Building a strong and connected community

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Receives 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been awarded the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a national distinction that recognizes higher education institutions demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to community engagement. Illinois previously...

ACES marks 150 years of the Morrow Plots, our nation's oldest research field
URBANA, Ill. — A lot has changed on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus since its founding in 1867, but a storied plot of land near the south quad has been preserved nearly intact for a century and a half....

Illinois Extension supports rural communities with a business transition plans series
URBANA, Ill. — Across the United States, many small-business owners are approaching retirement without a clear plan for what comes next. Although these entrepreneurs have spent decades building companies that support local jobs and services, many are unaware of succession options beyond...

Root for your favorite native plant to help crown 2026 Rain Garden Rumble champion
URBANA, Ill. — Let the garden games begin with the return of the annual Rain Garden Rumble, where nature and gardening enthusiasts get to pick the champion in this native-plant-playoff. This botanical bout –...

Support food access for Illinoisians with ACES’ Orange & Blue Days
URBANA, Ill. — This spring, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will participate in a campuswide crowdfunding initiative known as...