We are excited to share our annual Spotlight with you. Our Spotlight highlights a few of our educational programs from the previous year to provide you a snapshot of our outreach efforts. In addition, we are excited to announce our brand new website that launched in December. Please visit us at https://waukesha.extension.wisc.edu/. 

Thank you for your continued participation in and support of our programs. The ongoing development of partnerships in communities is vital to our work. I encourage you to share this with your network. Please reach out to us to learn more.

Jerry Braatz, Area Extension Director

Extension Community Development Educators updated the Neighborhood Revitalization Area (NRSA) Plan Summaries for Waukesha County’s Community Development Block Grant program. This critical update aligns with the 2028 Consolidated Plan and provides opportunities to explore program efficiencies for increased outcomes. By revisiting and refining NRSA boundaries, Extension identified underutilized areas with high potential for growth and and providing opportunities to align resources based on greatest need and opportunity. This process empowers neighborhoods to further enhance economic development, improve housing outcomes, and strengthen public services. This improves the quality of life, ensures equitable access to education, healthcare, and transportation thus strengthening community resilience and improving neighborhood safety.   

 The Tower Hill Community Garden provided neighbors an opportunity to grow fresh fruits and vegetables and engage in nutrition lessons at weekly meetings.

“Extension's expertise and collaboration help us empower 
individuals and create meaningful opportunities for growth and connection through their participation in the garden program.”
Program Coordinator, Adaptive Community Approach Program (ACAP)

Beginning in September, Hawthorne and Summit View Elementary Schools worked with Extension to be begin a Farm to School program funded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation through AmeriCorps to incorporate nutrition and garden education into their school environment. Since the program began, students have received nutrition and garden lessons through various hands-on activities such as vermicomposting, local food taste tests, and planting or planning their own gardens.

395 pounds of produce from the Youth Garden Project, a collaboration between Health & Human Services and Extension, was donated to the Food Pantry of Waukesha County in 2024.

“I started out with five pound weights and ended up using eight pound weights, so I got stronger. My balance also improved from being unable to balance for 30 seconds to balancing for two minutes. I have fallen in the past and feel this course will help me stay upright in the future!”
StrongBodies Participant

Horticulture professionals participated in the annual industry-focused Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Short Course to learn science-based information to assist them in increasing economic and environmental sustainability. Speakers included experts from UW-Madison Extension and across the Midwest. Over 230 people attended each of the four weekly sessions with over 2,000 continuing education units issued to participants to maintain their industry certifications. Seventy-eight percent of participants were private sector employees and 22 percent were local city and county government employees. 

One hundred green industry professionals learned about gravel bed systems for nursery stock at the Urban Forestry Workshop. 

“Thorough, concise, extremely informative. An excellent program! Very useful for future applications!!”
Landscape & Grounds Maintenance Short Course Participant

FoodWIse educators engaged groups of senior citizens at apartment complexes, senior organizations, and Waukesha County meal sites in Waukesha, Sussex, Menomonee Falls, Mukwonago, New Berlin, and Oconomowoc, teaching eleven Seniors Eating Well series and three StrongBodies series. Participants discussed physical activity, spices, fats, and heart-healthy meals and snacks. Participants loved learning about spices, one declaring the caprese salad food sample was the “best salad I ever had.” Seniors commented on how they planned to make changes such as reading labels more often and eating more whole grains. FoodWIse works to keep seniors strong and healthy in our community.

FoodWIse educators worked with preschoolers and their parents to involve kids in the kitchen. Families enjoyed making a "veggie funny faces" recipe. 

“It has changed how I prepare, cook, and shop. From knowing how to safely thaw meat, to having a well-balanced meal, while still getting all the nutrients me and my family need.” 
Eating Smart & Being Active Program Parent

4-H worked with over 20 community partners to provide educational programming and youth outreach to Waukesha County 4-H members. Events included county-wide project nights, hands-on learning through the Kids Zone at the Waukesha County Fair, and a variety of other educational community-based experiences reaching over 3,600 young people. We are always seeking additional community partners to expand and create dynamic youth experiences and help them discover their personal interests.

Waukesha County 4-H members showcased their talents at the Ohio National Poultry Show in November. They entered various birds in the competition and participated in the essay contest, egg contest, and showmanship events. 

“Some of my favorite things about 4-H include helping the community as a team, giving back, going to the Meetings, being creative and exploring new skills & opportunities. Also, I like the 4-H overnight camp and the County Fair.”
4-H Youth Member

Extension staff build strong communities by engaging adults & youth in life-long learning, developing economic opportunity, and extending leadership capacity through educational programs and Extension-trained volunteers.

Extension Waukesha
County Website link

Extension Waukesha
County Facebook link

An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.