Local governments across Wisconsin are wrestling with issues that define what it takes to support a thriving community. “We’re getting to these crisis points where population is declining, and people are getting older,” said Tiffany Brault, a member of the Fond Du Lac City Council and Fond Du Lac County Board.
Twenty-one individuals were recognized this month for their completion of the Wisconsin Local Government Leadership Academy. Their graduation took place at the Wisconsin Counties Association annual conference in the Wisconsin Dells.
Communities in Wisconsin that lack needed high-speed internet services also happen to be the same communities that lack the resources to take advantage of funding to expand broadband. UW-Madison Extension is committing special funding for three new broadband specialists to solve this problem and bring communities closer to billions of federal funding.
Growing up, Susan Swanson already embodied the Wisconsin Idea that drives UW-Madison Extension. “I learned best when I was able to connect the classroom to things that I could see and interact with in nature.” That led to a career in geology and now the next Wisconsin state geologist.
To HMoob farmers, growing food is a way to become self-sufficient, eat well, and partake in rich cultural traditions that connect generations through shared knowledge and histories. However, HMoob farmers in Wisconsin, many of whom arrived between the late 1970s and early 2000s, largely did not have access to resources for growing culturally relevant crops.
Wisconsin 4-H recently received grant funding from AmeriCorps to help grow 4-H programming. Specifically, AmeriCorps members will help identify new opportunities and build capacity for new 4-H programs. As a result, Extension will bring 4-H programming to even more communities in Wisconsin.
Jeff Segebrecht estimates that Extension Educator Ruth Schriefer has personally helped thousands of people in southwest Wisconsin improve their finances. He knows this because as Program Director with the Work ‘n Wheels Car Loans Program he is frequently flagged down by people who tell him to thank Ruth personally.
The Wisconsin Association of County Agricultural Agents (WACAA) recently recognized several members during its annual awards and recognition program. An affiliate of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA), WACAA is a professional organization for county, area, and state Extension professionals to encourage excellence and professionalism in their work.
Extension awarded grant funding to seven projects that bring innovation to the division’s outreach mission. Extension annually solicits proposals for new projects around engagement and research. Innovation is a core part of Extension’s programming, which ensures that the division is addressing emerging issues in Wisconsin’s communities.
UW-Madison announced the recipients of the 2023 Distinguished Teaching Award. Among the 12 faculty members recognized this year is Maggie Kerr, an assistant professor in the School of Human Ecology who also provides outreach teaching and education support to Extension.
An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.