Eighth Annual Grandparents University
Bonding the young & old
Bonding the young & old
“This is our eighth year and we have grown every year by about 100 people, or more,” Schutt said. “We’re really excited by the demand and popularity of
GPU.”
In Chuck Henrickson’s popular Veterinary Medicine major, students spent their two days giving a dog and horse a physical, sticking their hand through the
side of a cow, and learning the anatomy of a variety of animals.
During anatomy, students diligently walked around a room full of animal skeletons. Armed with a notebook, they jotted down their best guesses for what
each skeleton was in actual live animal form. Henrickson, a UW-Madison lecturer in Veterinary Medicine, then led the group around to discover just how right or
wrong those guesses were.
Myron Bacon and his granddaughter, Kaylynn, were part of that group. This was their first time at GPU.
Kaylynn, 12, hopes to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Since she was very little, she explained, she has been “playing veterinarian” by bandaging up
her dogs with ace bandages. She also has her own horse, Stryx, who is housed at her grandparent’s farm in Brooklyn.
Grandpa wanted to show his granddaughter that veterinary medicine is about much more than bandaging up the family dogs and riding her horse.
“I hope it makes her realize she has to work really hard in school,” Bacon said as he nodded thoughtfully at his granddaughter.
Both agreed that GPU was a worthwhile experience.
“It has been a very positive experience and a very friendly experience,” Bacon said.
“I had a lot of fun learning about the anatomy,” Kaylynn added.
Veterinary Medicine is one of the program’s most popular major, followed closely behind by Food Science. The major’s popularity may have something to
do with the fact that participants get to make their own ice cream and then eat it, of course. According to the course description: “If you don’t think of Babcock
ice cream as a feat of modern science, you will after experiencing this major!” Participants in this major get to invent a brand-new flavor of ice cream, make
mozzarella cheese for a pizza they will eat, test for antioxidants in various foods, and discover how microbes affect their food.
Other majors-taught by UW-Madison faculty and various experts- similarly focused on science discovery or artistic expression. Whether they were studying Rocket
Science or Textile Design, participants were getting a feel for the campus environment or, in some of the grandparent’s case, reminiscing about those college
days gone by (50 percent of the grandparent participants are UW-Madison alumni.)
What Schutt has found from participant feedback, however, is that while the learning and campus exploration aspects are fascinating, it is really the
togetherness that counts.
“Consistently, the number one thing that participants like best is spending more time together,” Schutt said. “It is a look at grandma and grandpa outside of
Thanksgiving and other holidays. It is truly a place to form a connection.”
After five years of attending GPU with their grandchildren, UW-Madison alum Rex Jones and his Marthe agree with this sentiment.
“Not only do grandchildren get the educational experience and the exposure to UW-Madison and the campus and this notion of higher education, but it’s just
you and the grandchild hanging out and relating to each other and creating your own special memories,” Jones said.
Participants are encouraged to get the whole campus experience by staying in Ogg Hall. They meet current UW-Madison students and end their program
by earning a “diploma” at a mock graduation day ceremony.
For more information about the program visit www.uwalumni.com/grandparents or contact Sarah Schutt at (608) 262-5699 or SarahSchutt@uwalumni.com.
Next summer, GPU will make five scholarships available for disadvantaged families that would like to take part in this unique experience.
GPU.”
In Chuck Henrickson’s popular Veterinary Medicine major, students spent their two days giving a dog and horse a physical, sticking their hand through the
side of a cow, and learning the anatomy of a variety of animals.
During anatomy, students diligently walked around a room full of animal skeletons. Armed with a notebook, they jotted down their best guesses for what
each skeleton was in actual live animal form. Henrickson, a UW-Madison lecturer in Veterinary Medicine, then led the group around to discover just how right or
wrong those guesses were.
Myron Bacon and his granddaughter, Kaylynn, were part of that group. This was their first time at GPU.
Kaylynn, 12, hopes to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Since she was very little, she explained, she has been “playing veterinarian” by bandaging up
her dogs with ace bandages. She also has her own horse, Stryx, who is housed at her grandparent’s farm in Brooklyn.
Grandpa wanted to show his granddaughter that veterinary medicine is about much more than bandaging up the family dogs and riding her horse.
“I hope it makes her realize she has to work really hard in school,” Bacon said as he nodded thoughtfully at his granddaughter.
Both agreed that GPU was a worthwhile experience.
