Success Stories
Health & Well-Being Success Stories
At Extension’s Health & Well-Being Institute, we’re on a mission to make Wisconsin a healthier place to live. We tackle the big challenges – like food security, preventing chronic diseases, and improving mental health – through research-based programs.
The Year of Mental Health
The Behavioral Health Program delivered evidence-based mental health programs to equip community members with the skills needed to recognize and respond to signs of mental health issues.
Wisconsin youth raise their voices to impact peer mental health
Youth mental health has been a growing concern in Wisconsin with 1 in 5 youth ages 14-24 living with a serious mental illness and suicide being the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. Raise Your Voice is a youth-led program that hopes to change that.
Supporting health care navigation: Covering Wisconsin recognized, awarded grant
Covering Wisconsin received a Service to the Citizen Award, given to state and federal government agencies to honor exemplary public service. They were recognized for developing and implementing a WebChat digital outreach and enrollment tool.
Trauma-Informed Approaches to Nutrition Build Foundations for Eating Well in Recovery
In Polk county, Wisconsin, the SNAP-Ed funded program FoodWIse works with the HealthPartners Amery Hospital and Clinic, and local farming and food nonprofit Farm Table Foundation, to pilot Eating Well In Recovery.
Harvest of the Moon: Revitalizing traditional Menominee food knowledge and healthy eating habits in youth
The Kemāmaceqtaq (“We’re All Moving”) team of Extension Menominee County/Nation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, worked with language and culture keepers and community artists to create a unique curriculum anchored in Menominee knowledge of the 13 moons and their associated Indigenous food practices.
Harvest of the Month Teaches About Wisconsin Fruits & Vegetables
Fond du Lac County Nutrition Educator Melanie Phillips’ unique approach to implementing HOM in her community built on teamwork and connections, from students supporting one another to taste a new food, to educators and administrators collaborating as they explored seasonal, local Wisconsin produce.
Empowering Youth with Mindfulness for Emotional Resilience and Academic Success: Learning to BREATHE
Learning to Breathe continues to empower young learners with essential skills that foster resilience and mental well-being, equipping them for a healthier and more mindful future.
Video: Self Defense Adams County, WI
Discover how a team in Adams County, Wisconsin succeeded in getting self-defense classes added into their school’s physical education curriculum!
Video: Youth Advocates for Community Health, Glean Manitowoc
Explore how a team in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin boosted access to fresh, local produce by collecting over 3,500 pounds from the farmer’s market and redistributing it to SNAP-eligible community members!
Promoting Adolescent Well-Being
Extension along with state and local departments of public health work with partners to improve youth mental health and prevent suicide and risky behaviors to promote adolescent well-being.
Enhancing Health & Well-Being through StrongBodies
By addressing both the physical, social, and mental dimensions of health, StrongBodies is not only targeting the immediate health concerns of older adults but also working to build a resilient and connected community.