Civic Health of Wisconsin and Beyond

media release: On Thursday, April 28, the UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies will host its CommUnity Conference.  This event is focused on the theme of "Civic Health of Wisconsin and Beyond" and will be the first-ever Wisconsin-wide convening focused on Civic Health.  This convening is part of the Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative, a nonpartisan effort to promote civic health across Wisconsin, which published the first ever Civic Health of Wisconsin report in 2020, joining over 30 other states in assessing statewide civic health. 

“Civic health” is a term which refers to the degree to which citizens participate in their communities, from local and state governance to interactions with friends or family. Civic health also relates to the overall well-being of neighborhoods, communities, states, and the nation.  The importance of robust civic engagement has never been more notable, yet civic participation in the U.S. has been on the decline, while polarization is on the uptick.

The CommUnity Conference will feature keynote addresses from Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, expert on the decline of democracy and the rise of totalitarianism, and from Arvind Gopalratnam, Vice President of Community Relations for the Milwaukee Bucks , who will present on what we can all do to contribute to civic health.  Ex-Officio Members of the Civic Health of Wisconsin Steering Committee Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly will offer opening remarks.  Sessions, workshops, and activities related to various civic health topics will take place throughout the day.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, or the “CommNS”, is a hub for faculty, students, and community partners to collaborate on research, practice, and evaluation that examines and advances the well-being of communities, as well as the civic and nonprofit sectors.