August is Civic Health Month! The Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative is organizing Wisconsin’s 2025 Civic Health Challenge, which is designed to help us become active contributors to the civic health of our communities. Each week will feature challenges around a central focus area: Social Connectedness, Political Participation, Media & Information, and Community Connectedness.
Sign up here to participate!
Week 1 Challenges: Social Connectedness
Synchronous activity:
Tuesday, August 5, 12-1pm
Kick-off and workshop on one-on-one relationship building as the foundation of community action (Rachel Peller, Wisconsin Partners)
Tuesday, August 5, 12-1pm
Kick-off and workshop on one-on-one relationship building as the foundation of community action (Rachel Peller, Wisconsin Partners)
Challenges to do on your own:
- Host a dinner. Invite a few people who may not know each other well to join you. We suggest you provide the main dish, and ask them to bring an appetizer, fruit, drink, or dessert! Even frozen pizza or boxed mac & cheese are great options, and you can meet for an outdoor picnic if hosting at home doesn’t work for you.
- You don’t have to be an extrovert to build social connection. One strategy is to write letters to people – mail is underrated, and so are thoughtful emails! Sit down and write to one person you know and one person you don’t know. Here’s a list of programs that connect you with people who would love to get a card:
- Practice vulnerability. It’s hard to ask for help, but when we ask others to help us, it’s a way of modeling that they can ask too, and it’s one of the best ways to build social connection. Find three ways to ask someone for help this week – for example, “Do you have an extra cup of sugar?” “Do you have ten minutes to listen to me talk about something hard going on in my life?” “Can you give me advice about something?”
Recommended resources:
- Women’s Fund of Milwaukee: The Women’s Fund of Milwaukee hosts Community Talk Backs assembling diverse groups of people and facilitating inter-generational conversation about relevant topics to advancing equity for women. The Women’s Fund of Milwaukee is part of our inventory of of civic health organizations in Wisconsin.
- Living Room Conversations: This organization offers resources and guidance for organizing small group conversations that foster connection and understanding.
