Sharing Listening Session Insights – April 2026

Dear Wisconsin Humanities friends and supporters,

After raving to you about our statewide Listening Sessions (thanks again to everyone who contributed), now you can read what we learned about the strengths people see in their communities, the challenges they face, and how they want to move forward.

The  Listening Session summary on our website highlights what we heard from program partners, supporters, civic leaders, librarians, historical society members, teachers, and other old and new friends. If you want to be reminded of why you live in Wisconsin, spend a couple of minutes absorbing the thoughtfulness and the spirit of the culture workers and civic leaders who make our state special.

WH board members like Susan Frost of Green Bay loved hosting sessions in their hometowns. Susan shared one of the biggest takeaways: “The energy produced by the evening and the networking opportunity was invigorating...Already by the end of the evening, seeds of collaboration were being planted. People left wanting more.”

Participants’ desire to gather again came through loud and clear everywhere we went. So did the need for more thinking about engaging youth, finding volunteers, creatively collaborating, and facing changing local demographics, to name a few of the topics that came up.

Cultural leaders’ request that WH do more to nurture networks of mutual support is prompting us to think in new ways. WH doesn’t have the resources to launch a major new statewide program today. But together with you, we can hone the vision and find new resources. Already, local partners have stepped up! A second gathering is happening in Milwaukee in May, hosted by Listening Session participant Arts At Large.

At every Listening Session, people spoke honestly about their challenges. But participants were most eager to talk about their communities' strengths, and the can-do attitude that makes good things happen. That Wisconsin roll-up-your-sleeves culture is why WH is still here, a year after DOGE tried to eliminate us. Thank you for rolling your sleeves up with us then and now! Let's keep going together!