“It has been a very positive experience and a very friendly experience,” Bacon said.
“I had a lot of fun learning about the anatomy,” Kaylynn added.
Veterinary Medicine is one of the program’s most popular major, followed closely behind by Food Science. The major’s popularity may have something to
do with the fact that participants get to make their own ice cream and then eat it, of course. According to the course description: “If you don’t think of Babcock
ice cream as a feat of modern science, you will after experiencing this major!” Participants in this major get to invent a brand-new flavor of ice cream, make
mozzarella cheese for a pizza they will eat, test for antioxidants in various foods, and discover how microbes affect their food.
Other majors-taught by UW-Madison faculty and various experts- similarly focused on science discovery or artistic expression. Whether they were studying Rocket
Science or Textile Design, participants were getting a feel for the campus environment or, in some of the grandparent’s case, reminiscing about those college
days gone by (50 percent of the grandparent participants are UW-Madison alumni.)
What Schutt has found from participant feedback, however, is that while the learning and campus exploration aspects are fascinating, it is really the
togetherness that counts.
“Consistently, the number one thing that participants like best is spending more time together,” Schutt said. “It is a look at grandma and grandpa outside of
Thanksgiving and other holidays. It is truly a place to form a connection.”
After five years of attending GPU with their grandchildren, UW-Madison alum Rex Jones and his Marthe agree with this sentiment.
“Not only do grandchildren get the educational experience and the exposure to UW-Madison and the campus and this notion of higher education, but it’s just
you and the grandchild hanging out and relating to each other and creating your own special memories,” Jones said.
Participants are encouraged to get the whole campus experience by staying in Ogg Hall. They meet current UW-Madison students and end their program
by earning a “diploma” at a mock graduation day ceremony.
For more information about the program visit www.uwalumni.com/grandparents or contact Sarah Schutt at (608) 262-5699 or SarahSchutt@uwalumni.com.
Next summer, GPU will make five scholarships available for disadvantaged families that would like to take part in this unique experience.
“The grandparent-grandchild bond is a separate and unique human relationship, second only in
emotional importance to the parent-child bond.” — From the Foundation For Grandparenting
by Laura Salinger
In recognition of the importance of the grandparent-grandchild relationship, the salience of
life-long learning opportunities, and in an effort to introduce youngsters to the climate of higher
learning, UW-Madison recently hosted its eighth annual Grandparents University (GPU). Over 900
participants (up from 150 participants in the program’s first year) took part in the program that
cultivates grandparent-grandchild bonding while providing an authentic campus experience.
“The main purpose is to give grandparents and grandkids the opportunity to connect with
each other in a meaningful way,” Wisconsin Alumni Lifelong Learning director and event co-
organizer Susan Schutt said. “It is exposing kids to higher education and promoting life-long
learning.”
GPU, co-hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Association and UW-Extension Family Living
Programs, hosted three, two-day sessions this July. Grandparents and their charges were able to
choose from18 different majors; including Theatre and Drama, Biotechnology, Wildlife Ecology,
Art, Botany, and Food Science. This is up from just four majors offered in the program’s first year.
The reason for increased course offerings at GPU is plain and simple: the program is gaining in
popularity each year.
emotional importance to the parent-child bond.” — From the Foundation For Grandparenting
by Laura Salinger
In recognition of the importance of the grandparent-grandchild relationship, the salience of
life-long learning opportunities, and in an effort to introduce youngsters to the climate of higher
learning, UW-Madison recently hosted its eighth annual Grandparents University (GPU). Over 900
participants (up from 150 participants in the program’s first year) took part in the program that
cultivates grandparent-grandchild bonding while providing an authentic campus experience.
“The main purpose is to give grandparents and grandkids the opportunity to connect with
each other in a meaningful way,” Wisconsin Alumni Lifelong Learning director and event co-
organizer Susan Schutt said. “It is exposing kids to higher education and promoting life-long
learning.”
GPU, co-hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Association and UW-Extension Family Living
Programs, hosted three, two-day sessions this July. Grandparents and their charges were able to
choose from18 different majors; including Theatre and Drama, Biotechnology, Wildlife Ecology,
Art, Botany, and Food Science. This is up from just four majors offered in the program’s first year.
The reason for increased course offerings at GPU is plain and simple: the program is gaining in
popularity each year.
In Chuck Henrickson's popular Veterinary Medicine major,
students learn the anatomy of a variety of animals
students learn the anatomy of a variety of animals