UW-Platteville 1 of 4 UW schools chosen to host 2027 Wisconsin Civics Games

UW-Platteville has been selected as one of four Universities of Wisconsin campuses to host the 2027 Wisconsin Civics Games regional playoff competition next spring.

Seven UW campuses expressed interest in hosting the playoffs. Organizers announced Tuesday they had chosen UW-Platteville, UW-Oshkosh, UW-River Falls and UW-Milwaukee as host schools. 

The competition is expected to draw 60 to 100 high school students to each university in April, setting up a key recruiting opportunity. Preliminary plans allow for welcome presentations from chancellors and faculty, campus tours and admission presentations. Each member of the championship team receives a $2,000 scholarship toward the UW school of their choice.

The competition's preliminary rounds have been held virtually since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's championship was held in person at the state Capitol in Madison. The finals will again be held at the Capitol in April 2027, but organizers said the four schools' facilities and locations will enable them to hold the preliminary rounds in person as well.

"We're thrilled to have your university as a campus host for playoffs!" Ashley Nowak, the interim director of the Universities of Wisconsin's Office of Civic Engagement, wrote in an email to UW-Platteville Executive Director of Student Affairs and Chief of Staff Kari Hill. "This combination provides strong statewide geographic coverage, helps minimize travel for participating schools, and creates meaningful opportunities for students to experience UW campuses through tours, admissions programming, interactions with university students, and civic engagement activities."

The games, presented by the Universities of Wisconsin in partnership with the Wisconsin NewsMedia Association and other organizations, are a statewide academic competition designed to strengthen high school students' civic literacy through head-to-head competition covering topics such as the role of government, the U.S. Constitution, history, elections, public policy and current events. The program helps students build critical thinking, communication, collaboration and leadership skills.