Continuing Studies at UW-Madison

Robin Skierka of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has a goal of becoming a supervisor.

See how she used the Mid-Level Management Certificate to bolster her resume and prepare for this next phase of her career.

Full story:

Management certificate drives WisDOT project leader to pursue career goals Read how a project manager's passion for learning and UW–Madison's Mid-Level Management Certificate have fueled her career growth.

With the rise of AI, leaders need to think differently. Join us for a FREE webinar where we’ll be exploring use cases for AI in the workplace and what they mean for your business.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3YbfuWQ

Everyone is talking about AI, but what do non-technical leaders really need to know?

This FREE webinar provides a brief overview of AI in the workplace.

✅ Watch a live demonstration of AI tools
✅ Consider ethical decision-making in the context of AI
✅ Get a preview of our upcoming course: Applied AI for Non-Technical Leaders

Register here: https://bit.ly/3YbfuWQ

According to the U.S. Department of Education, an estimated 610,000 new students will be eligible for Pell Grants this year. 💰

Check out our blog to see the latest on financial aid options for adult students.

Help available for low-income students - Continuing Studies | Unified Explore educational resources and financial aid options for low-income students, including scholarships, state aid, online education and more.

Congrats to School for Workers Professor Michael Childers on being selected for the Morgridge Fellows program! 👏

School for Workers Professor Michael Childers was recently selected as a Morgridge Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Fifteen faculty and campus members were selected through a juried process to participate in the year-long learning community designed to further institutionalize and support Community-Engaged Scholarship.

Learn more: https://schoolforworkers.wisc.edu/dr-childers-selected-in-seventh-cohort-of-morgridge-fellows/

We are incredibly sad to hear this news. Thank you, Frank, for your dedication to the School for Workers cause. ❤️

For those wishing to pay their respects, there will be a memorial service at Olbrich Gardens on July 1 from 4-7 p.m.

Frank Emspak – activist, organizer, labor leader and media executive – died June 14, 2024 from acute myeloid leukemia.

“Frank Emspak, a talented teacher and passionate School for Workers faculty member, was a fearless advocate for justice. His dedication to helping others find their voice and make it heard was inspiring and contagious. He was always generous with his time and had a quick wit to keep you grounded. It was my distinct privilege to have the opportunity to work with him and witness his tireless work for what is good in this world.”

-Professor Michael Childers

A memorial service will be held at Olbrich Gardens in Madison, WI on July 1, 2024 from 4-7 p.m.

https://schoolforworkers.wisc.edu/honoring-frank-emspak-emeritus-faculty-june-21-1943-june-14-2024/

We love to see it! Congrats, Ginger! 👏🎓

105-year-old great-grandmother gets her Stanford degree after 83 years “My goodness,” Virginia “Ginger” Hislop said. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”

It's never too late to go after your dreams! See how UW–Madison supports returning adult students on their journey to graduation. 🎓 https://bit.ly/4ekpbYn

Accessing higher education as an adult To celebrate National Higher Education Day, we talked with one of our education experts out how adult students can better access higher ed.

Meet our recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student award and get to know them through this Q&A. We're beaming with pride!

Q&A with award-winning returning adult students Hear from our 2024 winners of the Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student award at UW–Madison.

We had a great celebration of our returning adult students on April 24 at the Memorial Union. Family, friends, faculty and staff and even Bucky Badger joined us in congratulating our scholarship and award winners. What an outstanding group of students!

Event showcases returning adult students and their hard-won achievements Nontraditional students shine at the annual Outstanding UW–Madison Adult Student Celebration and Reception.

Six years after leaving Burkina Faso, West Africa, Zalissa Zongo Kafando is now an award-winning adult student at UW–Madison. She shares how her determination — and scholarships — helped her along the way.

Scholarships fuel success for returning adult students First-generation college student Zalissa Zongo Kafando shares how scholarships helped her overcome obstacles and finish her degree at UW–Madison.

Congratulations to our UW Odyssey Project graduates! We wish you all the very best as you continue your educational, professional and personal journeys.

UW Odyssey Project Class of 2024 celebrates 30 graduates The Odyssey Project celebrated another class graduating as its 2024 cohort set on their path to continue their education. On May 1, 30 students from the Odyssey Project, an education program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for adults facing economic barriers to college, celebrated a milest

There are just 3 weeks left for high school students to register for Summer Arts Clinic! This week-long commuter camp from UW-Madison Badger Precollege expands creativity and skills in classes ranging from screen printing and sustainable fashion to improvisation and contemporary choreography. Registration closes May 15!

Learn more in our latest blog:

Summer Arts Clinic invites students to get creative Three Summer Arts Clinic instructors share what they're most excited about teaching in this new summer program from Badger Precollege.

This month's Lifelong Learner column in the Wisconsin State Journal features one of our academic advisors talking with the assistant dean of Badger Precollege about precollege programming for children and teens. Visit https://bit.ly/3Q3RFv5 to learn about summer options.

Precollege programs prepare students for success Learn how precollege programs prepare students for academic success as well as offer them opportunities to meet new friends and learn new things with UW–Madison instructors.

What's the lasting impact of UW-Madison Badger Precollege? Just ask Jacob Carlson, who attended our precollege programs for 7 years! In our latest blog, he and his mom, Shannon, share their greatest takeaways from Badger Precollege and how it helped set Jacob up for success in college.

