GREEN BAY, Wis. — At the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, students aren’t waiting to lead someday—they’re leading now. That momentum will be celebrated Friday, May 8, 2026 during UW–Green Bay’s Celebrating Civic Engagement event, recognizing students and community partners whose collaboration is creating real impact across Northeast Wisconsin.
The event will take place at 9 a.m. at The Mauthe Center on the UW-Green Bay campus and will bring together students, faculty, nonprofit leaders and civic partners to highlight how hands‑on learning and regional partnerships are preparing the next generation of civic leaders.
“At UW–Green Bay, civic engagement is experiential and student‑driven,” said Ashley Heath, director of UW–Green Bay’s Center for Civic Engagement and assistant teaching professor in Public and Environmental Affairs. “Our students are gaining real‑world experience by working directly with community partners on challenges facing our region, learning first-hand the impact their efforts have in the community.”
The celebration will honor the Civic Scholars Leadership Program cohort, participants in the Spring Community Impact Practicum, UW–Green Bay’s Newman Civic Fellows and is highlighted with the university’s Community Partner of the Year. Students enrolled in the Strategic Philanthropy course will also announce the recipient of this year’s Giving Circle grant, showcasing student leadership in civic decision‑making.
The Civic Scholars Leadership Program is a year‑long, interdisciplinary experience open to students from any major. Through immersive site visits, dialogue with civic leaders and applied projects, students develop leadership skills while building strong connections to Northeast Wisconsin communities.
This spring, students moved from learning to action through the Community Impact Practicum, partnering with House of Hope in Green Bay. Working as a cohort, students completed organization‑identified projects that strengthened day‑to‑day operations and community outreach, demonstrating the value of collaborative, team‑based learning.
The program’s continued growth is supported in part by a $75,000, two‑year grant from Herb Kohl Philanthropies,which helps remove barriers to participation and expands student leadership opportunities through transportation support, mentorship and student‑led civic programming.
For students, the experience connects academics to purpose and give direct insight into how their education can help people in the community. Cooper Laper, a UW-Green Bay Civic Scholar majoring in Political Science sees law school in his future. “I was unsure about what kind of law I wanted to practice,” said Laper. “But after engaging with more disenfranchised groups and seeing things as they are in the community, [this] inspired me to want to follow that path and help people who really need it.”
UW–Green Bay’s Celebrating Civic Engagement event reflects the university’s commitment to student success, regional collaboration and community‑engaged learning by building civic leaders who are strengthening Northeast Wisconsin today and for years to come.
About UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 11,519 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 101,000 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With campus locations in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and a theatre in Marinette, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest growing UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
