We are very excited to share the awardees for this year’s Ideas to Action Fund!
The WiLS Board and staff had very hard decisions to make, sifting through intriguing and important ideas proposed by 29 public, academic, and K12 libraries as well as cultural and tribal organizations. We are honored that members continue to share their ambitious projects with us year after year and that we can keep investing in their innovative and collaborative work.
And the nine 2026 Ideas to Action Fund awardees are….
Delavan Public Library (Aram), DPL Learning Link
The DPL Learning Link will synchronize local school district school IDs with the library’s integrated library system (ILS) to break down barriers in providing students with access to the Delavan library collection and the Prairie Lakes Library System SHARE catalog.
Hamilton/SOTA I Elementary Schools (La Crosse), Threads of Stories: Hmong Culture Comes Alive
Threads of Stories will be a comprehensive Hmong cultural immersion featuring visiting artists, stories, language learning, traditional performances, and community engagement across three La Crosse schools, culminating in a unified celebration with family participation at the Hmong Culture Center.
Kaukauna Public Library, Juneteenth Celebration
The Juneteenth Celebration event will honor the emancipation of enslaved African Americans through cultural programming, educational activities, community engagement, and performances that promote history, unity, and inclusion.
Milwaukee Intertribal Circle, Teaching Quill Wrapping in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Intertribal Circle will host an intensive course to teach and preserve the ancient art of quill-wrapping.
Pioneer Village Museum (Barron County Historical Society), Rural Learning Exchange
The Rural Learning Exchange will develop and pilot a collaborative regional network that enables libraries, museums, schools, and community organizations to share programming resources, educational materials, and local opportunities, creating a replicable model for rural communities across Wisconsin.
Rosemary Garfoot Public Library (Cross Plains), Growing Community
Growing Community will transform an underutilized area in front of the library into a community garden to use for library programming, community building, and the development and fostering of community partnerships.
Spring Green Community Library, River Valley Happenings: A Spring Green Area Events Calendar
The River Valley Happenings project will help better promote events in the Spring Green area by working toward the creation of a flexible and appealing community calendar.
Winding Rivers Library System, From Panels to Public Knowledge: Education Wisconsin Through Library Solar Monitoring Stations
From Panels to Public Knowledge will install and model replicable, public-facing solar monitoring stations in libraries participating in the Winding Rivers Library System Solar Cohort to create a scalable framework to increase community energy literacy and the visibility of renewable energy across Wisconsin.
Wisconsin School for the Deaf (Delavan), Hands-On STEM Access: Expanding Learning for Deaf Students
The Hands-On STEM Access project develops a scalable, hands-on STEM learning model for Deaf students using Sphero-littleBits kits, with resources that can be adapted by libraries across Wisconsin.
We are so excited to see this work come to life! Look for further details about each of these projects in WiLS communications throughout the coming year as awardees share updates and outcomes with our community. You, too, could be awarded up to $5000 for your next project through the WiLS Ideas to Action Fund – just look for the next application period to open in April 2027!
