groups of community members and organizations that come together to […]
Two of the largest barriers people using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, called “FoodShare” in Wisconsin, face at farmers’ markets are the lack of availability of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) systems and the lack of awareness that EBT programs exist. In 2022, farmers’ markets redeemed only 0.02% of all FoodShare benefits distributed in Wisconsin. To […]
Managing money on a low or fixed income is difficult. When housing, utility, transportation, grocery, and credit expenses are due, it can be overwhelming to plan for emergencies, analyze spending habits, and set long-term financial goals. However, financial skills are important at all stages of life, and Extension Financial Capability programming empowers low-income Wisconsinites through […]
An increasingly polarized political environment has inspired new candidates to seek elected office — over 20 percent of municipal and county officials on average are newly elected during any particular two-year period. Newly elected officials need a trustworthy source of information in order to understand their duties and responsibilities. UW–Madison Extension’s Local Government Education Program […]
Young people are often left out of positions of power and decision-making spaces. UW–Madison Extension’s Community Youth Development Program strengthens community environments by building the capacity of schools and other organizations to address issues that affect young people and prepare them for community leadership. In 2022, Extension educators engaged nearly 600 partner organizations across the […]
