Chapter 26: The Institute For Regional And International Studies National Resource Center’S Outreach

UW–Madison has a long-established history of bringinginternational area studies expertise to the broader community through a diverse set of outreach programs. The University is home to nine area studies centers—seven of which are National Resource Centers, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI grant program. Through this grant, these centers engage thousands of K–12 educators and students, businesses, government, and community members annually. This chapter examines the ways in which the centers embraced changing conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand outreach efforts throughout the state. By pivoting to online platforms, attendance widened to a larger audience and removed some barriers in accessibility for K–12 educators. It also led to further collaborative efforts in co-sponsorship expanding reach beyond Wisconsin. This chapter examines the challenges of outreach and explores new possibilities in a post-COVID-19 era.