Dan Terrio is excited to join the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension as the Area 18 Extension Director, serving Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. Dan brings more than 28 years of experience in leadership development, educational outreach, youth development, training, and community engagement. Most recently, he served as Milwaukee County’s Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Dan’s connection to Extension is personal. His grandmother was a longtime UW-Extension employee in Shawano County, and Dan was an inaugural member of the Nii-Joos Tribal 4-H Club. Years later, he returned to Extension as a consultant supporting youth development initiatives.

Originally from Northcentral Wisconsin, Dan is a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians and was born and raised on the reservation. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW-Green Bay and an executive certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University. Dan is honored to return to Extension in a new capacity and looks forward to building strong partnerships across Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties and creating meaningful, lasting impact.

This fall, 19 women at the Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center will graduate after completing a six-week financial education and Rent Smart series led by Financial Educator Tahnee Aguirre. The classes provided practical information to help participants manage their money, understand credit, navigate the rental process, and prepare for housing after incarceration.

Tahnee will also expand her programming with older adults this fall by facilitating two Planning AHEAD series at senior sites in Milwaukee County. This seven-session program helps participants take important steps to plan for their future, including understanding advance medical and legal directives, estate planning, organizing financial information, and communicating their wishes with loved ones. The series makes these often-difficult topics easier to understand and gives participants practical tools they can use to start planning ahead.

Money Matters Live

-Online through Zoom

-Monthly on the 1st Tuesday

-1 hour long with time for questions

-Same topic twice daily,

10-11am or 6:30-7:30pm

Rent Smart

-Manage monthly expenses

-Find and maintain affordable housing

-Complete applications and understand tenant screening

-Build positive relationships with landlords and neighbors

-Responsibilities and rights of landlords and tenants

Encouraging Financial Conversations Booster Sessions: Navigating Public Support Changes with Your Clients

Gain tips to strengthen your confidence when working with clients on meeting new requirements for public benefits

October 15th: 1:00 -2:30 pm

FoodWIse supported the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Farm to School toolkit, Flavors of Mexico, bringing together Milwaukee parents to share traditional foods, recipes, and ancestral Indigenous food knowledge spanning from Mesoamerica to the Amazon and the Andes. These are the practices that sustained ecosystems and communities and gave us avocados, corn, tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, chile peppers, and so much more. The discussion also highlighted the essential role of migrant farm workers in our food systems.

The toolkit is the first in Wisconsin to highlight Latin American foods and traditions. It will launch in January 2027 as part of Around the World in 80 Trays, an initiative celebrating cultural foods in school meals. Milwaukee parents have been incredible leaders in caring for school gardens where FoodWIse educators teach, helping connect students to food, culture, and community.

Prasanta Anumolu, Extension Community Development Educator at the Community Development Society conference.

In July 2026, Prasanta Anumolu, Community Development Educator with Extension Milwaukee County, presented a breakout session at the Community Development Society Annual Conference in Savannah, Georgia. The session, titled Community Resilience: Creative, Cross-Sector Strategies for Equitable Development, showcased innovative Milwaukee-area initiatives that strengthen local food systems, support small businesses, and foster community engagement through partnerships. Attendees from across the United States and around the world explored practical, low-cost strategies for building resilience, including community-informed food access solutions, multilingual outreach tools, and placemaking events that promote economic opportunity, collaboration, and resident involvement.

Discover practical ways to use AI in your small business to work smarter, not harder.

Join Extension AI and Entrepreneurship specialists and educators on Thursday, October 29, from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the Summit Building, 6737 W. Washington St., West Allis.

 Cost: $50.

Milwaukee County 4-H and Menominee Nation 4-H teamed up to provide a unique summer camp opportunity for youth. From August 11-13, 63 youth from the Menominee and Milwaukee 4-H programs came together for summer camp at Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center.

Campers participated in traditional camp activities, including archery, canoeing, swimming, camp games, crafts, outdoor survival skills, and a campfire complete with s'mores.

A special component of the camp was Cultural Night, during which both counties shared aspects of their communities and cultures. For Milwaukee's cultural activity, Milwaukee youth leaders facilitated an improvisation and theater experience focused on iconic Milwaukee landmarks and institutions, including the Bucks, Brewers, Hoan Bridge, Summerfest, and more. The activity highlighted Milwaukee's role as a leader in Wisconsin's arts and cultural landscape.

For Menominee Nation's Cultural Night, leaders welcomed participants with a circle dance accompanied by live drumming and singing to bring everyone together. Campers then rotated through interactive stations featuring Menominee clan teachings, place names rooted in Menominee history, traditional teas and juices, storytelling, art activities, and basketball.

The 4-H summer camp provided youth from different cultures with the opportunity to learn from one another, build lasting friendships, and connect with nature. Throughout the experience, participants strengthened valuable life skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and independence.

4-H and Highland Community School are collaborating again this school year to provide several afterschool clubs for youth of all ages.

Four clubs will be launching soon, including:

A Communications and Media Club, led by a parent volunteer.

An Arts and Sciences Club, led by a schoolteacher and parent volunteers.

A LEGO Building Club, led by parent volunteers.

A Garden Club, led by a schoolteacher with support from 4-H staff.

These clubs provide youth with opportunities to explore new interests, develop skills, build friendships, and engage in hands-on learning experiences in a supportive environment. 

Edwin presents his photography and artist statement to his fellow interns.

What an exciting summer for the Positive Youth Development team! 

Led by Leslie Quevedo,  Extension engaged youth interns from Teens Grow Greens in Photo Voice programming.  Photo Voice is a process where people use photographs and personal stories to share their experiences, explore issues they care about, and help others understand their perspectives. 

Through this project, the interns did more than just take pictures.  They documented their experiences and observations in the garden.  They reflected on the meaning behind their photographs and shared them with peers.  They wrote artist statements and told stories through their photos. 

The youth proudly showcased their work for family and friends at their annual Harvest event at the Cottonwood School located within Extension’s 6th & Howard community garden. 

Photo Voice intern exhibition, including photography and artist statement,  at the Harvest Event.

Participants shared that they appreciated the opportunity to use digital cameras, develop basic photography skills, explore new interests, and learn about their peers' experiences in meaningful ways.

We are excited to grow this collaboration and share more unique perspectives on internship experiences in the garden and with each other! 

Photo Voice intern exhibition, including photography and artist statement,  at the Harvest Event.

The Milwaukee Urban Demonstration (MUD) Farm Network team traveled to Kansas City this summer to present at the Urban Food Systems Symposium, highlighting the network as a successful and replicable model for urban agriculture conservation outreach.

During the presentation, team members shared how the MUD Farm Network supports urban growers through education, technical assistance, and conservation-focused programming. The session generated significant interest among Extension professionals, farmers, and conservation practitioners who were eager to learn how elements of Milwaukee County's approach could be adapted and implemented in their own communities.

The symposium also provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the innovative work taking place in Milwaukee County while connecting with colleagues from across the country. Through networking, knowledge sharing, and discussions on emerging practices, the team exchanged ideas with other leaders working to strengthen urban food systems and expand opportunities for urban agriculture.

The experience reinforced Milwaukee County's role as a leader in urban agriculture outreach and conservation education and provided valuable insights that will help inform future programming and partnerships.

See a food forest take root in Milwaukee's Metcalf Park neighborhood. Join Maxwell Farms and local tree experts to learn about planting trees, accessing vacant lots, and funding opportunities through USDA-NRCS for urban farms and gardens.

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