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Education

When David Kaukl graduated from Richland Center High School in 1998, he did not anticipate the impact his hometown education would have on his life and current career as a teacher abroad. Nor could he envision forming international friendships without leaving Richland County as a student at the University of Wisconsin-Richland, where his passion to know and see the world from an international perspective was cultivated.

“My education was undeniably enriched by studying with international students,” says Kaukl. “Suddenly language became more useful because I used the words and phrases. History became more interesting because it provided knowledge about where my friends came from, and world news caught my attention more because I could relate it to someone I knew.”

Ithaca High School graduate, now an emergency room physician, Dr. Ken Solis credits his achievements, including admission to one of the top medical schools in the country, to the academic start he got locally. “But just as importantly,” says Solis, “I still remember the names of my professors, and UW-Richland remembers me. It is the personal attention and recognition I got at UW-Richland that counts.”

Expanding Minds and Horizons

An integral part of the Richland community, the University of Wisconsin-Richland is a freshman-sophomore campus of the University of Wisconsin, one of the finest university systems in the world. Students can earn an Associate of Arts & Sciences degree, which transfers to all UW campuses. UW-Richland prides itself on providing personal attention to support all students as they succeed, excel and meet their individual academic goals.

The campus offers life long learning opportunities to families and students. UW-Richland serves southwestern Wisconsin as a cultural center and provides a wide variety of non-credit outreach courses for people of all ages, from College for Kids to professional development opportunities for business and industry. State-of-the-art classroom and conference rooms provide the technology to support learning in the 21st century.

Modern student residential facilities provide housing options to the associate degree student population. Dedicated and experienced faculty and staff create an environment that fosters learning and growth. The campus provides individual attention, small classes and academic advisors to help students build a foundation for success in academics and careers. At UW-Richland you get the personal attention of a private college at public university prices.

Richland Attracts High Achievers From Near and Far

Tanya Sivayev traveled across the globe to get her best start here. Studying at the campus provided her with the foundation and experience she used to later finish her bachelor’s degree in her native Russia at Moscow State University. After graduation, Tanya applied knowledge and skills learned through her UW-Richland internship at the Richland County Department of Health and Social Services to develop similar programs in her home country. She is now pursuing graduate studies at the Harvard School of Business. “This small campus allowed me to discover a whole new world,” said Sivayev. “My academic and career interests began to take shape during conversations with creative professors who opened up to me the world of economic and international studies…Even more importantly UW-Richland shaped me as a person.”

A Great Place to Start…

The Richland area is a rural community with a tradition of excellence in education. Six public school districts and three private K-8 institutions serve our area. Our schools operate within the context of their unique and supportive communities to provide our children with a solid foundation on which to build on a lifetime of success. Small classes and caring staff provide an environment to allow optimal learning experiences to give students a solid start. Outside of the classroom, educational opportunities for children abound. From ballet to biology, Richland area families have access to a multitude of classes offered through the City of Richland Center Park and Recreation, scouting programs, 4-H, UW-Richland summer enrichment programs and private business.

Richland Cultivates Education in “The Field”

Bringing the resources of the UW System directly to you is a primary goal of the Richland County Cooperative Extension Program. Housed on the UW-Richland campus, cooperative extension agents bring learning out into the field, providing training and support to citizens in the areas of youth, family and human development, agriculture and community and economic development. On any given night of the week in Richland County you will find young and old citizens gathering to learn from one another. On a warm summer evening you may find a group of livestock producers meeting in a local field to discuss pasture management. Meanwhile, Master Gardeners meet to perfect planting and horticulture skills. Young 4-H club members meet across the county not only to learn and practice skills and hobbies, engage in public service and sprout as young leaders as they learn to serve our community with their 4-Hs, their heads, hands, health and heart.

Throughout our area, students, faculty, teachers and community members alike benefit from opportunities to work side by side as co-creators of knowledge. Whether learning takes place on the campus, in a city council meeting, in our schools, over a cup of coffee at a local sandwich shop or over our neighbor’s fence, Richland residents relish and respect what each of us have to offer, and benefit from the knowledge gained and the rich environment it creates. Says one local community volunteer, educator and parent, “When we share expertise and wisdom with our neighbors, we grow ourselves.”