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Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan (center) was joined by UW-Sheboygan CEO/Dean Al Hardersen (left), UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor David Wilson (second from left), UW-Washington County CEO/Dean David Nixon (second from right) and UW-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Dean Rich Shultz (right) at the May 12, 2009, UW-Extension and UW Colleges Economic Development Day in the state Capitol Rotunda. Speaker Sheridan learned about the collaborative effort of UW-Platteville, UW-Sheboygan and UW-Washington County to implement an accredited four-year bachelor's degree in engineering program to serve nontraditional students in eastern Wisconsin.
Photo by Jim Gill
Communicating our value to decision makers
This spring UW Colleges and UW-Extension organized and hosted two informational events at the state Capitol Rotunda in Madison. The events, which featured displays showcasing UW Colleges' and UW-Extension's accomplishments and value to Wisconsin, attracted state legislators, legislative staffers and visitors to the Capitol.
Innovation Day on April 30 highlighted UW-Extension's leading-edge use of technology to deliver educational programming as well as two UW Colleges courses that focus on building technology skills. Economic Development Day exhibits on May 12 demonstrated how Wisconsin can cash in as the U.S. economy goes increasingly green. Displays covered bio-fuels, wind and solar energy, sustainable management, groundwater resources, the UW-Platteville and UW Colleges Collaborative Engineering Program, and other programs focused on economic development.
"We intentionally timed these events so that they would occur during the state budget process," explains Rosemary Potter, UW Colleges and UW-Extension director of government affairs, "so that we could build awareness with state leaders about the value our institutions add to Wisconsin."
"I encourage all employees to think of themselves as ambassadors to federal, state and community public officials. We must let decision makers know how UW-Extension and UW Colleges contribute to our state's well-being, so they will know how to support us. I invite my colleagues to visit the Government Relations advocacy Web page."
For more information:
http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/government
Rosemary Potter
Director
Government Relations
UW Colleges and UW-Extension
(608) 263-7678
rosemary.potter@uwex.uwc.edu
Milwaukee County Family Living Program educator Cindy Muhar (center) congratulates her Cooperative Extension colleagues Suzanne Dennik (left) and Michelle Tidemann (right) on their 2009 Governor's Financial Literacy Awards.
Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
UW-Extension Family Living Program educators receive a 2009 Governor's Financial Literacy Award
Two University of Wisconsin-Extension Family Living Program educators have each received a 2009 Governor's Financial Literacy Award for helping Wisconsin residents improve their know-how about money matters.
Michelle (Shelley) Tidemann, family living educator, Fond du Lac County, Cooperative Extension, and Suzanne Dennik, housing and consumer education coordinator, Racine and Kenosha counties, Cooperative Extension, accepted their awards from first lady Jessica Doyle and Department of Financial Institutions Secretary Lorrie Keating Heinemann at a ceremony at the Executive Residence in April.
Tidemann teaches middle and high school-aged youth about the fundamentals of good money management through simulations that mimic the real-life economic choices people face every day. She also works with families and individuals to help them make smart housing choices and develop realistic spending plans.
Dennik was honored for her work in helping to reduce foreclosures and predatory lending in Milwaukee and Racine counties. She also serves as the City of Milwaukee's Foreclosure Partnership Initiative program manager, overseeing three major task forces charged with addressing foreclosure issues in the city.
Awards recipients were chosen based on four criteria: innovative implementation; measurable results; collaboration with partners; and scope, either statewide or focused on specific groups.
For more information:
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp
Laurie Boyce
State Program Leader
Family Living Programs
Cooperative Extension
(608) 263-1095
laurie.boyce@ces.uwex.edu
By Meg Gores, public information specialist, Cooperative Extension
UW-Fox Valley Educational Talent Search Program Director Terri Holzman (left) accepts a 2009 Academic Staff Award for Excellence from UW Regent José Vásquez. The pre-college program encourages students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend college.
Photo courtesy of UW System
UW-Fox Valley Educational Talent Search Program receives a 2009 Academic Staff Award for Excellence
The UW-Fox Valley Educational Talent Search (ETS) Program is the recipient of a UW Regents 2009 Academic Staff Award for Excellence, the highest recognition bestowed on members of the UW System's academic staff. As a winner, the ETS Program will receive a $5,000 award for staff professional development to enhance its work.
