New history and civics learning initiative announced at annual Wisconsin History Gala alongside the debut of the Wisconsin History Center logo and a new partnership with Milwaukee Tool
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Wisconsin Historical Society, announced a new fundraising initiative at an Oct. 22 Wisconsin History Gala to fund field trips for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) students to two WisHistory attractions: Old World Wisconsin in Eagle and the new Wisconsin History Center in Madison, scheduled to open in 2028. The effort supports the Wisconsin Historical Society’s History + Civic Learning Initiative, which aims to expand access to high-quality history and civics education in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region. More than 250 supporters, history advocates and community leaders attended the Milwaukee gala, which featured Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and keynote speaker David Maraniss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author with deep ties to Wisconsin.
“As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation, it’s an important time to reflect on the value of history and civics education and how both shape our understanding of the world around us,” said Christian Øverland, Ruth and Hartley Barker Director & CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “By providing Milwaukee students with experiences and hands-on opportunities to explore Wisconsin’s history, we can help them make meaningful connections between the past and the present, better understand the state and communities they call home, and recognize the role they can play in shaping our shared future.”
The annual cost of providing field trips to Old World Wisconsin for all MPS third-grade students and to the Wisconsin History Center for all MPS ninth-grade students is more than $300,000 to cover bussing, admission and lunches. Beginning with MPS, the state’s largest school district, the initiative is the first step toward establishing a framework that will expand to communities throughout Wisconsin.
“This is an exciting time for history education in Wisconsin,” said Julie Lussier, Executive Director, Wisconsin Historical Foundation. “With the opening of the new 116,000-square-foot Wisconsin History Center on the horizon, we have an extraordinary opportunity to engage students and the public in exploring our state’s history, understanding its connections to our region and nation, and discovering how the past continues to shape our world today.”
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson spoke about the importance of connecting classroom learning with real-world experiences and investing in the next generation of community leaders.
“The partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society builds upon the district’s Learning Journeys program, which provides free educational field trips that extend classroom learning beyond school walls,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “I’m honored and excited that funds raised this evening will help provide students with meaningful opportunities to explore our state’s history and to use those lessons to help build stronger communities and a more engaged civil society, both here in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.”
Over the years, the Wisconsin Historical Society has expanded access to history education in Milwaukee through key partnerships, including launching Hands-On History classroom programming with the Milwaukee County Historical Society in 2017, adoption of the fourth-grade Wisconsin history textbook across the district in 2022 and increasing National History Day support in 2025, helping MPS students compete at the competition’s national level for the first time.
The importance of partnerships was further emphasized as Øverland announced a new 10-year partnership with Milwaukee Tool, now the “Official Tool Partner of the Wisconsin Historical Society,” which will provide equipment, expertise and training to support the work of the organization’s historic sites and museums. “Everything we do of significance we do so in partnership with others.”
A night of exciting announcements was capped off by the debut of the new Wisconsin History Center logo, a visual identity designed to complement the recently refreshed Wisconsin Historical Society brand. The Wisconsin History Center logo features Headline Gothic ATF typeface, offering a subtle nod to its early 20th-century designer Morris Fuller Benton, who was born in Milwaukee.
Keynote speaker David Maraniss, a New York Times-bestselling author and longtime Washington Post writer and editor, attended Madison West High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His books include “Path Lit by Lightening: The Life of Jim Thorpe,” “First in His Class: A Biography of Bill Clinton,” and “When Pride Still Mattered: The Life of Vince Lombardi.” Maraniss has donated his notes and archival materials to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
As the Wisconsin Historical Society holds one of the largest collections of objects and archival material in the United States, guests were able to view a selection of items associated with significant moments in history ranging from moon rocks collected from Apollo 11 to a diary belonging to Revolutionary War soldier Joab Daggett, documenting the reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On the eve of the Milwaukee Brewers’ first World Series appearance in 44 years, historic team memorabilia displayed included a game-used ball from the 1982 World Series autographed by Brewers legends Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Jim Gantner.
About the Wisconsin History Center
The Wisconsin History Center is a landmark destination opening on Wisconsin’s Capitol Square in early 2028. Designed to connect people of all ages and backgrounds to the state’s past, the five-story, 116,000-square-foot center will serve as a modern cultural hub and gateway to the Wisconsin Historical Society’s world-class collections. The center will feature four permanent galleries, a rotating community gallery, space for traveling exhibits and gathering areas for interactive programs, welcoming students, educators, families, researchers and visitors from all 72 counties and beyond. For more information, click here.
About Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
###
