Lake View Elementary Principal Named State Environmental Education Administrator of the Year

MADISON, Wis.—Principal Nkaujnou Vang-Vue of the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) Lake View Elementary School has been named the 2026 Administrator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education (WAEE) in recognition of her leadership in advancing environmental education at the school.

Over the past eight years, Principal Vang-Vue has helped shape Lake View Elementary into a school where outdoor experiences and sustainability are part of daily instruction.

“Outdoor learning is an equity strategy that connects to students’ funds of knowledge and helps build their sense of self as learners,” Vang-Vue said. “I am proud of the work happening at Lake View and grateful to our educators, students and partners who help bring these experiences to life every day.”

Under Vang-Vue’s leadership, Lake View’s five-acre campus has been developed into a variety of outdoor learning spaces — including a literacy-focused StoryWalk and a nature course that promotes movement and exploration — and designed to support hands-on instruction and reflect the diversity of the school community. The school has also hosted environmental education summits and shared its work with educators from across the state.

“Principal Vang-Vue has created a learning environment where students can engage with the natural world while building critical thinking and problem-solving skills,” said Dr. Carlettra Stanford, assistant superintendent of schools and learning. “Her leadership reflects the kind of innovative thinking that helps students connect classroom learning with real-world experiences.”

Vang-Vue will be recognized during the WAEE’s 2026 Celebration of Excellence in Environmental Education on April 11 at Escuela Verde in Milwaukee.

To learn more about outdoor education at Lake View Elementary, please visit the school’s website.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

Dupaco warns consumers about new wave of IRS impersonation scams this tax season

DUBUQUE, Iowa—As consumers prepare for the 2026 tax season, Dupaco Credit Union urges its members to stay alert to the evolving IRS impersonation scams—especially those topping the IRS’ 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list of scams. The IRS reports that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal personal information, refunds and financial account access from unsuspecting taxpayers. 

“Tax‑related scams spike every year, but this season we’re seeing fraudsters use technology that makes their impersonations startlingly believable,” said Jill Gogel, Vice President, Fraud Services at Dupaco. “If someone reaches out claiming to be from the IRS—especially with urgency or threats—stop immediately. A pause and a quick verification could prevent significant financial harm.” 

Two scams included on this year’s IRS Dirty Dozen list that Dupaco is seeing more frequently involve increasingly advanced uses of technology.  

First, there’s phishing and smishing—scam emails, direct messages and text messages pretending to be from the IRS. These remain one of the most common schemes this tax season. This type of message often uses language or links to fraudulent websites that are designed to capture sensitive information. 

Then, there’s the fast-growing trend of AI-enabled phone impersonation scams. Scammers are now using technology to clone a voice to make a caller sound like someone you might know or trust—this is also known as deepfake AI. Then, they combine it with a spoofed caller ID and automated robocalls to create an urgent scenario.  

“It’s important to remember the IRS will not initiate contact by email, text message or social media for any personal information,” Gogel adds. 

She also reminds members that scammers often rely on urgency and emotional pressure, using phrases like ‘verify your account,’ ‘claim your refund,’ or ‘your account is locked.’  

“The IRS will never demand immediate payment or request payment through gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or other payment apps like Venmo or Zelle,” says Gogel. 

Gogel offers these tips to protect yourself during tax season: 

• Ignore unsolicited messages claiming to be from the IRS via email, text or social media. 
• Verify suspicious phone calls by contacting the IRS directly at its published phone numbers listed on IRS.gov. 
• Enable two-factor authentication on all financial accounts like Dupaco’s Shine Online and Mobile Banking. 
• Monitor your credit report for signs of identity theft. Dupaco members can use Bright Track, the credit union’s no-cost credit monitoring tool.  
• Set up eNotifiers to receive real-time alerts about account activity. 
• Contact Dupaco before taking action if you’re unsure whether a message or request is legitimate. 
• Slow down and trust your gut. If something seems off, it usually is. 

For more fraud prevention resources visit dupaco.com/protection.

About Dupaco Community Credit Union 

Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 180,000 with assets exceeding $3.6 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations.  Learn more at www.dupaco.com.

Unlocking New Opportunities: Madison Reading Project expanding literacy services to Sauk County children

Madison, WI – Madison Reading Project is thrilled to announce it is expanding its service area to include Sauk County, starting with its early literacy services for young children. We believe every child deserves the chance to fall in love with reading. 

Since our pilot program began in 2014 at the Salvation Army Neighborhood Center, we have fostered curiosity, listening, trust, and collaboration to enhance access to resources. We’ve significantly expanded our services, reaching children from birth to 18 through our work, and launched various literacy programs to bring books and engaging events directly to communities. The impact of 12 years has been significant to the county, in the volume and quality of resources, the longevity of programs and relationships, and the willingness to be innovative to enhance book accessibility and book joy for all children, families, and educators. 

