2022 Bright Spots
2022 was a year of inspiring stories – stories of community, of progress and of hope. In every single story, though, one thing is clear: We could not have done this work alone. It is a collaborative effort across this city, this state and this country, and it has the potential to change countless lives.
Thank you to all the people and partners who have lent their time, talents, resources and voices to our pursuit of progress. Your contributions are invaluable – and our future looks bright because of you.
Mental Health Regulation Trainings
During the height of the pandemic, mental health emerged as a critical need, both for young children and educators. The ECE Coalition combined forces with their community partners to tackle the problem head on. After raising the necessary funds, they identified Wellpoint to deliver trainings on trauma, stress and regulation – first to providers and later to families. Surveys show that both groups found the trainings incredibly beneficial when it came to supporting their children’s mental and emotional well-being. Check out the Success Story.
Design Your Future Implementation
In 2021, we brought 58 young people together to answer the question “How would you improve high school for Black male youth?” This year, David Emmanuelle Castillo of Equitable Systems Consultants took their ideas and ran with them, emerging with three comprehensive proposals. Proposal 1, which aims to make mental health a standard practice in schools, was officially launched this fall with pilot programs at North Division and Pathways High Schools. Read more about the future of Design Your Future.
Week of the Young Child
Why is early childhood education so important for Milwaukee? Leaders from across sectors joined in to answer that question in April in honor of NAEYC’s Week of the Young Child. The celebration shines a spotlight on the needs of children and families while emphasizing the importance of ECE in meeting those needs. Our partners lifted up the economic, developmental and social benefits of ECE and stressed the importance of collaboration and continued investment in the industry. Watch the video now.
