2024 and Beyond: Strategic Planning
By Vincent Lyles, Executive Director
Milwaukee Succeeds has evolved over the last few years, despite the societal headwinds due to COVID, the recent economic downturn and the lack of information on how to best serve our youngest learners and our high school students.
This evolution is due not only to our dynamic, dedicated team, but also our commitment to centering the lived experiences of those in the early childhood education (ECE) and high school spaces. We work in tandem with our stakeholders to ensure their vision is our vision. These collective ideals are needed to transform the systems that have held people down for so long.
Looking to the Future
As we think about our future, we believe systems can be altered, disrupted and eventually transformed. That’s why our strategic planning process included the voices of people with lived experiences, as well as other key stakeholders. Those voices speak truth to power.
Speaking truth to power takes courage, conviction and action. Within our new strategic plan, we are exhibiting courage by evaluating how ECE and high school education are delivered in Milwaukee and what can be done to improve them. We are also exhibiting courage by using our research capabilities and an equity lens to understand how youth-serving organizations can better serve our young people.
Our conviction happens by way of our data gathering and analytical work, but it also happens because we are engaging the people most affected by the existing systems. By helping them advocate and advance policy initiatives, we are preparing them to be champions for themselves, their families and their entire communities.
A Collaborative Effort
We recognize the road to change is a long one, but we also know we can’t do it alone. We are engaging partners at every level along the way.
We reinforce those efforts indirectly by way of our proximity to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and other local funders. Our ability to leverage these resources helps our partners make a real difference in the lives of the people they serve.
Our efforts over the next few years will include more intentionality regarding our research and data work; deeper engagement with lived experience partners; and more advocacy and policy activities. Ultimately, we hope to see a notable difference in how ECE and high school education are delivered, viewed and supported.
