Investing in youth ensures a bright future
A conversation with Elizabeth Burmaster, state superintendent of public instruction and University of Wisconsin regent, and Marv Van Kekerix, interim chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Extension
Marv Van Kekerix, Interim Chancellor, UW-Extension
Van Kekerix: The experience of going to college after high school is a prominent milestone in many people's lives. That's one reason why it may be easy to overlook other ways that our public university touches people at every stage in their lifetimes.
Burmaster: Even before leaving high school, Wisconsin students benefit from PK-16 partnerships with UW-Extension. Students today are actively engaged in their own education through extracurricular activities and service-learning projects, including many affiliated with local 4-H clubs or after-school programs.
Van Kekerix: Local schools and communities also have opportunities to tap into the latest university research in relevant areas like child and family development, public health, nutrition and education policy. We also provide increasingly flexible ways for teachers to access high-quality classroom resources and continue their professional development. Much of this is accomplished in partnership with the 26 UW campuses, using state-of-the-art technology to make knowledge readily available.
Elizabeth Burmaster, State Superintendent and UW Regent
Burmaster: Partnerships are key to offering an excellent education to children wherever they live. This is especially true for rural schools. As part of its efforts to help rural schools and communities thrive, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has collaborated with UW-Extension to promote regional discussion forums, programs strengthening rural leadership and youth-led community dialogues. Giving voice to students in this way is an important step, with UW-Extension helping structure and facilitate these conversations.
Van Kekerix: We know from experience that youth programs like this are a good investment. We've seen how 4-H participants are better prepared for school and work. We also know that young children who watch time-tested educational programs on Wisconsin Public Television do better in the early grades. These programs have a measurable, positive impact.
Burmaster: I often say that our future will be determined by the greatness of our schools and the goodness of our children. We must invest now in quality education, or we will pay later in higher costs for social and correctional programs or in a generation of young people unprepared for the high-end jobs of a global economy. Investment in students, teachers and the university-based programs that support them ensures public education as the foundation of democracy and economic security in Wisconsin.