Revisiting the Design Your Future Fellowship

How would you rethink education to improve outcomes for Black male youth? That was the question posed to 58 youth ages 13-20 last summer as they embarked on a journey of learning, relationship-building and activism during Milwaukee Succeeds’ Design Your Future Fellowship.

This six-week virtual program was a true experiment in shifting power, where our youth told us what they needed – and how we could help them get it. Their ideas became an essential component of Milwaukee Succeeds’ high school success strategies and will help shape the direction of the work for years to come.

Learning Together

Beginning in June, the 58 paid fellows and 12 mentors began meeting five days a week to discuss how the educational system operates in Milwaukee and how students can use their power to affect change.

Through a process of reciprocal learning, they explored systems thinking, as well as systemic racism and how it impedes their education. Each week they tackled a different topic, identifying tools and practices to empower youth by promoting their own voices. The collaborative nature of the program created a safe space, where fellows were able to openly discuss their experiences and ideas.

Equitable Systems Consultants and UBUNTU Research and Evaluation were key partners in this work, providing critical contributions to the fellowship.

“I enjoyed the atmosphere of the fellowship,” said one participant. “Not once did I feel like I had to hide a part of myself to communicate with others.”

Project Proposals

The students utilized this voice and power, along with their own lived experiences, to develop proposals aimed at improving aspects of Milwaukee’s educational system.

Youth were divided into six cohorts – Next Gen of Hope, Voices of MKE, Stellar Scholars, La Familia, Goal Diggers, and Jibali. Each laid out blueprints for equity-based programs, complete with a list of community partners, with each funded at $10,000 to begin bringing these ideas to life.

Mental Health

All six groups identified mental health support and resources as a critical need, with four explicitly stating the need for an in-school curriculum that provides students the space, time and strategies to navigate mental health challenges. After-school mentorship programs, peer-to-peer support groups and better training for school staff were also identified as crucial areas to explore.

2022 and Beyond

This fellowship was only the beginning, the first step in shifting power to youth and centering their voices. Now the real work begins. Milwaukee Succeeds is committed to finding ways to put their thoughts into action and further amplifying their voices through our evolving youth coalition, Youth Forward MKE. Together, we can transform education in Milwaukee, investing in our youth and creating space for them at the decision-making table.

About the Youth Forward MKE Coalition

Milwaukee Succeeds is hard at work growing its Youth Forward MKE Coalition. In 2022, this diverse group will focus on implementing the Design Your Future proposals, as well as creating strategic finance plans and developing Youth Impact Assessments to highlight how proposed policies and programs will impact youth. Stay tuned for updates!