We stole Mary Beth Collins, executive director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at UW-Madison, to talk about civic health in Wisconsin, a day ahead of her statewide webinar on the topic.

Collins, a La Crosse native, will lead a public discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday, hosted by the League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area.

More info and registration

Collins defines civic health as “individual and collective engagement for communities to define and address public problems, work toward conditions that allow all communities and Wisconsinites to truly thrive, and promote a democracy in which all can participate.”

We discussed examples of community engagement, from shoveling a neighbor’s driveway to getting involved in a local Rotary club or, in the political realm, calling your state representative or running for office.

We also talked about some concerning trends affecting civic health, such as the decline in local media, rising polarization, and growing distrust in institutions.