Wisconsin Welcome 2026

Wisconsin Welcome is a multi-week (Aug. 29–Sept. 20), new-student event to celebrate your arrival on campus. Discover Madison, meet fellow Badgers, and find your campus community at nearly 400 connection-building events.

The events below are all Morgridge Center for Public Service sponsored events in collaboration with UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Welcome.

To kick off the school year, our Civic Engagement Intern, Sam Arnold, conducted a Capitol Building Tour, one of the many campus tours taking place at the beginning of the semester, to introduce new students to the rich history and culture existing right in their backyard. These tours educated students on the important operations of the Madison Capitol and allowed them to gain a better understanding of the political system, with the hopes of increasing civic engagement on campus for upcoming elections.

State Capitol Tour
Saturday, Sept. 5 from 10:30am-noon

Get an inside look at the historic capitol, its architecture, and its role in state. The tour is designed to deepen understanding of civic processes and provide a memorable learning opportunity for students. We will meet up at the Red Gym and then proceed to the capitol.

Public Service Fair
Monday, Sept. 14 from 3:30-6pm

Meet with local nonprofits, campus orgs, and community partners to learn about volunteering, internships, and ways to make change. No need to dress to impress. We encourage you to treat this fair casually and drop by to explore and ask questions.

Community Walking tour with Preet Talwar

Capitol to Willy Street Tour
Friday, Sept. 18 from 2-4pm

Discover some of Madison’s most iconic neighborhoods while meeting other students! We’ll start at the State Capitol, check out the Madison’s Children Museum, hop on a short bus ride to walk around the well-known city, and finish the tour with a sweet treat! Come explore your city with us!

Kickstart Your Campus Involvement with Service!

Badger Volunteers (BV) Elevate is a semester-long program that pairs teams of students with community organizations to volunteer 1 to 4 hours each week at the same organization. The program is designed to foster meaningful and consistent connections between community partners and students over the course of an entire semester.

Badger Volunteers Elevate provides logistical support, transportation, training and educational workshops for student volunteers in the program. Volunteer opportunities are loosely organized within five thematic areas: Urban Farming & Community Gardening, Food & Resource Security, Community Education & Afterschool Programming, Isolation Intervention & Companionship, Awareness Raising & Affinity Spaces.

Registration is Now Open

Badger Volunteers at Madison Children's Museum