The 2025-26 Wisconsin Idea Fellowships have been awarded to 10 outstanding undergraduate projects at home and across the globe.
The projects, which are all rooted in the concept of addressing needs identified by community partners, range in topics from promoting physical health, sustainable innovations, literacy initiatives and more. A total of 23 UW–Madison undergraduate students are part of this year’s projects, sponsored by the Morgridge Center for Public Service.
The number of projects and students doubled from last year, making this year’s application cycle the most competitive since its inception.
“This was an exceptionally competitive fellowship cycle,” says Community-Engaged Scholarship Graduate Assistant Sara Gia Trongone. “The volume of applications we received speaks to the power of this program and UW-Madison students’ commitment to the Wisconsin Idea.”
Wisconsin Idea Fellowships (WIF) are awarded annually to UW–Madison undergraduate projects working to address issues identified by local or global communities. Fellowships are awarded to semester- or year-long projects designed by an undergraduate student or group of students in collaboration with a community organization and a UW faculty or staff member.
Projects receive both logistical support as well as financial support — up to $7,000 in total depending on project scope and duration. A portion of each project’s funding is awarded to students as a personal stipend, allowing them to pursue a WIF project using time they might have otherwise worked a job. Some projects will begin this summer, and some will last through next May.
1. Fostering Religious Identity & Belonging in STEM Fields: Development of an Inquiry-Based Science Model to Support Milwaukee and Madison-Area Elementary Students
Students: Khadijah Dhoondia, Iqra Arif, Bisma Arif, Musaab Tareen, Ansah Khan and Ilhan Mohamed
Academic Advisor: Daniel Parrell, BioCore Program
Community Partners: The Dawah Center and Madinah Academy
Currently, many ethnic communities face barriers in pursuing STEM fields due to a perceived divide between science and religion. Further, the lack of shared identity can hinder the ability of young students to feel welcomed in science and educational spaces at an early age. To address this, the Islamic STEM Association (iSTEM) will develop a summer curriculum and programming for youth in partnership with two Islamic community centers: Dawah Center (Milwaukee, WI) and Madinah Academy (Madison, WI). By adopting an inquiry-based learning approach to the scientific method, they aim to empower Muslims students of all ethnic backgrounds to pursue careers in STEM and to hold onto their cultural and religious identities as they delve into the world of science. Ultimately, they hope to break the barrier of the lack of representation students might feel in regard to their identity and what it means to be a scientist. Through an inquiry-based learning model, iSTEM aims to encourage students to resonate more deeply with STEM fields while simultaneously enhancing their scientific skills and reasoning.
2. BUILD
Students: Alyssa Nielsen, Lesley Ramirez, and Gabrielle Joe; Senior Peer Advisors: Yadira Ortiz, and Keelin McAllister
Academic Advisor: Morgan Shields, Department of Kinesiology
Community Partners: The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, The Odyssey Project, Project Girl and Glacial Drumlin Middle School
BUILD was created to promote physical activity among adolescents of lower socio-economic status in Madison and surrounding areas; a population that hardly meets the ACSM guidelines and is becoming increasingly sedentary. The program will increase their access to physical activity at a crucial period of their life—adolescence. Their community partnership has consisted of the Boys and Girls Club, The Odyssey Project, Project Girl and Glacial Drumlin Middle school. Surveys to detect barriers and facilitators of physical activity were performed, alongside a review of existing research, to inform the structure of our sessions. This helped guide how they introduced and taught physical activity to adolescents and how to implement it during and outside of their sessions. These visits consisted of teaching physical activity through games that focused on heart, muscle, and bone health while building inclusivity, confidence and community. The BUILD program will continue to strengthen and expand efforts to a greater number of students by encouraging, supporting and providing adolescents with the resources they need to lead healthy, active lives.
