Partner Highlight: The Leading Men Fellowship
On January 8, one of Milwaukee Succeeds’ key early care and education (ECE) partners – The Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship – received a $1 million Equitable Recovery Grant, which will be used to further strengthen the pipeline of young men of color into the ECE workforce.
According to recent survey data, 99% of ECE educators in Milwaukee are female. Bernard Rahming, program director for The Literacy Lab, experienced this firsthand. From kindergarten through graduate school, he didn’t have a single Black or Brown male teacher.
“It’s great to have teachers that come from the same communities, so they can share the same experiences with their students,” said Bernard during the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s A Milwaukee for All event in September. “We have the curriculum, but it takes people to give it life.”
The ECE Workforce Pipeline
Governor Tony Evers presents a check for $1 million to Bernard Rahming, program director of the Literacy Lab’s Leading Men Fellowship.
Diversifying and strengthening the ECE workforce pipeline is a crucial component of Milwaukee Succeeds’ ECE work. That’s why it’s so critical to partner with programs like the Leading Men Fellowship.
Through this fellowship, The Literacy Lab gives young men of color (ages 18-24) the opportunity to engage in professional development activities, intensive training sessions, and interactive mentoring experiences with veteran educators and community leaders. Fellows are placed in pre-K classrooms for an entire school year to provide literacy support to students at under-resourced schools.
Wisconsin Equitable Recovery Grant
Thanks to this new grant, The Literacy Lab will be able to increase the number of fellows it recruits, trains and places in pre-K classrooms, with the goal of doubling in size by the end of the 2023-24 school year. This means that hundreds of additional students throughout Milwaukee will benefit from this literacy support.
“With this new funding and increased capacity,” said Bernard in a press release, “we have the opportunity to not only expand our reach but also to deepen the impact we have with each Fellow, student, and classroom we work with.”
Recruiting Fellows
Building on the momentum of this grant, The Literacy Lab is currently recruiting for next year’s cohort of fellows. These 2022-23 fellows will:
· Serve part-time for one academic year in a pre-K classroom
· Receive year-round training, coaching and support
· Administer scripted, data-backed literacy interventions to students
· Receive an hourly wage of $15/hour
Fellows will also receive a monthly transportation stipend, a uniform, and a $2,500 higher education award. If you are a young man of color ages 18-24 looking for a new opportunity – or you know someone who fits this description – you can complete an interest form.