The Design Your Future Fellowship

Milwaukee Succeeds launched the Design Your Future summer fellowship on June 21, 2021, in partnership with UBUNTU Research and Evaluation and Equitable Systems Consultants. During this paid summer program, 58 young people from around Milwaukee created plans to improve high school for Black male youth.

6 groups — each guided by 2 adult mentors — laid out blueprints for equity-based programs to introduce into Milwaukee schools. At the end of the fellowship, the 6 project designs each received $10,000 to begin implementation in Milwaukee schools. Now that the program has officially ended, our growing youth-adult partnership is working to put their ideas into action.

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Why Design Your Future?

This workshop, and ongoing support of youth-powered programming, was designed to intentionally shift power to those with lived experience.

Students are most affected by the school system, so why haven’t they had a say in how the education system works?

We believe that empowering students of color and creating spaces for them to have real, un-tokenized stakes in decision-making is the only way to move towards a future that is truly equitable.

 Program Outcomes

In total 58 of the 60 youth participants completed the Design Your Future Fellowship. UBUNTU Research and Evaluation, who acted as key partners in the work, evaluated the program’s effectiveness, ultimately concluding that the student-centered programming, culturally relevant material and direct connection to the demographic of change led to its success.

  • Ultimately, fellows learned how to advocate for themselves and their peers, use systems thinking and building, and format solutions around their ideas of success.

  • Fellows supported one another. Friendships were developed, ideals challenged, and lived experiences were shared, validated and realized.

  • Mentors exhibited drive and authentic care toward youth, and they formed individualized relationships with the fellows.

Leads and Literacy Mentors

  • David Emmanuelle Castillo - Equitable Systems Consultants

  • Clintel Hasan, School Initiatives Manager - Milwaukee Succeeds

  • Jordan Fierst, Schools Initiatives Coordinator - Americorps VISTA

  • Dontrae Coffee - Middle School Mathematics Teacher

  • Chayce Cornette - Special Education Teacher

  • Sebas Fuentes - Youth Programs Coordinator/Advisor

  • Alondra Garcia - Second Grade Educator, Biliteracy Professional

  • Angela Harris - Educator, Black Educators Caucus Chairwoman

  • Guiviny Hernandez - Social Welfare and Justice, Psychology Graduate

  • Amanda McGovern - Third Grade Lead Educator

  • Tony Mensah - Web Manager, Independent Artist

  • Matthew Torres - Service Learning Staff Manager

  • Yante Turner - Inclusion and Equity Coordinator

  • Leonard Wilson - Fitness Business Owner

  • Ambrose WB - Health and Wellness Coach