There are a number of ways to volunteer in Wisconsin. These include AmeriCorps, Community and neighborhood development, Arts and culture, and Education. If you are interested in serving your community, consider joining one of these programs. Getting involved in your community is an excellent way to give back and help the people who live there.

AmeriCorps

Volunteers with AmeriCorps Wisconsin Local Service can make a big impact in their communities. For example, a recent planning grant awarded to Milwaukee Public Library will help the organization provide more youth with access to library resources and literacy-based programs. In addition, AmeriCorps members will work with youth development professionals in each county to develop youth-centered programming for their communities. The project is expected to leverage additional funding from the private sector, foundations, and other sources.

AmeriCorps members are responsible for delivering academic tutoring and other programs to children and youth. They also assist with college application processes and provide job readiness and financial literacy education.

Community and neighborhood development

Developing a comprehensive community and neighborhood development strategy is an essential part of achieving sustainable and equitable growth for Wisconsin’s communities. Fortunately, the state provides several tools to municipalities to help them get started. For example, Wisconsin has two primary means of permitting developers to create affordable housing. These are the Traditional Neighborhood Development ordinance and the Planned Development District ordinance. If a community doesn’t have an ordinance that allows developers to create this type of housing, it is missing out on an important economic development opportunity.

The first step in the process was to gather input from community leaders and organizations. This process provided the basis for developing a community development strategy. Community leaders participated in a series of workshops in five different Wisconsin communities. During these meetings, they identified seven core recommendations that the groups felt were important.

Arts and culture

The state of Wisconsin provides relatively less support for arts and culture than neighboring states. As of 2020, general fund dollars for arts and culture in Wisconsin were just 13 cents per capita. That figure is lower than in neighboring states like Minnesota, Indiana, and Iowa, which dedicated a total of 59 cents per capita to the arts. To be competitive, Wisconsin must devote more state funding to arts and culture and increase its per capita allocation.

The arts and culture industry is an important part of the state’s economy. It helps Wisconsin attract businesses and retain talent. Unfortunately, arts and culture have suffered more than other sectors, and neighboring states have taken steps to offset the impact.

Environment

The Environmental Services and Documents Sections provide environmental expertise and regulatory process guidance to WisDOT staff and contractors. These sections focus on reducing harmful air pollutants from power plants. These emissions contribute to smog and acid rain, and can cause respiratory problems and premature death. Reducing these pollutants from power plants will not only benefit communities near their facilities, but will also benefit communities outside of those areas.

The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Their Wisconsin Land Economic Inventory, also known as the Bordner Survey, is a resource for environmental and economic planning. In the process, they compare land use codes among local jurisdictions in the state and compare them to state and regional codes.