While many Village of DeForest employers draw workers from surrounding communities, especially Madison, there are currently no formal public transportation options connecting these employment areas. Interdisciplinary engineering students suggest connectivity strategies that include vanpooling programs, employer supported shuttles, and state or federal grant opportunities. […]
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Graduate students researched an initiative supported by tax-incremental district funds aimed at strengthening the community’s housing stock and expanding access to homeownership for middle- and low-income residents. The students analyzed the homeowner-assistance component of HomeReach across four targeted programs: aging in place, emergency health and safety hazard mitigation, down payment assistance and home improvement, and […]
To support newly elected officials in the Village of DeForest, a UniverCity Alliance Scholar created an orientation handbook and onboarding materials. The comprehensive guide, which includes information on budgeting, elections, roles, responsibilities, ethics, and more, is designed to provide and empower elected officials with the information needed to thrive in their new role. […]
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A UniverCity Alliance Scholar developed, distributed, and analyzed a survey measuring Village of DeForset residents and stakeholders opinons about an eco-friendly mountain biking area. Results show strong community feedback for creating safe, scenic, and sustainable mountain biking trails. […]
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For nearly a decade, the Village of DeForest has been developing a plan to construct a mountain bike trail. Residents opposed an initial site proposed in 2016 because of potential environmental impact concerns on nearby wildlife. This conservation plan for a parcel of land acquired specifically for mountain bike trail development addresses stream quality, the […]
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A group of interdisciplinary engineering students built on research conducted by public health graduate students to better understand barriers to implementing harm reduction initiatives in Monroe County. After surveying community policymakers and local law enforcement, they recommended comprehensive community education and awareness campaigns addressing mental health stigmas. […]
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Responding to community concerns around multiple cases of childhood leukemia in Monroe County, public health graduate students created a logic model to understand the problem and identify focus areas that are important to the community, including a general lack of environmental surveillance. The group recommends developing a system for risk assessment, using Wisconsin public data […]
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A pretrial program in Monroe County monitors repeat offenders and refers them to therapy programs through bond monitoring. To reduce recidivism, public health graduate students recommended building and using an extensive referral system and establishing a collaborative behavioral contract. […]
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Monroe County faces high rates of deaths related to opioid use. After studying the issue, a group of public health graduate students identified three interventions: mapping residential treatment centers throughout Wisconsin, adopting community-based strategies, and implementing school-based prevention programs. […]
Read More… from Expanding AODA treatment and intervention strategies in Monroe County
Monroe County’s 2023-26 Community Health Improvement Plan highlights a recent sharp increase in opioid-related overdoses. Public health graduate students proposed an evidence-based communication campaign to reduce stigma toward people who use drugs and support the implementation of proven harm reduction strategies that combine community assessment, relationship-building, and health care provider engagement. […]
Read More… from Promoting harm reduction responses for opioid use in Monroe County