Collage of Odyssey project students

Odyssey Project

54,745 Dollars

113 Gifts

Matches and Challenges

Available matches and challenges have been met. Please continue to show your support to help this campaign make an even greater impact!

Odyssey Project Match

$25,000
Matched

Thanks to Mary and Rich Lynch, Lau and Bea Christensen, and other anonymous donors, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar – up to $25,000 during Day of the Badger.

This match has ended.

The award-winning Odyssey Project expands the UW-Madison experience by offering free humanities courses to low-income and other traditionally underserved communities, breaking the cycle of generational poverty through access to education. Odyssey also removes barriers to learning by providing meals, childcare, and transportation – helping students focus on their education and achieve their dreams.

But we need your help more than ever. There is a growing demand for our program, with many more applicants each year than we can serve, and we’re facing a $50,000 shortfall this year for critical academic programming, including tuition, instructors, and textbooks for all six parts of our program.

The Power of Education, The Heart of a Badger

For many Odyssey students, becoming a Badger is more than just a dream; it’s a life-changing milestone. They wear their UW-Madison gear with pride, knowing that their hard work and resilience have brought them here. From holding their first WisCard to participating in campus activities, Odyssey students proudly take their place in the Badger family.

Each Odyssey student’s story is unique—from students in our core class who have faced homelessness, single parenthood, or addiction, to participants across our additional five programs: Odyssey Junior for kids from birth through age 18, Odyssey Senior for older adults, Onward Odyssey for program alumni, Odyssey Beyond Wars for military veterans, and Odyssey Beyond Bars for incarcerated individuals at prisons throughout the state – but all Odyssey students believe in the power of education to open doors and transform their lives.

Odyssey Changes Lives

The impact of the education Odyssey provides is clear. Our students:

  • Find confidence as they explore literature, art, and philosophy, often for the first time.
  • Go on to earn degrees, become community leaders, and break cycles of generational poverty.
  • Become role models for their children, sparking dreams of college and beyond.

Your critical support helps us provide the tools and resources our students need to succeed. With the help of Badger Nation, we can empower every last Odyssey student to achieve their educational dreams, transform their futures, and triumphantly declare that they’re #ProudToBeABadger!

Gifts will be contributed to the Odyssey Project Fund – 112543729 at the University of Wisconsin Foundation.

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