The African Studies Program offers a range of outreach services for educators and others, including a large selection of slides, videos, sound clips, maps, artifacts, and books for teaching at all levels; curriculum specialists to consult with schools; and regular conferences and workshops. Of special note on the program’s Web site are two features: Africa Focus, which contains digital forms of the program’s 3,500 images along with dozens of sound clips; and Passeport à l’Afrique Francophone, a unique resource for French teachers, with video clips and curriculum units.

This 1,280-acre nature preserve is a research and teaching facility located south of the campus. It includes world-renowned collections of restored, native Wisconsin plant and animal communities, as well as an extensive collection of woody plants. The arboretum boasts more than 25 miles of woodland and prairie hiking trails. Public tours are available on weekends; school groups can schedule appointments during the week. Self-guiding brochures are available for families about Curtis Prairie, Gallistel Woods and Indian Mounds. Birding backpacks can be checked out for free at the arboretum bookstore. On the second Saturday of every month, the arboretum offers Earth Partnership for Families, a two-hour, kid-friendly program that uses nature hikes, stories, crafts, and activities to explore animals, plants, and natural phenomena. On the second Sunday of every month, the arboretum offers one-hour family walks with topics that are especially appealing to youngsters.

Lovers of butterflies and dragonflies will enjoy a Web site created by the UW–Madison Botany Department, which has collected photographs of butterflies and dragonflies found in Wisconsin.

The mission of the Center for Biology Education (CBE) is to mobilize and enhance the resources of the University of Wisconsin–Madison to promote excellence in biology education. Throughout its history, the Center for Biology Education has developed and coordinated a spectrum of activities/programs in biology education at the K–12 and undergraduate levels. Members of the CBE staff have backgrounds and training in a variety of biology subdisciplines as well as in the field of education. CBE also involves members of UW–Madison's biological sciences community (located in more than 68 departments and programs and distributed among seven schools and colleges) in program development and implementation.

The CIMC in the UW–Madison School of Education has abundant information for teachers and those interested in education. It has collections and services to meet the needs of UW faculty, students and staff, and of area practitioners in K–12 education. The collections include journals, reference works, professional reading, K–12 textbooks, juvenile literature, multimedia resources, tests and ERIC documents. Services include reference, interlibrary loan, bibliographic instruction, computing and media production support, and instructional services. Web site users also will find links to online resources selected by staff, connections to databases for locating educational materials, special services designed for distance users, and lists of workshops open to the public for those wishing to improve their instructional technology skills.

In addition to School of Education faculty and students, area teachers are invited to participate in the Information Literacy and Technology Integration workshops presented by the Center for Instructional Materials and Computing (CIMC). The workshops are designed to complement School of Education courses and programs. In addition to scheduled workshops, sessions can be designed or adapted as course-integrated instruction for specific classes, or scheduled as consultation for individuals, meetings, or groups.

A number of noncredit courses are offered at UW–Madison through the Division of Continuing Studies. Participants may receive any of several forms of recognition for taking part in continuing education courses. In addition to continuing education units (CEUs) and Department of Public Instruction clock-hours, participants may earn specific types of credit from professional organizations and other sources. A Continuing Education Catalog is available upon request.

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) is a library for those with a professional interest in children's and young adult literature. The purposes of the CCBC are to provide a collection of current, retrospective, and historical books for children and young adults; provide Wisconsin librarians, teachers, students, and others with informational and educational services based on the collection; and support teaching, learning, and research needs related to children's and young adult literature. The collection is noncirculating. CCBC's professional staff provides reference assistance, offers continuing education courses, organizes monthly book discussions, and maintains an electronic forum to discuss books for children and young adults. The CCBC's Intellectual Freedom Service (608-263-3720) offers immediate information assistance to any Wisconsin school or library facing a challenge to materials in a classroom or library. The CCBC is housed in the School of Education.

The Educational and Psychological Training Center (EPTC) is a student training facility in the School of Education. The primary mission of EPTC is to train students to work with people experiencing learning, behavioral, psychosocial or vocational difficulties. EPTC promotes the research of new and better clinical practices and serves individuals, couples, families, schools, and other community organizations. EPTC’s programs in counseling psychology, school psychology, rehabilitation psychology, and special education are especially designed to serve K–12 communities. Among the services offered by the school psychology program, for example, are educational assessment of children ages 3–21 years, individual interventions for children and adolescents with social-emotional difficulties (e.g., anxiety and depression), and parent-education workshops for parents desiring improved child-management skills.

The Family Village is a Web site for children and adults with disabilities, and for their families, friends, and allies. Family Village brings together thousands of online resources in an organized, easy-to-use directory. The centerpiece of Family Village is the library, where visitors can find information on more than 300 diagnoses. Visitors can also learn about assistive technology, legal rights and legislation, special education, leisure activities, and much more. The Web site was developed by the Waisman Center.

These special plants are super fast – they grow from seed to plant in 35 to 40 days. This speed makes them perfect to use in the classroom as models for hands-on investigative science. The Web site guides teachers on how to use the activities in the classroom, and students can find links to share their research results and check out other activities. Fast Plants were developed at UW–Madison in the plant research program. First used by research scientists in the laboratory, they are now used in classrooms around the world. The Wisconsin Fast Plants Program is a science education/outreach program for teachers that develops instructional materials, offers workshops, promotes networking, and collaborates with other educational initiatives.

Mastodons, saber-toothed cats and sharks, oh my! Visitors to the Geology Museum will see exhibits of rocks, minerals, meteorites, a fluorescent mineral black light display, a walk-through model of a Wisconsin limestone cave, and fossils, including the skeletons of dinosaurs, a shark, a mosasaur, a mastodon, a saber-toothed cat, and the flying reptile Pteranodon. Guided group tours for all ages and backgrounds are available upon request. The Web site has information on tours and galleries of minerals and fossils; museum activities for kids, parents, and teachers; and outreach programs. The museum is open to the public throughout the year and is handicapped accessible. It is easily reached by city bus. Admission is free.

Grandparents raising grandchildren have an important responsibility because the children they are raising face unique challenges. This series of nine fact sheets is designed to help grandparents learn more about what to expect and where to turn for support. The series is tailored specifically for grandparents raising young children (birth to age 8). Topics include understanding children's behaviors, the importance of close relationships and open communication, and maintaining contact with parents. The series was developed by the University of Wisconsin–Extension.

The Insect Ambassadors are a select group of enthusiastic graduate and undergraduate students from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. These students volunteer their time to travel to local schools, clubs, and organizations to give interactive presentations about insects and related arthropods. The purpose of the program is to teach members of the audience about insects – where they live, how they survive, the role they play in ecosystems, and why they merit study. In addition to presenting live and preserved arthropods, Insect Ambassadors provide facts and fascinating stories. Acting as role models for young scientists, Insect Ambassadors aim to get children excited not only about insects in particular, but also about science in general.

International Reach is a unique program through which international students volunteer to serve as speakers and resources on contemporary global issues and international cultures in local K-12 schools, UW-Madison settings, and community organizations. International Reach allows international students the opportunity to share their diverse perspectives and lived experiences for the purposes of furthering global awareness, intercultural communication and understanding. Each presentation is tailored to the specific educational needs and age of the audience. For example, International Reach volunteers may give informed presentations, facilitate interactive projects, or lead hands-on activities. Local educators and community members are invited to visit the International Reach website to learn more and to request an international speaker. The program is coordinated by UW-Madison’s International Student Services.