As a part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WCATY is proud to be a part the Wisconsin Idea and all it entails. The Wisconsin Idea is the principle that the university should improve people’s lives beyond the classroom. It spans University of Wisconsin–Madison’s teaching, research, outreach and public service. We believe that WCATY's various summer camps, online classes, and professional learning opportunities capture a part of this noble idea.

In the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea, WCATY has worked with a number of different communities of people; adult learners, gifted students, and ambitious professionals. To highlight these various connections, we have created the WCATY Community pages. These serve as a shout out to all those who help to make WCATY possible as well as encourage new friendly faces to join in the experience.