UW–Madison students are gaining hands-on experience while advancing campus sustainability thanks to generous donor support. In a marketing course at the Wisconsin School of Business, students partnered with the Office of Sustainability to create digital ad campaigns promoting initiatives like Free Food Alert and the Zero Waste Compass. Supported by the University of Wisconsin Environmental Awareness Fund — established through a gift from Jim Weinert ’67, MBA’69 — the project provided students with resources to run ads, analyze results, and learn from real-world outcomes. Campaigns boosted awareness of sustainability tools and helped drive record interest in the Office of Sustainability’s internship program. For students, the experience built confidence, job-ready skills, and a deeper understanding of ethical, effective marketing.
“This assignment allowed students to see, from the beginning to the end, what they and their work alone can do out in the world,” says senior lecturer Katie Krueger.