What is WiscNet MiniConnections?
Bringing WiscNet Connections closer to home
We know that the people are the magic of your annual membership meeting, WiscNet Connections. But we also know that making “people magic” once a year isn’t always enough -- or rather, it’s so transformative, we want to create it more often.
WiscNet MiniConnections builds on that magic — not by recreating it wholesale, but by extending it around the state. These one-day, regional gatherings make it easier for more WiscNet members in more places to engage meaningfully within this remarkable community without long-distance travel or time away from home and work.
WiscNet MiniConnections is, at its heart, a smaller version of WiscNet Connections, but it isn’t just that -- it’s part of our ongoing effort to help you connect, support, and learn with one another, community by community.
These events (which run from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include breakfast and lunch) will offer learning sessions and roundtable discussions that cover timely and relevant topics that affect the work of many of our WiscNet members. Tickets to WiscNet MiniConnections are $50 each, and you must be employed by a WiscNet member organization to attend. Because we want to maximize your ability to bring your team, if you buy two tickets, you get a third free.
Where will these events be?
We're bringing WiscNet MiniConnections to communities across Wisconsin and hope to see you at a location near you!
July 28th, 2026- Green Bay at Green Bay Area Public School District
September 23rd, 2026- Waukesha at Carroll University
October 7th, 2026- Menomonie at Menomonie Middle School Library
November 10th, 2026- Madison at WiscNet headquarters
December 4th, 2026- Portage at CESA 5
Join Us in a Community Near You 👇
What’s on the agenda?
Each host location may have minor adjustments to the schedule to best meet the needs of its community. The agenda below provides a general overview; please check your local event page for the schedule and details specific to your area.
8:00 - 8:45 am Breakfast and Networking
8:45 - 9:00 am Mini Welcome
9:00 - 9:30 am Mini Roundtable: Start Small with Artificial Intelligence, John Pederson, WiscNet
Find one useful application in your everyday work
Artificial intelligence can feel like a very big idea. This 30-minute interactive session makes it smaller. You’ll identify one specific part of your work where artificial intelligence might help -- drafting, organizing, explaining, summarizing, or getting unstuck -- and shape it into a practical application worth exploring.
You’ll consider the task, the result you want, and where human judgment needs to stay in charge. Leave with one small idea you can test and a clearer way to spot other useful applications.
The ideas that surface here will help seed the later governance session.
9:30 - 9:45 am Break
9:45 - 10:45 am Presentation Session: TBD (Local presentation or WiscNet)
10:45 - 11:00 am Break
11:00 - 12:00 pm Interactive Session: Build Practical Artificial Intelligence Guardrails, John Pederson, WiscNet
Turn small applications into shared agreements. Responsible artificial intelligence governance does not have to begin with a perfect policy. It can begin with the real choices people make in everyday work.
In this 60-minute interactive session, you’ll examine small artificial intelligence applications -- including ideas surfaced earlier in the day -- and work with peers to turn what you learn into practical agreements. Together, you’ll decide what responsible use should encourage, where human review is required, what information needs protection, and how your agreements should evolve as experience grows.
Leave with a set of practical guardrails that your organization can continue to develop.
12:00 - 1:15 pm Lunch
1:15- 2:45 pm Roundtable: What's Working, What's Not Working, and What's Next?, Maggie Richardson, WiscNet
As technology and member needs continue to evolve, this roundtable is an opportunity for WiscNet members to discuss what’s happening in their organizations, what’s working, where they’re getting stuck, and what they’re thinking about next. The conversation is intentionally broad: bring a challenge, an idea, a question, or something others could learn from. Connect with peers, compare experiences, and help shape conversations WiscNet should continue with members.
2:45- 3:00 pm Close
Questions?
If you have any questions, concerns, or anything else related to WiscNet MiniConnections, contact Maggie Richardson at mrichardson@wiscnet.net or (608) 210-3946.