EmpowerED MKE will take place on November 9 at ThriveOn King, providing youth, families, educators and community members with the tools to build power and advocate for their communities. The day will feature discussions on Milwaukee’s education history, organizing strategies and school quality, culminating with actionable steps that community members can take to drive change.

Fall has marked a new chapter for the Autonomous Youth Council (AYC), as the young leaders transitioned from their summer success to the AYC Fall Academy. Meeting for 10-15 hours each month, the Fall Academy is focused on preparing these young people for the real-world opportunities ahead. Sessions cover crucial topics which youth have deemed important – like job readiness, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and data-driven decision-making – building on the groundwork laid over the summer.

Kicking off in July, the AYC’s 4-week summer session was all about equipping young people with the tools they need to be active and informed decision-makers. But what really set the series apart was its responsiveness to the needs and voices of the youth.

Milwaukee Succeeds is committed to data-driven decision-making to ensure the lasting impact of the Autonomous Youth Council. Through ongoing evaluations, we aim to understand and support the growth of each youth participant.

The Autonomous Youth Council is nearly here! This unique youth-focused initiative will kick off on July 8 with the start of the Summer Academy, and facilitators are already gearing up to lead engaging sessions that promise to empower and educate Milwaukee’s youth.

Youth are the driving force behind our Autonomous Youth Council, and their excitement is already palpable. During the June 26 Youth Forward MKE meeting, council members were invited expand on these motivations and explore what they hope to gain from the process.

One new opportunity offering youth the chance to grow and learn is Youth Forward MKE’s Autonomous Youth Council. Born out of the third Design Your Future proposal, which focuses on authentic and engaged youth leadership, the council aims to recruit, train and place young people on local decision-making bodies.

Youth Forward MKE, together with the BLEST Hub at Marquette University, has developed a youth leadership directory to highlight the incredible opportunities happening in Milwaukee, throughout the state of Wisconsin and across the nation.

One way to ensure your organization is effectively incorporating youth voice is through the Youth Adult Equity Ladder Assessment. This tool, piloted last year and re-released in an improved format this winter – measures how well organizations are interacting with and empowering young people.

Through the lens of data, we’re shining a light on how our systems are failing youth – and the incredible opportunity we have to change things.

On Saturday, March 9, Youth Forward MKE is officially kicking off its new Create Space series. This brand-new set of events aims to provide experiential opportunities for young people in Milwaukee.

On Friday, December 1, Youth Forward MKE held its first ever Winter Jam. The event, hosted at Nō Studios, offered an opportunity for local youth to connect with each other, learn about Youth Forward MKE and the Autonomous Youth Council, and celebrate the holiday season.

On September 28 from 5:30-6:45 p.m., Youth Forward MKE and its youth ambassadors will be holding an online listening session via Zoom to help shape the Autonomous Youth Council and inform our future advocacy efforts.

On Friday, May 12, three Youth Forward MKE Ambassadors presented at the 2023 Forum National Conference in Detroit alongside speaker David Emmanuelle Castillo of Equitable Systems Consultants.

On April 3, ECE educators, families and advocates gathered around Pete’s Fruit Market in Milwaukee to mark the start of Week of the Young Child. Youth Forward MKE Ambassadors were on-hand to help with the festivities, specifically by collecting trash along the parade route.

The final update during the March 22 meeting involved the ongoing implementation of the Design Your Future proposals. The third and final proposal centers on creating an Autonomous Youth Council, with the goal of training students in culturally relevant education practices and community organizing, and providing pathways into education and policy advocacy.

Youth Forward MKE is continuing to develop and refine its Youth Adult Equity Assessment. The tool, which helps organizations determine where they land on the Youth Adult Equity Ladder, was piloted this winter, with 13 organizations taking part.

Milwaukee Succeeds and Youth Forward MKE are embarking on a new report to explore what success means for our students and how we can measure it accordingly. The State of High School Success will provide youth-informed data on how Milwaukee stacks up. It will also serve as a tool to teach the community how they can advocate for change.

Amaya Bauldwin, a Youth Forward MKE ambassador since 2022, recently received the Black Excellence Award’s Louvenia Johnson Scholarship. Amaya is one of 12 recipients of the scholarship, which is awarded to gifted, talented, and service-minded African American high school seniors going to college or trade schools.

Youth Forward MKE is committed to utilizing data to drive our efforts forward, including through our continuing Success Stories, upcoming State of High School Success report and brand new Youth-Adult Equity Assessment Tool.