Funded Projects in Wisconsin Communities

Preparing Wisconsin’s rural communities for amplified weather extremes

This project aims to increase the capacity of rural communities in Wisconsin to prepare for extreme weather events. With project team members from across UW–Madison, the project supports communities in the Driftless, Central Sands and Northern Wisconsin regions across three sectors: 1) emergency managers and public health officials; 2) schools and rural youth; and 3) agriculture and ag advisors. The project team is working closely with the Wisconsin State Climatology Office and the Wisconet system to collect, interpret and distribute climate and weather data that supports these sectors in the decision-making processes related to extreme weather.

To date, the project team has engaged with emergency managers and the agricultural community across the state to understand their decision processes, workflows and how improved weather data can meet their needs. Team members are also supporting emergency managers and other stakeholders in rural counties on their hazard mitigation planning process, providing the best available data in accessible ways as counties identify hazards of concern and appropriate mitigation actions.

The project has also expanded existing programming such as the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program and youth microclimate monitoring at the Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center to rural school districts across the state. Ongoing research into youth thermal comfort and incidence of extreme temperatures will support school districts in making decisions about outdoor programming during periods of extreme heat and cold.

Improving Central Sands groundwater quality to ensure a vibrant future for agriculture, rural living and surrounding ecosystems

This project focuses on improving groundwater quality in Wisconsin’s Central Sands. The region, in the middle of the state, includes 2 million acres with deep sandy soil and a mostly rural population of about 300,000. Potatoes and processing vegetables grow particularly well in sandy soil. These crops generate more than $5.8 billion in total economic activity in the region. The deep sandy soil is more susceptible than other soil types to groundwater leaching of nutrients and pesticides used to grow the crops, resulting in higher concentrations of nitrate in groundwater than other parts of the state. The project includes conducting field research to assess impacts from solutions that are both feasible for growers to adopt and economically viable, as well as providing area communities with research-based information on improving and protecting water quality.

Community Health Workers as a Bridge Between Extension and Rural Healthcare Systems to Support Whole Family Health and Well-Being

Health inequities in rural areas are difficult to address because of limited access to healthcare and public health services and infrastructure constraints. Within rural communities, additional barriers exist for people with limited income and people of color, resulting in patterns of poorer health outcomes.

This project will leverage UW–Madison Division of Extension’s Health & Well-Being Institute’s expertise and community assets to establish a network of Extension-based Community Health Workers (CHW), public health workers who are trusted members of a community, who can respond to emerging needs in rural communities using a whole family lens. Researchers will recruit, hire, train and supervise CHWs from rural and tribal communities in Wisconsin, providing workforce development and strengthening leadership among rural and tribal members.

Connecting Cultural Values and Indigenous Research Towards Food System Resilience

The Indigenous Food Systems Resilience project is a partnership between the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Tribal Nations and organizations in Wisconsin that supports Tribal producers, land managers and communities in their food sovereignty work in four key areas. The project areas include Indigenous crops and livestock, Manoomin (wild rice) research and restoration, nutrition and community food systems, and maple sugaring. Our team of 39 people collaborates with nine Tribal partners and organizations representing all 11 Federally recognized Tribes in Wisconsin as well as 14 UW and Extension units or departments. The project also supports three to four undergraduate and graduate students per year.

Promoting Family-Centered and Family-School-Community Mental Health Support for Children in Rural Wisconsin Communities

The U.S. is experiencing a crisis in children’s mental health, and there is a dearth of mental health resources for children in rural areas. This project aims to build capacity for sustained and integrated family-centered and family-school-community mental health support for children in rural Wisconsin communities.

Researchers will work with community partners to plan and enhance readiness; provide training to education and human service professionals, school staff and community members; support supervision of those professionals and help evaluate the effectiveness of mental health services. School and community partners are in rural counties across the state.

The Rural Livability Project

In many rural areas of Wisconsin, access to grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, healthcare and other critical institutions and services is becoming increasingly challenging. At the same time, rural communities are seeing changes to their economic foundations as well as declines in civic engagement. These factors can make it difficult for rural residents to reliably meet their needs, reducing the livability of their communities.

The aim of this project is to identify the key assets needed to sustain rural communities, and to find the best ways forward in developing community economic development policies and strategies to support rural livability. This project will help communities identify their local challenges along with the assets that can be mobilized to support a stronger future. 

WISCONET, Wisconsin’s Environmental Mesonet

Weather can have an outsized impact on daily lives and the economy, but a team at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is making it easier than ever to access local weather data and make informed decisions.

By 2026, researchers will install at least 75 weather monitoring stations across the state. Each Wisconet station will report temperature and relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, liquid precipitation, solar radiation, leaf wetness, and soil moisture and temperature measurements. These data are critical to making appropriate decisions, whether it’s to issue a life-saving warning, make better farming decisions or change outdoor plans.

Data is available for viewing at the Wisconet website: wisconet.wisc.edu.

Wisconsin State Climatology Office

Weather and climate play a vital role in our state’s economy, agriculture, and recreation. The Wisconsin State Climatology Office collects, analyzes, and shares climate information with our communities while leading the way in climate science education and research.

The expanding office aims to help Wisconsinites use climate data as efficiently and effectively as possible across a wide range of communities, businesses and agencies. By making the data they collect on the state’s climate and climate impacts publicly available, researchers support agriculture, crop management, education and climate research around the state.

Wisconsin Rural Scholars Program

The Wisconsin Rural Scholars Program brings rising high school seniors and their teachers to campus for a summer pre-college experience. This four-day residential program highlights CALS majors, cutting-edge research and the undergraduate student experience. Participants will gain insights on college and connect with faculty, staff and students from across the college.

For many rural school districts, college planning resources and on-campus experiences are limited by factors like cost and distance. The Wisconsin Rural Scholars Program connects talented students and their dedicated teachers to the breadth of programs and opportunities available in CALS. This program is completely free for participants; teachers also receive a stipend for their attendance.