We will start with the youngest readers and introduce Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for Sauk County families later this week, providing invaluable resources to support young readers. Thanks to the generous support of the Roots & Wings Foundation, our expansion will focus on early literacy services that build the foundational skills kids need before kindergarten.

Our small but mighty team is devoted to staying curious, being in the community, and making an impactful difference. This expansion marks an exciting new chapter, and we invite you to stay tuned as we share plans and ways you can get involved. Together, we can ensure that all children, families, and educators across our region have access to quality literacy materials and books to read, dream, and succeed.Beginning March 19, parents and caregivers can easily enroll their child(ren), birth to age 5,  in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to receive, at no charge, a carefully selected free book by mail every month that corresponds with the child’s age. Enrollment is at www.MadisonReadingProject.com/imaginationlibrary 

“We’ve been administering Imagination Library in Dane County since 2021, and thanks to the generous support of Roots & Wings Foundation, we’re now able to widen our reach,” says Rowan Childs, Madison Reading Project Co-Executive Director/Founder. “More than 13,500 children in Dane County receive this amazing gift in the mail every month and jumpstart literacy in their home. When families sign up their newborn, by the time their child turns five, the family will have received 60 books through the mail, helping build their home library, which not only enhances literacy skills, but also provides important opportunities for parent-child bonding.”

“About 3,500 children throughout Sauk County could be enrolled,” adds Deirdre Steinmetz, Co-Executive Director. “We are elated to grow this program to serve rural communities and bring the excitement of early literacy resources to more kids.” 

Each child is welcomed to the Imagination Library with The Little Engine that Could, and at age five, “graduates” with Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come. Books mailed in between those are based on their birth year, starting with board books and moving through more complex learning stages.

“We’re eager to make an impact in learning in Sauk County by putting more books into the hands of young children,” adds Sarah Burke, Madison Reading Project’s Early Literacy Coordinator. “More books in homes means more family bonding time and more opportunities to experience the joy of reading together.”

“We are overjoyed to be joining the Sauk County community and look forward to learning and growing alongside local children, families, and educators to inspire the next generation of lifelong readers,” Childs adds.

Questions about the Dolly Parton Imagination Program? Email: imaginationlibrary@madisonreadingproject.com

Facts to know:

• Children can be enrolled on the day they are born
• Children can be enrolled at one location- if that household is the address of a grandparent, friend, or relative, their name needs to be used as the parent to ensure delivery.
• Every child under 5 in a household can be enrolled. Duplicate titles may occur
• Madison Reading Project has funding from Roots & Wings Foundation to continue this program for five years.
• Dolly Parton Imagination Library works with local nonprofits to provide books to children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland. Over 300 million books have been gifted since the program’s inception in 1995.

Maydm is searching for its next CEO

Maydm Executive Director, Dr. Christina Outlay has announced her plan to leave the organization after 4 years, and the local non-profit is seeking a mission-driven leader with experience in fundraising, community engagement and nonprofit leadership.

Maydm provides girls and youth of color in grades 6-12 with the skills, experiences, and connections to pursue careers in and change the face of STEM. Since 2015, they have grown their educational programs, along with a paid high school STEM internship program that is now in its fifth year. Through year-round educational and experiential programs, Maydm serves as a hub connecting students, schools, businesses, and community organizations to create pathways into STEM learning and careers. Within this supportive ecosystem, students build skills, confidence, mentorship, and professional networks that expand opportunity, close equity gaps, and help develop a diverse, inclusive workforce for the future.

Maydm is entering an exciting new chapter of growth and impact. As the organization looks to the future, the Chief Executive Officer will have the opportunity to build on a strong foundation of programs, partnerships, and community trust to expand pathways for youth in STEM.

You can learn more about the opportunity at: https://www.maydm.org/job-openings/maydm-chief-executive-officer.

Applications are being accepted through April 3.

The Diamond Center seeking individuals to grow with Sales Team

The Diamond Center is searching for the right individual to join our team!  We are currently accepting applications for the position of Diamond Consultant with our Sales Team at our Madison, WI location.  

If you have amazing communication skills and enjoy working with people, you may be just who we are looking for. The ideal individual is someone who is punctual, detail oriented, and eager to learn about our products, our company, and our people. Our team is looking for someone with ambition and the determination to succeed. Someone who is passionate about building loyalty with each customer, who will provide excellent customer service, and is able to make educated decisions in a fast-paced environment.  Join us!

For more information, visit https://www.thediamondcenter.com/about-us/careers

Email your application and/or resume to:  jobs@thediamondcenter.com