The program encourages high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete high school and pursue a college education. As a federally funded TRIO program, ETS serves qualifying 6th- through 12th-graders in the Kaukauna and Menasha school districts.
Terri Holzman, ETS program director, UW-Fox Valley, explains, "It is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Education that at least two-thirds of the students we serve are both low income according to federal guidelines and first-generation college students, meaning neither of their parents has received a bachelor's degree."
Dawn Grenzer, ETS high school coordinator, and Kerry Johnson, ETS middle school coordinator, work with 620 students each year and log more than 5,000 hours of student contacts annually. In 2007-08, 100% of non-senior participants were promoted to the next grade, all 72 participating seniors graduated from high school and applied for college, and 60 out of the 72 ETS seniors went on to enroll in college programs.
Holzman, Grenzer and Johnson are supported in their work by program assistant Carol Kuehne.
For more information:
http://www.uwfox.uwc.edu/campconnect/trio
Terri Holzman
Director
Educational Talent Search Program
UW-Fox Valley
(920) 832-0111
terri.holzman@uwc.edu
By Gina Larsen, writing specialist, and Dave Hager, director, University Relations, UW-Fox Valley
Leadership has a new look, same mission and values
Cooperative Extension's Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program (WRLP), the only statewide leadership program in Wisconsin, has a new look: Leadership Wisconsin.
After operating for more than 25 years as the Wisconsin Rural Leadership Program, why would an organization jettison brand equity and launch under a new brand? According to Leadership Wisconsin Executive Director JoAnn Stormer, "The new brand better identifies the statewide nature of our mission. The goal of our new look is to increase the understanding and outreach of our work with resultant benefits to all of Wisconsin, rural, suburban and urban. Our mission remains the same: developing leaders to strengthen communities."
Fellows in the two-year program participate in eight, three-day issue-focused seminars around the state as well as regional, national and international travel seminars in order to develop a global leadership perspective. Sixty-nine percent of participants have run for public office after completing the program, and alumni include school board members, county board supervisors, state legislators and other civic leaders.
"Leadership Wisconsin remains fully committed to providing proven, nationally recognized leadership development that produces top-notch community leaders for cities, towns, villages, rural regions, counties and Wisconsin in public, private and nonprofit endeavors for today and tomorrow," Stormer says.
For more information:
www.leadershipwisconsin.org
JoAnn Stormer
Executive Director
Leadership Wisconsin
(608) 263-5024
joann.stormer@ces.uwex.edu
College students participating in UW-Extension's Summer Affirmative Action Internship Program (SAAIP) attended orientation in Madison on June 24, 2009. Students and the unit in which they worked are: Front row (left to right): Beatrice Williams, Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning; Lesley Shreves, Walworth County Cooperative Extension; Tanisha Golden, Wisconsin Public Radio, Milwaukee. Back row: Jolema Noel, Wisconsin Public Radio, Milwaukee; AyLee Her, Wood County Cooperative Extension; Amy Sommers, Wisconsin Public Television, Madison; Julia Hill, Marathon County Cooperative Extension; Sonu Sethi, Continuing Education, Outreach and E-Learning; Marissa Morton, Walworth County Cooperative Extension.
Photo by Stephanie Endres
Summer internship program prepares students for careers
This summer 18 college juniors and seniors with diverse backgrounds learned valuable work skills through UW-Extension's 2009 Summer Affirmative Action Internship Program (SAAIP). The internships were located across the state in areas including public radio and television, online course development and design, emerging technologies, agriculture, family living and youth-development outreach programs.
The program is partially funded by the UW-Extension and UW Colleges Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. In addition, several units have developed external partnerships to assist in the development, administration and/or funding of the internships. UW-Extension also partners with the Wisconsin Office of State Employment Relations (OSER), which provides referrals of diverse candidates through their TOPjobs program (Targeted Opportunity Program) and hosts an employment seminar for the summer interns.
For more information:
http://www.uwex.edu/diversity/resources/saaip
Stephanie Endres
SAAIP Coordinator
UW-Extension
(608) 890-1522
stephanie.endres@uwex.edu
By Stephanie Endres, equal opportunity specialist, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UW-Extension