BE INFORMED.

Community engagement is a nationally recognized hallmark of distinction for UW-Parkside, which provides active programs in civic engagement, promoting volunteerism, internships and community-based learning projects. These opportunities are embedded in an institutional commitment fostering civic-minded students, alumni, staff and faculty who provide scholarship, leadership, resources and services to the local and global communities. Every four years, in the fall of the presidential election, the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies leads a campus wide Election Experience for students, community members, and staff. In concert with community partners, the Election Experience offers interdisciplinary programming that includes brown bag lunch discussions, lectures, guest speakers, student research showcases, and other interactive events. The purpose of the programming is to provide nonpartisan information on election procedures and processes, historical case studies, voter registration, and contemporary issues. In fact, UW-Parkside participates in the All In Campus Democracy Challenge, a national awards program recognizing colleges and universities for their commitment to making democratic participation a core value of campus.

UW-Parkside received a platinum award for the percentage of student voting in the 2018 midterm elections, a bronze award for student voting in the 2020 federal election and was most recently recognized in 2022 and 2024 as having a highly developed action plan that promotes civic engagement and democratic participation on campus.