3. Holistic Reform in Detention Centers: Enhancing Communication, Educational Resources, and Facility Accountability
Students: Nama Pandey and Victoria Rens
Academic Advisor: Gita Connolly, University of Wisconsin Law School
Community Partner: Community Immigration Law Center
By collaborating with the Community Immigration Law Center (CILC) and the Immigrant Justice Clinic (IJC) at the University of Madison Law School, this project aims to address the barriers to justice for detained immigrants. By the end of 2024, approximately 38,406 individuals were detained in U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers nation-wide. Dodge County jail, which houses Wisconsin’s immigrants in removal proceedings, was declared deficient in seven issue areas in its most recent inspection. Furthermore, all immigrants qualify for certain unalienable liberties like due process. By cultivating strong relationships with immigrants in Wisconsin, their goal is to help ensure that detained immigrants have access to accurate information, connection with legal counsel, ability to communicate with loved ones and/or prepare for repatriation This project aspires to give a voice to the voiceless, one individual at a time.
4. Domestic Violence: An All Hands on Deck Effort to Empower Survivors
Students: Emily Hokanson and Alexis Wergin
Academic Advisor: Carrie Welsh, Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER)
Community Partner: Felicia’s Donation Closet
Felicia’s Donation Closet is a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic abuse by addressing a critical gap in resources for people transitioning out of shelters or abusive households. Survivors often leave abusive environments with few personal belongings, and while shelters provide temporary relief, the transition to permanent housing can be daunting and under-supported. This transition period is a pivotal time for stability and rebuilding, yet resources for household essentials and furnishings are scarce in Dane County, Wisconsin. Recognizing this gap, Felicia’s Donation Closet focuses on providing these essential items to help survivors transform their new spaces into true homes. Research from End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin highlights that 1 in 3 women are impacted by domestic violence, with 1 in 5 teens experiencing abuse. For LGBTQ+ individuals, the prevalence rises to 50%. Despite the availability of education, training and shelter programs, few organizations offer the tangible household resources survivors need post-shelter. Felicia’s Donation Closet has identified this unmet need and designed a holistic response. This project seeks to address this issue by allocating funds toward improving their warehouse space to accommodate more supplies, expanding networking efforts through advertising on the UW–Madison campus, increasing volunteer participation and securing additional donors.
5. Growing Green Engineers: Mentorship of Young Engineers and Implementation of Sustainable Solutions in Underserved Communities
Students: Akanksha Denduluri and Amy Yi
Academic Advisor: Hiroshi Maeda, Department of Botany
Community Partner: Maydm Inc.
The goal of this project is to build a more inclusive pathway into engineering, promote sustainable innovation and strengthen community ties through mentorship and collaboration. Communities of color face disproportionate environmental challenges, and local sustainable engineering solutions can offer practical, empowering ways to address these issues at the grassroots level. However, a persistent imbalance of access, opportunity and representation has led to the historical underrepresentation of women and people of color in engineering fields. Through a series of workshops, high school students will explore various engineering disciplines, develop hands-on problem-solving and collaboration skills and create working prototypes to address local environmental concerns. By actively tackling the systemic barriers that hinder the success of aspiring young engineers, this project aims to foster confidence, curiosity and long-term engagement in both STEM and community-driven sustainability efforts.
6. Care, Connect, Growth: A Queer Muslim Conference — California 2026
Student: Reem Itani
Academic Advisor: KD Thompson, Religious Studies Program
Community Partner: Hidayah LGBT US
Queer Muslim communities face unique challenges due to their intersecting identities. Oppression often takes many forms, including familial isolation, imprisonment, and, in many places, even death, despite strong LGBTQ+ advocacy in recent years. Queer Muslims still feel isolated, with limited access to resources. This can make them hopeless for a future in which they can embrace themselves. Due to this complicated intersection of identities, community leaders, both within the Queer and Muslim community, often refuse to engage with Queer Muslims. As such, there is an urgent need for programming that promotes community-building, proposes inclusive religious perspectives, presents resources and increases Queer Muslim visibility—both within the Queer Muslim community and for the public at large. This has been documented by Faculty Advisor Dr. Thompson, as well as many testimonials, articles,and Hidayah LGBT US communications. Hidayah US is a trailblazer in tackling these needs in the US. Hidayah has held many virtual and in-person events, including its conference series “Care-Connect-Growth” (CCG), launched in February 2024. This conference has had excellent turnout rates, fostered great relationships and received recognition from local governments. Considering the large Queer Muslim community in California, a hub for Queers and Muslims, this project will do further research about the Queer Muslim community in the state, build a database of resources and community organizations relevant to Queer Muslims, and offer a 2026 Edition of the CCG conference that will respond to the local needs and promote community, education, allyship and new initiatives to perpetuate the impact in the region.
