National 4-H Week: Celebrating youth college, career, and life-readiness

Starting his 4-H journey as a member of the Clinton (Mo.) Cool Cats, John Zumbrunnen, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW–Madison, has a lot to say about the role that 4-H played in preparing him for his career. “I was the emcee at New Student Convocation with literally thousands of new […]

Gleaning with purpose: FoodWIse builds bridges between farmers and families in need

Thanks to a new gleaning program, food pantry guests in Watertown are taking home locally grown, fresh produce on Tuesdays. Gleaning is collecting excess fresh foods from farms, gardens, grocers, or any other sources to provide it to those in need. Through a collaboration between the Watertown Farmers Market, the Bread Basket Food Pantry, and […]

A wagon full of squash, boxes of cucumbers and beans, and bundles of broccoli and rhubarb next to colorful zinnias and greens growing in garden beds

FoodWIse: Growing valuable community resources in Oconto Falls

Access to healthy food is challenging in rural areas, and many Wisconsin families struggle to afford healthy food on a limited budget. As food prices increase, more families are turning to emergency food providers, like food pantries, to help put food on the table. Emergency food providers also face challenges in procuring food, particularly healthier […]

A grandfather and 2 boys sit at a round table while the teacher stands beside them watching

From pixels to parks: Turning Minecraft skills into community action at Grandparents University

When it comes to Minecraft, Camdyn and Dawson consider themselves builders. After going to Grandparent’s University (GPU) with their grandmother, Sara Draeger, they see Minecraft in a whole new way. As part of this year’s GPU, UW-Madison Extension Community Development educators debuted a new course called “Using your Minecraft skills IRL* to make your community […]

Update on FoodWIse and Extension’s service to Wisconsin communities

For over 30 years UW–Madison Extension has been providing local nutrition education funded by the federal SNAP-Ed grant program. Our FoodWIse educators have been a cornerstone of Extension’s mission to improve the health and well-being of Wisconsin residents. FoodWIse reaches over 133,000 people with nutrition education and community-based strategies to support healthy eating and active […]

Update on AmeriCorps and Extension 4-H

Extension’s 4-H program has had AmeriCorps members working across the state to boost programming for youth and was planning for summer work for more than 30 AmeriCorps members in 23 counties. Due to immediate cuts in federal funding this past spring, our work with AmeriCorps became uncertain before UW–Madison offered limited bridge funding to support […]

FoodWIse: Educating families, strengthening communities

Many Wisconsin families struggle to make healthy choices on a limited budget. FoodWIse, University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension’s nutrition education program funded by SNAP-Ed, helps tens of thousands of our state’s residents every year to stretch limited food dollars, address chronic disease, and start healthy living at an early age. “My child came home willing to […]

A father listens with other conference attendees to a keynote speaker during lunch.

Spaces for dads: How research and practice are shaping fatherhood support

Fatherhood was not something that Erik Binnie imagined for himself. “Growing up, I never saw myself as somebody who was going to be a father,” said Binnie. “I intentionally just ignored things, thinking I’m not going to need this information.” Now raising his 6-year-old son in Jefferson County, he is trying to learn as much […]

“Pathways to Prosperity” article examines new ways to measure community well-being

Extension events key to a successful Money Smart Wisconsin Week

This article is a guest post from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions: Since 2006, the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), has organized the Money Smart Wisconsin campaign. This year, Governor Tony Evers proclaimed April 5 – 12, 2025, as Money Smart Wisconsin Week. UW-Madison Division of Extension Educators from […]