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UniverCity Year selected as finalist for Economic Development Award
News Brief

MADISON — The UniverCity Year program has been selected as a finalist for the Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s Economic Development Initiative award. The award is part of the Community and Economic Development Awards program established by WEDA to recognize businesses, projects and organizations that are making significant contributions to Wisconsin’s economy. 

This Economic Development Initiative award honors innovative community and economic development efforts that successfully promote growth and prosperity in Wisconsin communities. 

A three-year partnership between the Green County Development Corporation and University of Wisconsin-Madison, the UniverCity Year program connected the Green County community with UW-Madison faculty and students to help address the needs of the region and enhance the educational experience of the students. The partnership allowed Green County to identify community challenges and match them with UW-Madison courses where faculty and students developed potential solutions. During the 2018-19 school year, more than 250 students from 24 different classes completed 50 projects that included research, reports, designs and proposals to help meet Green County’s community and economic development needs, housing challenges and public health and safety concerns. 

The UniverCity Year program is among 17 finalists selected for the 2019 CEDA Awards. There are two to three finalists in the following six award categories: Business Retention & Expansion; Economic Development Initiative; Economic Driver; Private-Public Partnership; Real Estate Redevelopment and Reuse; and Talent Development. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Counties Association and WEDC have partnered with WEDA to present the CEDA Awards program. 

Finalists have been screened by an impartial panel of WEDA members and partners, and winners will be unveiled at a ceremony on Sept. 11 at The Edgewater Hotel in Madison. The event is open to the public. For more information on the CEDA Awards, visit weda.org/events/awards/.