Health & Well-Being Institute Focus Areas
Healthy Food Access
Our programs help individuals access healthy, affordable foods.
Health Insurance and Care
Our programs help individuals get access to and support for health care and coverage.
Physical Activity
Our programs help people of all ages to live stronger, healthier lives by providing knowledge, inspiration, and ongoing support.
Mental Well-Being
Our programs teach skills to help individuals manage stress, practice mindfulness and access mental health resources.
Community Health
Our programs connect partners and communities with resources and support to address needs and strengthen communities.
Drug and Alcohol Use Prevention and Recovery
Our programs help individuals, employers, and multi-state partners address substance use disorders and support recovery.
About the Health and Well-Being Institute
We support healthier lives by working with and for the people, communities, and Tribal nations of Wisconsin to build relationships, facilitate learning, and pursue data-informed and culturally-based strategies.
Imagine a Wisconsin where every community thrives, supported by access to the research, resources and programming of the University of Wisconsin. That’s the Wisconsin Idea, embodied in the Health & Well-Being Institute of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
We work with community partners to catalyze positive change in Wisconsin communities through evidence-informed programs to promote health and well-being. Rooted in both urban and rural communities, we’re working together to help solve the state’s most pressing well-being needs and to ensure that all Wisconsinites have the opportunity to live stronger, healthier lives.
Healthy People
We provide community-based education to increase knowledge, skills, and confidence in health-promoting activities.
Healthy Communities
We partner with community-based organizations to identify needs, strengths and solutions that go beyond the individual to address organizational and community factors that influence health.
Engaging Messages
We use principles of health communications and marketing to share well-being messages with individuals and communities to shift cultural norms and perceptions.
Program Areas
Impact
We reach
164k+
Wisconsin individuals each year
Success Stories
Give a Helping Ham: Expanding Access to Local Protein During the Holidays
Protein is essential for health and often difficult for families to afford. Pantries in Manitowoc receive few protein donations, and even fewer after the USDA-funded WI Local Food Purchase Assistance Program ended in January. Misfits Homegrown had supplied meat to Grow It Forward through that program for three years, so the funding loss reduced pantry access and farm income.
The Spud Run: Expanding Access to Fresh Local Produce in Northeast Wisconsin
As a UW-Madison Extension staff member working to strengthen food security in Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc Counties, Laura Apfelbeck is helping pantries connect with local food producers through the USDA-funded WI Local Food Purchase Assistance Program. When that program lost funding in January 2025, many rural pantries were left without a reliable source of local foods.
Glean Manitowoc: Sustainable Food Access & Food Recovery
Now in its third year, Glean Manitowoc continues to bring fresh, local food from the Downtown Manitowoc Farmers Market to community members in need.
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