Grandparents University celebrates 10 years at UW-Madison

This summer marks the 10th anniversary of Grandparents University at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and nearly 900 grandparents and grandchildren will be on campus as alumni bring a new generation to experience college life through two days of interactive, hands-on learning.

The Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) and UW-Extension’s Family Living Programs first partnered to present the award-winning program in 2001. Born out of a UW-Extension program for grandparents, the partnership furthers the missions of both organizations to provide relevant programming to alumni and families.

During the last decade, Grandparents University has caught the eye of other universities around the country that seek to provide similar programming. Twelve other universities — including Michigan State University and Oklahoma State University — now buy into the trademarked program, and several others run similar programs.

“We’re always exploring ways to get alumni and their families involved with the university,” says Jeff Wendorf, WAA’s vice president for programs and outreach. “For many of these grandkids, it’s the first time that they’ve set foot on this campus, or maybe any campus. Part of their experience is being able to get excited about pursuing a degree in higher education.”

Children and their grandparents have the opportunity to stay overnight in a campus residence hall and learn in one of 18 available “majors,” which range from astronomy to theater and from digital storytelling to wildlife ecology.

“The best part about this program is the multiple connections that we’re able to make between people and the university,” Wendorf says. “Grandparents often don’t put a lot of pressure on their grandkids. Everything their grandkids do is special and spectacular, so we wanted to explore that kind of approach to learning.”

In 2001, 160 attendees participated in just four offered majors. The program went on to receive a Seal of Excellence Award in Alumni Education from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in 2002. Due to increased popularity, Grandparents University expanded into two sessions in 2006.

This year, 870 people are registered to attend, hailing from cities all across Wisconsin and the United States, as well as attendees from Scotland. Two grandparents will be attending the program for their 10th year.

The program is open to grandchildren between the ages of 7 and 14, and families need not have a UW–Madison connection to attend. This year, families will arrive on campus for Grandparents University sessions on July 15-16 and July 22-23. This year’s program is again sold out, with a waiting list for both sessions.

“The most important thing is the opportunity for grandparents and grandkids to live and learn together,” says Laurie Boyce, program director for UW-Extension Family Living Programs. “Grandparents University really creates an environment for that living and learning to occur.”

More information is available at http://uwalumni.com/grandparents.