University honors partnerships with the community

The century-old Wisconsin Idea, the concept that UW–Madison’s borders are the borders of the state, is alive and well in nine partnerships being honored for using university resources and expertise to better the lives of others.

The partnerships, honored at a reception hosted by Chancellor John D. Wiley on June 21, represent the best of the university’s work with community businesses, neighborhood groups and citizens.

“The nine partnerships are just a handful of the countless outreach efforts that occur on campus and in nearby communities every day,” says LaMarr Billups, director of community relations and special assistant to the chancellor. “Whether you are a direct recipient of these services or not, all of Madison’s citizens benefit from the improved quality of life brought on by these programs.”

The university-community partnerships being recognized include:

• Mentoring Achievement Project (MAP): MAP connects students from the Medical School with at-risk children at O’Keeffe and Toki middle schools in Madison. Thirty-five mentor pairings provide children who need extra support with positive and encouraging role models. One-on-one sessions and group activities focus on academics, responsibility and community.
• Medical Information Center (MEDIC): MEDIC provides health-care services to underserved groups in the Madison community while allowing UW Medical School students to advance their education through direct patient interaction at MEDIC’s six free medical clinics. MEDIC also provides free sports physicals to uninsured high school students.
• Doctors Ought to Care (DOC): DOC provides local educators with health-related presentations by UW Medical School students who are trained to discuss body systems, body image, sexual responsibility and tobacco use. The project encourages young people to explore the sciences and exposes them to enthusiastic, educationally successful role models.
• Harambee Health Hour: Students from the School of Nursing and the Department of Nutritional Sciences organize the weekly Health Hour, which promotes physical activity and good nutrition to help reduce obesity and cardiovascular disease. Each Saturday, up to 12 women from the Hispanic community take part in 30 minutes of aerobic activity and 30 minutes of nutritional education. The students also provide childcare.
• Student Outreach to Prevent and Reduce Smoking (STOPRS): Run by 11 fourth-year students from the School of Pharmacy, STOPRS provides assistance as part of a statewide smoking cessation service. Students work with pharmacists to identify and counsel patients on ways to quit smoking. Students also prepare outreach presentations.
• Guadalupe Pastoral Center Partnership: This partnership between the School of Pharmacy and the pastoral center provides bilingual pharmacy students to assist Spanish-speaking community members with their reading and writing skills. Students also help in the center’s job placement office, food pantry and childcare center.
• Memorandum of Understanding with Campus Neighbors: To address continued campus growth, the university and neighborhood associations from the areas adjacent to campus met to establish guidelines for building and managing facilities that have an effect on those neighborhoods. The two-way interactive relationship encourages constructive engagement that fosters a sense of trust and cooperation among all parties.
• English as a Second Language Classes: ESL classes for custodial staff help employees accomplish their work tasks, ensures the safety of staff and others in the campus community, and creates a more welcoming and respectful work environment. A partnership between UW–Madison and Madison Area Technical College, the program improves communication on the work site and on a social level so employees can participate more fully in their communities.
• Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS): This undergraduate service-learning course organizes student teams that address technology and business problems of local not-for-profit organizations. The program provides free technological services while helping students increase their capacity to work in project management, team process and development, Web design and programming, and marketing.

For more information about the program, contact LaMarr Billups, special assistant to the chancellor for community relations, (608) 263-5510. To reach representatives from the programs being honored, contact Lori Kay, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration, at (608) 263-6693.