QTI’s 2026 HR Trends Survey Now Open

For over 15 years, QTI has surveyed businesses and organizations across Wisconsin to create a unique, localized picture of Wisconsin’s evolving HR landscape. QTI’s 2026 HR Trends Survey covers topics such as talent attraction, total rewards, the future of work, AI, and more.

The QTI Group invites you to participate in the survey and lend your unique perspective and insights into key HR topics, helping your organization and others make informed decisions as you look towards 2026.

It is anticipated that the survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.  All individual participant responses will be kept confidential and participants will receive an aggregate question-by-question summary of survey results.

• Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QTIHRTRENDS2026
• Survey Deadline: August 22, 2025

QTI will share key findings and the top HR challenges for 2026 in an exclusive webinar on October 28, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. You can preregister for the event at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ci5SEf7IRaaYwygglZ9TTA.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact QTI’s Senior Marketing Director, Jill Dohnal, at jill.dohnal@qtigroup.com or 608.257.1057.

Online Enrollment for 2025–26 MMSD School Year Opens August 6

MADISON, Wis.—Online enrollment for the Madison Metropolitan School District’s (MMSD) 2025–26 school year opens Wednesday, Aug. 6. Families enrolling for the first time or updating information for returning students may complete the process through MMSD’s online enrollment platform.

The enrollment page of the MMSD site provides families with detailed information about required documentation, language support services and school assignment and transportation. Whether registering a kindergartener for the first time or updating information for a returning student, families will find the tools they need to prepare for the start of the academic year.

Families with students already enrolled in MMSD should verify or update their information by completing the online enrollment application (without having to create a new account). New-to-MMSD families will be guided through creating an account and uploading key paperwork and should also review the enrollment checklist to ensure they have the necessary verification documents ready before submitting an online application or meeting with school staff. Enrollment staff are available to assist by phone (608-663-4957), in person or through language-specific support as needed.

“Online enrollment helps us better prepare for each student’s arrival, academically, socially and logistically,” said Dr. Carlettra Stanford, MMSD assistant superintendent of schools and learning. “It also allows us to more seamlessly coordinate essential systems such as transportation, staffing and academic programming, clearing the way for a smooth transition to the school year for our families.” 

The 2025–26 school year begins Tuesday, Sept. 2 for four-year-old (4K) and five-year old kindergarten, grade 6, grade 9 and early childhood students; all other students start Wednesday. Sept. 3.

For more information, FAQs, and step-by-step enrollment instructions, families should visit www.madison.k12.wi.us/registration-enrollment.

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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.

Nominations open for In Business Madison’s Health Care Heroes awards program

In Business Madison is accepting nominations for Health Care Heroes, an awards program that will be held in conjunction with this year’s IB Health Care Summit in October.

Health Care Heroes will recognize a variety of health professionals who have provided exemplary services to patients in Wisconsin’s Capital Region. Award nominations are open through Sept. 4.

The summit, returning for its second year, will be held at the Best Western Premier Park Hotel at 22 S. Carroll St. in Madison Oct. 2 from 9 a.m.-noon. Additional event information will be released soon.

Students Get Active and Artistic Through MMSD’s Summer Arts Programming

MADISON, Wis.—This summer, the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) partnered with eight Madison-based arts organizations to incorporate expanded arts programming into its regular summer semester curriculum. Nearly 30 guest artists and 12 MMSD teachers led instruction in visual arts, dance, theater, and other disciplines across elementary and middle school sites throughout the district.

These arts classes were integrated into students’ daily schedules and offered in multiple 45-minute blocks, ensuring all learners had the opportunity to explore and engage with each artistic discipline offered at their site.

The program, an evolution of the former Summer Arts Academy, exposed students to a wide range of creative disciplines. Participating artists included Francis Medrano, founder and lead teacher of Black Power Dance, whose high-energy sessions blended Afro-Peruvian dance with personal fitness, and Sarah Rhoads, who guided students through a comprehensive theater program focused on both performance and behind-the-scenes technical skills.

The diverse arts experiences offered through the summer semester aimed to keep students physically and creatively active during the summer months, while also building bridges to Madison’s broader artistic community and fostering empathy through exposure to perspectives beyond their own.

The effort is part of MMSD’s broader commitment to equitable access to arts education for all students. By partnering with local organizations and hiring professional artists who reflect the diversity of the community, MMSD aimed to help students see themselves in the arts and introduce them to creative paths they may not have encountered during the traditional school year. Whether experimenting with fiber arts, designing stage lighting or learning new styles of movement, students were encouraged to explore their identities and expand their imaginations.

“These experiences build confidence and curiosity,” said Dan Davidson, MMSD’s director of arts education. “They help students develop new skills, but also new ways of seeing the world and themselves in it.”

“There are so many organizations out there that really contribute to our community and the artistic cultures that we have throughout the city,” Davidson added. “And this really brings that artistic experience alive within our traditional summer school setting each and every day.”

The participating teachers and guest artists emphasized the connective power of art through their classes. “It’s about telling stories and empathy and being able to relate to experiences,” said Rhoads. “I think theater can be best described as a window or a door. You’re either looking into someone’s experience or really living something that’s similar to your own. I think now more than ever, we really need to come together in bridging these experiences—especially at a young age.”

For more regarding arts-related events happening across MMSD, please visit the Arts Events and Information page of the district’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.

MMSD Summer Internship Program Gives Students Hands-On Experience in District Departments

MADISON, Wis.—Over the past several weeks, high school students in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) stepped into professional roles across the district through MMSD’s Summer Internship Program, gaining first-hand experience in departments like communications, building services, athletics, library services and career and technical education.

From June 23 through July 31, interns worked part-time in departments housed at the Doyle Administration Building and throughout the district, while participating in professional development and career planning. The program provided students with paid, supervised work placements and the opportunity to explore career pathways aligned with their interests and strengths.

“This experience is about more than building résumés, it’s about helping students see themselves as professionals,” said Annie Johnston, MMSD’s work-based learning coordinator. “Our interns practiced communication, teamwork and initiative in real work environments. And most importantly, they left the summer with a clearer idea of what they want for their future, and how to get there.”

Interns met weekly for professional development sessions covering workplace readiness, networking and career goal-setting. At the end of the program, students presented what they had learned, including how the internship shaped their aspirations and built connections between classroom learning and job skills.

The internship program reflects MMSD’s commitment to providing students with real-world learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. By embedding paid, career-connected opportunities into the school experience, the district is helping students link their interests to possible futures and take concrete steps toward their goals.

“Career-connected learning is essential to our vision for student success,” said Cindy Green, assistant superintendent of strategy and innovation. “By embedding opportunities like internships into the high school experience, we help students graduate not only with a diploma, but with a sense of purpose and a foundation for what comes next.”

In addition to the summer internship program, MMSD continues to expand experiential learning year-round through youth apprenticeships, job shadowing, and community-based opportunities. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to ensure every student is academically prepared and ready to thrive in college, career and community life.

To learn more about MMSD’s experiential learning programs, please visit the District’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.