Since 2001, Grandparents University (GPU) has connected Badgers across generations. The program hosts children ages seven to 14 and their grandparents, bringing them to campus for a fun and hands-on learning experience at UW–Madison. Students and their grandparents select majors and learn from UW experts, explore campus on field trips, live like students in the dorms, and even enjoy a special graduation celebration.
GPU brings families together through curiosity, and the program inspires a new generation of Badgers to dream big. From investigating and restoring habitats at the UW Arboretum to creating gooey experiments in the School of Pharmacy, here are five ways families had a blast at Grandparents University in 2026.
1. Outdoor Adventures
In the restoration ecology major, students explored and helped restore the UW Arboretum. GPU-goers learned about the importance of habitat restoration, spotted native plants and insects, and helped remove invasive species from the land.
2. Buggin’ Out
Students learned about the creepy, crawly critters who call campus home in the entomology major. The class played bug bingo, collected insects, and created personalized bug boxes.
3. Out of This World
At the historic Washburn Observatory, GPU-goers checked out the UW’s iconic telescope dome. This field trip group learned all about astronomy — and the stellar research that UW scientists do on campus.
4. So Many Smarties
In the pharmacy major, students put on their lab coats and learned about making medicine. The class created sweet, edible mixtures using Jell-O and Smarties and ran experiments to see how medications can save lives.
5. This Rocks!
GPU students travelled back in time on a field trip to the UW Geology Museum. The group saw reconstructed dinosaurs, glow-in-the-dark wonders, and shiny and shimmery formations, all while exploring Wisconsin’s geological history.
