For the Tomahawk Leader

LINCOLN COUNTY – A survey released on Tuesday, May 3 is seeking feedback from residents of Lincoln and Marathon Counties on their perceptions and attitudes toward diversity, inclusion and community welcomeness, a release from the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS) said.

The Lincoln and Marathon County Diversity, Inclusion and Community Welcomeness Study will accept responses from Lincoln and Marathon County residents until June 3, 2022. In a release, WIPPS said the survey has been mailed to randomly selected households and can be completed online by any resident of Lincoln County and Marathon County ages 18 years and older. Responses will remain anonymous.

“The topics of diversity, inclusion and welcomeness have been the focus of conversations nationwide, and central Wisconsin is no exception,” WIPPS stated. “Despite these widespread discussions, community leaders and organizations found a lack of concrete information on how residents of Lincoln and Marathon Counties feel about these issues.”

WIPPS said the survey is designed to “address this lack of data” and will “provide residents the opportunity to express their opinion on how welcoming their community is, as well as their personal attitudes toward people of different backgrounds.”

“The results of the survey will help community leaders and the public gain a better understanding of relationships between individuals and groups that live in our area,” WIPPS stated.

The study is being conducted by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, a unit of the University of Wisconsin System Funding was provided by Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.1 and the B.A. and Esther Greenheck Foundation. Key partners include the Aware and Active Citizen Group from Lincoln County and the Mosaic Collation from Marathon County, WIPPS said.

“We hope community members will take advantage of this opportunity to be heard and help shape the future for our area,” said Kathy Drengler, chair of Mosaic of North Central Wisconsin.

To learn more about the Lincoln and Marathon County Diversity, Inclusion and Community Welcomeness Study, or to access the online survey, visit www.wipps.org/LMdiversitystudy.