Six students from CPP’s Community Resource Navigator Program (CRNP) presented research at the fourth annual Wisconsin Idea Conference, held March 2, 2026 at Union South. The conference highlights the Wisconsin Idea, the principle that the university’s knowledge and research should benefit people across the state.
CRNP trains undergraduate students to connect clients with community resources such as housing assistance, transportation support, legal services, and health care navigation. Since 2016, the program has served more than 800 clients across Wisconsin. For the undergraduate Resource Navigators, the conference was an opportunity to step back from their day-to-day work supporting community members and reflect on program design and impact.
Students presented two research posters. One explored a pilot partnership with Covering Wisconsin that helps connect residents with health insurance navigation services. The second evaluated how CRNP’s client database could be improved to better track client needs and resource connections.
CRNP Coordinator Ashleigh Ross shared that presenting at the conference helped students connect their experiences to the program in new ways.
“Presenting at the Wisconsin Idea Conference helped our Resource Navigators bring together the ideas and experiences they had and see how the different pieces connect to overall program improvement,” Ross said.
Students played a central role in shaping their projects, from analyzing data to designing their posters and organizing meetings as a team.
“They had so much initiative,” Ross said. “They really self-organized.”
For Resource Navigator Kyle Digman, the opportunity to present enabled him to reflect on how CRNP has given him “valuable knowledge” he will use as he continues his career in the healthcare field.
“I learned so much about what it takes to bring forward ideas to other people,” Digman said. “It takes effort, time, and passion.”
All six presenters were continuing Resource Navigators who have participated in the program for more than one semester, giving them time to deepen their understanding of both program mechanics and the communities it serves.
“I learned to critically evaluate the structure of our program and think about how systems can be designed to create the biggest positive impact.” Resource Navigator Maya Guerriero said. “This experience furthered my interest in using these methods to improve community and population health throughout my future career.”
Inspired by the experience, several of the students have already decided to present their research at additional campus events. One group has submitted a proposal to the UW-Madison Teaching and Learning Symposium, and others plan to present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium later this year.
“Presenting at future conferences will allow me to share our findings with others interested in community-based research service learning,” Resource Navigator Hannah Davidson said. “I hope that by continuing to share our work, I can inspire others to engage in similar research and make an impact on their communities.”