Empowering the Community through Advocacy Trainings

Milwaukee Succeeds staff and partners march in support of child care during 2024's Week of the Young Child.

Milwaukee Succeeds is helping parents and early educators turn their passion into action. On September 14, the organization launched its new Early Childhood Education (ECE) Advocacy Training Series, a six-part course aimed at equipping educators and community members with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively advocate for change.

The series, which runs through February, was developed in partnership with Milwaukee Succeeds’ ECE Ambassadors. These 14 women drew on their own training and conversations with community to develop a comprehensive set of courses that dive into everything from the basics of advocacy to how decisions get made. The series features a handful of guest speakers, alongside ECE Ambassadors and Milwaukee Succeeds staff, who are helping attendees harness the power of their stories and learn what it takes to get their voices heard.

“Are you unhappy with the current state of ECE?” asked ECE Ambassador Briana Stanford. “Do you believe you have the power to make a difference? Because you do, and we have the tools and resources to teach you how.”

How it All Started

Three ECE Ambassadors staff a Milwaukee Succeeds table during the 2024 District 6 National Night Out.

Throughout 2023, our ECE Ambassadors spent nearly 1,200 hours engaging with the community, having heartfelt conversations with hundreds of parents and educators. During these discussions, they discovered that many Milwaukeeans are eager to act as ECE champions but just aren’t sure where to start.

“The overwhelming majority of conversations we’ve had with people in the community agreed that the field of early childhood education needs more public support and financial investments,” explained ECE Ambassador Callie Colbo. “But those who engaged in these conversations also expressed a desire to influence decisions surrounding ECE while not feeling quite sure how to do it.”

This need sparked the creation of the advocacy training series. Guided by the ECE Ambassadors, the program draws on their own trainings and experiences in the advocacy world.

"In order for us to engage and teach the community about being an advocate, we as ambassadors had to learn ourselves," explained Ambassador Taffie Foster Toney. "It’s easy to get up there and give your story in a non-effective and angry way. We learned how to share and tell our stories in an effective way."

In fact, over the course of their tenure, the Ambassadors have done just that – speaking to public officials, raising their voices at listening sessions and spreading the word across the community. Their efforts have helped raise ECE to a prominent issue in Wisconsin, and now they’re teaching others to do the same, further amplifying the call for change

The Planning Process

An ECE Ambassador leads a Teaching Strategies GOLD training session in September 2023. 

"The planning process for this series entailed reflecting as a group on what we've recently learned about advocacy and found valuable," Callie shared. "We developed these sessions to educate but also placed a heavy emphasis on participant engagement and discussion."

These sessions go beyond theory, focusing on real-world skills. Each month, participants dive into a new topic, ranging from understanding the impact of ECE on families and educators to navigating complex government systems. Along the way, they’ll learn how to craft their stories and how to target their advocacy efforts, whether by writing letters, speaking publicly, networking or engaging directly with decision-makers.

"We had the content, we had the visuals, we had the experts," explained Anna Smerchek, ECE community engagement manager. "We tied all this together to create a training series that’s both fun and educational."

Since the courses have been approved through the Wisconsin Registry – and the Ambassadors are certified trainers – early educators and providers can receive free continuing education hours. This not only supports their professional growth but also helps strengthen the ECE sector as a whole.

The series has also been designed with a continuous improvement mindset, incorporating feedback from participants via surveys at the end of each session. This feedback helps refine the curriculum, ensuring it remains relevant and effective.

Activating and Advocating

Two ECE Ambassadors advocate in support of child care during the 2024 Week of the Young Child parade in April.

The ultimate goal of the training series is clear: to empower early educators and parents to create change, advocate for better funding and policies, and strengthen the ECE sector in Milwaukee.

"Our hope is that early educators and providers understand that they do have the power to create change and that we’re stronger together with one unified voice," said Anna.

The sessions also provide an opportunity to demystify the advocacy process. Educators and parents often feel that their voices do not count in policy discussions, but this training series is changing that perception.

“We want attendees to learn that advocacy is not just gathering people and going to legislators,” said Ambassador Arati Hernandez. “It’s about using this voice they have, this power, to fight for a better ECE system in a really powerful way that can create an important impact in the community.”

By focusing on practical skills, such as how to share personal stories effectively, engage with officials and navigate complex systems, the training aims to activate Milwaukee's early educators and community members.

“The information you will learn will be eye-opening,” promised Ambassador Vanessa Giraldez. “You will wonder why you never knew these things prior to the training!”

Looking Ahead

As Wisconsin prepares for the next budget cycle, the ECE Ambassadors are laying the groundwork for a unified advocacy effort. They envision a future where parents, early educators and ECE champions are equipped to speak out, whether that’s sharing their story at a listening session, writing letters or building networks to advocate for high-quality, affordable child care.

This series is about more than just learning – it’s about building a movement.

“The child care system is broken, and it will take a community to change policy when it comes to having affordable, quality childcare, livable wages for our teachers, and helping providers keep their doors open," said Taffie. "Our children deserve better."

For those who may be hesitant to join, Callie has a message: "Your experience caring for our youngest citizens, either as an educator or parent, is enough to engage with people in power to improve early childhood education. Join our training series to dive deeper into the operations of ECE and how we can effectively advocate for this sector."

Arati seconds that, emphasizing the importance of the series: “This training isn't only for educators. It’s for parents, too, for grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc. It’s for all who have little ones or know little ones in the ECE sector. Because by working together we can be a bigger voice and make an impact for those who need us – our kiddos and future generations.”

With sessions happening monthly through February, the ECE Advocacy Training Series is well-positioned to empower a new wave of advocates ready to shape the future of early childhood education in Milwaukee.

Register now to join us for our next session and discover how you can become an advocate for ECE!