The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is training Wisconsin’s water workforce to address water challenges.
We partner with the private sector, nonprofits, government agencies, tribal nations, and community members on programs and collaborative research that
- Engage middle school and high school students and encourage them to study water and environmental sciences.
- Offer intensive hands-on coursework where college students learn lab and fieldwork techniques.
- Teach students technical and professional skills through undergraduate research and internships with on-campus and external partners.
- Create a jobs pipeline that strengthens Wisconsin’s workforce.
The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin is a statewide initiative of the 13 public Universities of Wisconsin.
Spotlight Stories
- BenthicNet: How an Aquatic Insect Project Is Revitalizing Biomonitoring in Wisconsin
Andrew Malacara raves about “Bug Camp,” the informal name for training workshops that are part of a new project funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. Malacara is one of six students from UW-Parkside, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Madison who are… - Student Q&A: BenthicNet
Students from UW-Parkside, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Madison are participating in BenthicNet. The training program includes experts from the three universities as well as the Milwaukee Public Museum. They aim to expand access to collections of insects and other invertebrates that… - Summer Research Project Helps Homeowners Access Drinking Water Information
Claire Schoenemann, a 2025 graduate of UW-Eau Claire, says knowing how to communicate scientific research to the broader community helped her land a job as an environmental scientist with Foth Infrastructure & Environment in De Pere, Wisc. Schoenemann was one… - Student Q&A: Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group
Undergraduates from UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout spent the summer collecting and analyzing data that will help show the impact of restoration efforts in the Red Cedar Basin. They were interns for the Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group, a… - Summer Interns Assess Red Cedar Basin Health; Gain Valuable Job Skills
Cayanna Erickson says interning with the 2025 Red Cedar Basin Monitoring Group will give her a step up when she enters the job market. The UW-Stout undergraduate recently declared an Environmental Science major, and the summer internship gave her experience… - High School Summer Scholars Share Research Findings
UW-Green Bay hosted its largest cohort of Freshwater Summer Scholars yet. Fifteen students from 12 high schools worked on freshwater research projects during the summer internship program funded by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin. The students were highly engaged in…
News
- Freshwater Collaborative Bulletin, November 2025November 5, 2025
- UW-Superior hosts high school students for Transportation and Logistics DayOctober 27, 2025
- Student Stories from the Field: A Summer with Freshwater@UWOctober 22, 2025
- Call for Abstracts: Research in the Rotunda Undergraduate Research SubmissionsOctober 16, 2025
Events
- Freshwater Collaborative Steering Committee Meeting, Oct. 29October 28, 2025
- Executive Director to Keynote Riveredge Nature Center Student Research Symposium, Nov. 15October 22, 2025
- Freshwater Educator Winter Workshop, Jan. 19, 2026October 14, 2025
- Great Lakes RENEW: Building the Region’s Blue Economy, Oct. 14September 16, 2025
Stay Informed
Our quarterly e-newsletter will keep you informed about how the Freshwater Collaborative is training Wisconsin’s future water workforce and building partnerships that solve freshwater challenges.
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Experts Directory
The Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin includes faculty and staff from the 13 Universities of Wisconsin, creating an extensive network of professionals working in the water industry. They can speak to about a variety of water challenges in our state.
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