Thank You for Making Our First Civics Week a Success!
From March 3–6, the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) and Student Engagement Center (SEC) partnered to launch UW-Green Bay’s first Civics Week—a campus-wide celebration of civic dialogue, leadership, and action.
Throughout the week, students, staff, and community members came together for events that encouraged connection, reflection, and meaningful participation. Each event drew participants and volunteers, with our most popular being Farmer’s Market Bingo—a creative way to learn about food systems and community resources while competing for prizes generously donated by local organizations.
A major highlight of the week was Bridging the Divide, a student-led dialogue focused on homelessness in Brown County. Hosted by James Harris, Paloma Cruz, and Amber Hubbard, the event challenged participants to examine personal bias, reflect on systemic causes, and explore potential solutions—all through thoughtful conversation and shared pizza.
Another powerful event was the Poverty Simulation, conducted in partnership with the UW Extension office. This immersive experience placed students in the shoes of families navigating financial hardship and systemic barriers, deepening participants’ understanding of the realities of poverty and the importance of informed, compassionate action. We also offered a Civic Engagement Kahoot Challenge throughout the week, giving participants a fun way to test and broaden their understanding of civic life.
(Emily Kjelland, Blai Yang, and Katie Barlow, pictured here)
The week concluded with a campus screening of award-winning documentary Join or Die, highlighting community and personal benefits of being civically engaged.
A special thank you to our lead student organizers—Emily Kjelland, Katie Barlow, and Blai Yang—who coordinated Civics Weekas part of their work with the Center for Civic Engagement. Their creativity, leadership, and hard work made this inaugural week a success!
Want to help shape next year’s Civics Week? We’d love to hear your ideas! Email us at cce@uwgb.edu
Follow along @uwgbcivicscholars on Instagram and check out the Center for Civic Engagement on LinkedIn to stay connected.