A family affair A Badger Precollege alum and his mom share their experiences with the program and the lasting lessons that have stayed with them.

Congratulations to Molli Pauliot for receiving a 2024 UW–Madison Outstanding Women of Color Award! A member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Buffalo clan, Molli is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology.

At the awards ceremony, Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara said this about her: “Molli’s generosity and work to persevere, protect and share her culture is unparalleled. She has transformed how many understand this sacred Ho-Chunk land we now call Wisconsin.”

Molli is pictured with her granddaughter at an event celebrating our returning adult students.

Assistant Professor Megan Reilly shares her experiences as a student and teacher with autism — and how higher education is learning to accommodate neurodivergent students.

Shining a light on neurodiversity in higher ed UW–Madison Assistant Professor Megan Reilly shares her experiences as a student and teacher with autism, and how higher education is learning to accommodate neurodivergent students.

Got a high school student looking for an academic or arts-based program this summer? Our UW-Madison Badger Precollege director shares on this podcast why Badger Precollege could be a good fit — and how it can help high schoolers prepare for college.

Learn more about Badger Precollege and Finding Your Fit with our Assistant Dean and Badger Precollege Director Christopher Pevey Harry. In conversation with Galin Education’s Finding Your Fit podcast hosts Liz Jackson and Paula Wheeler, he shares why precollege courses are a good summer option for students and tips for finding a high-quality program.
Listen to the podcast here: https://precollege.wisc.edu/blog/badger-precollege-featured-on-galin-education-podcast/

Lifelong learners can sign up for award-winning language instruction thanks to the work of Continuing Studies Languages at UW-Madison Executive Director Julie Dahl. She overhauled our introductory Spanish curriculum to fit the needs of adult students like Megan and David. Read the story:

Dr. Julie Dahl pioneers award-winning language instruction for adult learners Dahl describes what makes her award-winning Spanish courses effective for adult learners. Two of her students share their language learning experience and the impact it's made.

The award-winning UW Odyssey Project has award-winning staff. Read about Director of Development and Community Partnerships Jenny Pressman’s Outstanding Fundraising Professional award and the life story that shapes her work. https://bit.ly/42ILcuO

Many industries include “hot jobs” offering competitive salaries and plentiful openings. Learn from our experts about how lifelong learning can help you advance in or enter one of these fields.
https://bit.ly/4bPpkSH

🌎 Before EducationUSA Academy, Brazilian high school student Olivia wasn’t sure where she’d go to college. Now, she’s “100 percent certain” she’ll study in the U.S.

Read more to find out how this UW-Madison Badger Precollege program is helping international high school students find their inner Badger.

International high school students thrive at EducationUSA Academy Five international students shared what they like best about the program and how it has impacted their future education plans.

“Workers’ compensation really doesn’t work for anyone, not even the workers it’s supposed to work for.”
–Assistant Professor Lola Loustaunau, School for Workers

Read ProPublica's latest article on how a Wisconsin exemption for small farms is affecting some of the dairy industry’s most precarious workers: go.wisc.edu/7j3tvw

Art: Zeke Peña

When Immigrant Dairy Farm Workers Get Hurt, Most Can’t Rely on Workers’ Compensation Wisconsin’s exemption for small farms is one of many federal and state carve-outs that have historically left farm workers — and dairy workers in particular — with fewer rights and protections than others.

Your online presence can either make or break your professional image! Read our tips on how to clean up your digital footprint in our latest column:

Start the year by cleaning up your digital footprint Learn some tips from our UW-Madison experts on cleaning up your digital footprint for best results in the new year.

Scholarships for returning adult, nontraditional, and single-parent students! Apply by Feb. 10, 2024.

Returning adult scholarships Scholarships for adult and nontraditional students.

Our Leading for Racial Equity course will equip you to take your organization from commitment to action.
Register here for our FREE course preview webinar: go.wisc.edu/3w9h1h

Pop quiz! How much do you know about lifelong learning? 📝

Transferable skills are:
a. Portable talents you can take with you from one job to another.
b. Only relevant in certain industries.
c. Obsolete due to AI.
d. Skills that cannot be learned.

✅ Answer: A

Test yourself on your lifelong learning knowledge with our full quiz here: https://ow.ly/WNEV50Qi0wH

Note: This blog first appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 23% of U.S. undergraduates are experiencing food insecurity. Learn more about students’ basic needs insecurity and available resources in our latest Lifelong Learner column: go.wisc.edu/o7wrg9

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This weekend we honor our nation’s veterans and all who serve. 🇺🇸

Watch our interview to hear how Odyssey Beyond Wars is helping veterans of all ages transition to civilian life and boost their educational journey.

https://www.nbc15.com/2023/11/08/odyssey-offers-educational-opportunities-veterans/

Odyssey Project

“Odyssey” offers educational opportunities for veterans Odyssey helps veterans get education that can help boost their path to college or just help them in their day-to-day.

For nearly 30 years, incarcerated individuals couldn’t receive Pell grants. As of July 1, 2023, access was restored. Read how this change could help programs like Odyssey Beyond Bars and the Prison Education Initiative give more incarcerated students a shot at college.
https://go.wisc.edu/hl2a7s

Wisconsin State Journal | UW Odyssey Project

Pell grants give inmates another shot at college After a 1994 federal decision to deny inmates access to Pell grants for school, as part of a tough-on-crime movement, as of this summer, prisoners can use the grants again.