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South Madison Partnership celebrates 10 years of connecting university, community

Rainey-Moore, Pearson, Lee and González stand in a line and smile for the cell phone camera being held up and in front of the group by Rainey-Moore.
The past, present and future of the UW South Madison Partnership (UWSMP) came together to celebrate the last decade of collaboration and growth. From left to right, Corinda Rainey-Moore, community engagement manger with Unity Point Health-Meriter; Maia Pearson, vice president of the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education; Ed Lee, senior vice president of the Urban League of Greater Madison; and Brenda González, UW–Madison director of community relations, pose for a group selfie at the UWSMP offices at The Village on Park in Madison, Wis. Photo: Jeff Miller / UW–Madison

On Saturday, July 26, the UW South Madison Partnership (UWSMP) celebrated 10 years of community-university collaboration. UWSMP, located in the Village on Park in South Madison and managed by the university’s Office of Community Relations, is a free and accessible space where residents, community organizations, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison meet to plan, learn and build together.

Speakers at the reception told the story of past and present UW–Madison and community leaders who laid the groundwork for today’s successful partnership.

“Leaders, neighbors, and partners… insisted that the university should show up differently in South Madison, with humility, reciprocity and long-term commitment,” said Tanika Apaloo, assistant director of UWSMP. “Because of that foundation, UWSMP has become a trusted, safe gathering place where youth, families, elders, and grassroots leaders all feel they belong.”

Past community relations director Dr. Dawn B. Crim, now UW-Green Bay vice chancellor for advancement, community engagement, and inclusivity and president of the UW-Green Bay Foundation, detailed the history of UW–Madison’s engagement with South Madison, including early partnerships that predate the current office by more than a decade.

The anniversary celebration was held concurrently with the Urban League of Greater Madison’s 11th annual Unity Picnic, in which a variety of UW–Madison units—including UWSMP, UW Athletics, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and others—participated alongside South Madison community organizations and businesses.