Category: Community

Every Phish show generates its own mythology. In Madison that mythology dates back to 1998, when the band’s last appearance at the Kohl Center was nearly upstaged by an onstage streaker.
This week, some 28 years later, the Vermont-based jam band icons returned to Madison and the Kohl Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to open their summer tour. They delivered another performance fans are likely to be talking about for years — an expansive, 18-song marathon spanning two sets and an encore over more than three hours.

Additionally, the University of Wisconsin-Madison was awarded $322,500 for 36 projects, including a $48,000 grant to the Odyssey Project, which offers adults who never had a chance to attend college the opportunity to take college-level classes. Among the university’s grants was one that includes students from the Madison school district’s Shabazz City High School in a project monitoring chlorine in the east side’s Starkweather Creek.

The genesis of Space Place — the education and public outreach center of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Astronomy — dates to the fall of 1989, at the Memorial Union’s Play Circle.

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is seeking state approval to change how it ranks high school students for the Wisconsin Guarantee program, potentially affecting how many students are automatically admitted into University of Wisconsin-system schools.

Students who place in the top 10% of their class at the end of the 11th grade are automatically admitted to all UW universities, save for UW-Madison, under a state program known as the Wisconsin Guarantee, provided they apply by the regular deadlines. Students who apply by the early deadline and rank in the top 5% of their class are automatically admitted to UW-Madison.

From bus routes to a new train service, University of Wisconsin-Madison students are fueling alternative transportation options in Madison.

A 2023 UW Transportation Services survey showed 70% of students walk or ride the bus on good weather days and 80% on bad weather days.

A resident of Mansfield Hall, a private dorm for college students that offers support and community for diverse learners, provides a tour of the building located on fraternity row near UW-Madison.

When Charity Alfred stepped off the elevator onto the third floor of Witte Residence Hall for the first time, she wasn’t just entering a dorm.

She was entering Essence, a community which she would come to describe as “its own little neighborhood,” carved out of an isolating predominantly white campus.

For more than a half-century, Madison has been considered one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. Since 2020, Dane County has added nearly 30,000 residents.

The engine driving much of that growth is in the heart of Madison.

“You can’t discuss housing in Madison without first understanding the impact of the university,” said Paul Soglin, who served as Madison mayor for nearly a quarter-century.

On Monday, April 20, 2026, the German+ Program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison hosted its 34th “German Day” in Union South on the UW–Madison campus. Since 1990, students of German from high schools and middle schools have been showcasing their knowledge of German through poetry, spelling, skits, Pictionary, charades, solo and ensemble music performances, posters, and memes.

Run Madtown’s Charity Chaser Runner beneficiary will be the Badger Challenge during a 5K race this month.

The Badger Challenge is a fundraising initiative supporting cancer research at UW-Madison.

A designated runner representing the Badger Challenge will start the Run Madtown Twilight 5K on May 23. Once the final participant crosses the start line, they will try to pass as many athletes as possible before reaching the finish line. For every 5K athlete passed, Run Madtown will donate $1 to the Badger Challenge.

Saturday is setting up to be one of the most crowded days of the year in downtown Madison, and several streets will be closed because of different events.

The annual Mifflin Street Block Party will take over the area just outside the UW-Madison campus. The event is unpermitted, but Madison police will close some streets to keep things safe.

UW Madison hosting Family Gardening Day in May.

Spirited school pride, interactive games and opportunities to double donations are all part of this year’s Day of the Badger, a two-day fundraising effort supporting the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Sponsored by the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, the annual event brings together alumni, students and supporters through both virtual and in-person activities aimed at raising critical funds for campus programs and initiatives.

Organizers say more than 150 areas across campus are participating this year, including schools, colleges, departments and other causes. Donors can choose where to direct their contributions through the event’s website.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is inviting the community to explore science up close this weekend during its annual UW Science Expeditions.

The free, campus-wide open house runs Friday through Sunday, April 10–12, across UW–Madison. Organizers say the event is designed to connect the public with scientists, students and research spaces through hands-on experiences.

UW Science Expeditions features dozens of venues and activities spanning disciplines from astronomy to zoology. Visitors can take part in interactive exploration stations, attend live science shows and tour labs, museums and greenhouses across campus.

Throughout the weekend, participants can visit locations such as Washburn Observatory, campus greenhouses, and research centers, while meeting scientists and learning about ongoing work at the university.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is opening its doors for Science Expeditions, an annual campus-wide science open house held April 10-12.

The community is invited to try hands-on activities at different stations, tour research spaces, view Science Spectacular Shows, and attend lectures.

This is the 24th year of the event, and it is free and open to all.