7. Health Literacy for Immigrant Communities
Amy Liang
Academic Advisor: Zoua M. Vang, School of Human Ecology
Community Partner: Literacy Network
This project seeks to improve health literacy among immigrant communities in Madison, WI, who often face language, cultural and resource-related barriers when accessing healthcare. In partnership with the Literacy Network of Dane County, this initiative will deliver a culturally and linguistically tailored health literacy curriculum through three interactive workshops and training for staff and tutors. Topics will include navigating healthcare systems, understanding medical instructions, accessing local resources and more. Offered in English, Spanish and Hmong, the program aims to empower ESL participants with the knowledge and confidence to make informed health decisions. By addressing key disparities, the project hopes to reduce barriers, improve outcomes and foster a more health-literate community.
8. Rebuilding Futures: Expanding Educational Access for War-Affected Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Jeeva Premkumar
Academic Advisor: Anna Courtier, WISCIENCE
Community Partner: Let Africa Live (Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo)
The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has left millions of children without access to education, with many forced into labor, particularly in mining areas to support their families. In collaboration with Let Africa Live, this project seeks to provide educational resources to 15 war-affected young girls who are often subjected to unhealthy and even violent conditions. The project will begin with a needs assessment to identify the specific barriers these girls face, followed by the development of a customized education plan in partnership with local educators and community leaders. While the project aims to directly impact a small number of students, it has the potential to create significant, long-term change in their lives, offering them a path out of poverty, trauma and displacement. By empowering these young girls, the initiative will contribute to greater stability and empowerment within the community, ultimately reshaping their futures and offering them the opportunity to thrive.
9. AfriLumina
Ndinda Kasyoka
Academic Advisor: Jesse Hampton, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Community Partner: AfriLumina (Nairobi, Kenya)
AfriLumina is an educational initiative addressing critical challenges faced by African youth, including high unemployment rates, a growing digital skills gap and limited access to career guidance and mentorship. This pilot project responds to a community-identified need to bridge the gap between education and workforce readiness, equipping secondary school students with the tools required for personal and professional success. The nine-week mentorship and skills development program focuses on four core areas: technical skills, soft skills, career development and entrepreneurial training. Weekly sessions, led by the AfriLumina team and expert speakers from diverse industries, provide participants with practical insights into career pathways and real-world applications of their learning. The program concludes with a mini career fair, fostering connections between students, university peers, professionals and industry representatives, thereby creating valuable networks for future opportunities. AfriLumina’s approach is grounded in evidence-based research on mentorship and skill development, which underscores the transformative potential of targeted guidance and upskilling programs. By integrating these principles with community-driven priorities, the initiative aims to address systemic challenges while aligning with local needs and aspirations. The primary objectives of this pilot is to equip participants with critical skills, build their confidence and establish pathways for ongoing development. Additionally, the project seeks to generate insights for refining the program and scaling it to other schools and regions. Ultimately, AfriLumina aspires to empower African youth to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy while fostering sustainable socio-economic growth within their communities.
10. Empowering Futures: Building Foundational Skills in Rural Nepal
Nischal Bista
Academic Advisor: Mayra I. Oyola Merced, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Community Partner: Educate Nepal Initiative (Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal)
Empowering Futures: Building Foundational Skills is a transformative educational initiative designed to break the barriers of traditional learning in Nepal’s rural regions. The project seeks to equip students in grades 8 to 10 with the essential skills of critical thinking, computational literacy,= and problem-solving through hands-on, interactive learning experiences. By partnering with the Educate Nepal Initiative (EduN), this project aims to spark creativity and innovation in students who have historically had limited access to advanced educational resources. Through coding games, AI projects and real-world challenges, the initiative ignites curiosity and prepares students for the complexities of the modern world. A unique mentorship program pairs top urban students and local teachers with rural students, creating a dynamic peer-to-peer learning environment that fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange. Teacher workshops, community-driven learning and localized content ensure that the project can evolve and scale sustainably. Additionally, the project offers scholarships and career development opportunities for high-achieving students, providing them with pathways to further education and vocational training. This initiative is not just about teaching; it’s about reshaping the future of education in rural Nepal—empowering the next generation of leaders, innovators and changemakers.