The Autonomous Youth Council Embarks on Partner Placements

In July, 26 young leaders from across Milwaukee began a journey of advocacy, empowerment and community-building as the inaugural cohort of the Autonomous Youth Council (AYC). Designed by youth, for youth, the AYC represents a groundbreaking opportunity to reshape decision-making processes across the city.

Throughout the following summer and fall, these young leaders received training on everything from youth-adult equity to entrepreneurship. Now they are poised to take their next big step: partner placements. Starting in February, AYC members will be embedded within various organizations across Milwaukee to put their training into practice. These partner sites include:

• Data You Can Use

• The African American Round Table

• Your Move MKE

• Milwaukee Succeeds/Greater Milwaukee Foundation

• The City of Milwaukee Parks Program

• Lad Lake

• Walker’s Point Center for the Arts

• Arts at Large

Each placement will host 2-5 youth, depending on the nature of the project, with roles that allow participants to develop and exercise their leadership capabilities while influencing the decisions that affect them on a daily basis.

Partners take part in a half-day training session January 10.

Preparing for Impact

Sebastián Fuentes, Milwaukee Succeeds’ community engagement manager, articulated the vision behind this initiative: “We want to encourage more youth presence and leadership in our city, embolden our youth to take space and challenge the norm, and create a new way of thinking and operating in the city.”

To ensure the success of these placements, partner organizations attended a specialized training session on January 10. This training emphasized the importance of co-creating an equitable experience between youth and adults. Leaders from each placement site explored how to intentionally forge partnerships across differences in power, identity and perspective, ultimately setting the stage for meaningful collaboration.

Partner Perspectives

For the City of Milwaukee Parks Program, youth will play a critical role in engaging the community in park redevelopment projects. Joseph Kaltenberg, MKE Parks manager, shared his enthusiasm for this collaboration:

“Youth voices are too often excluded from local government, but it is a space where they can have real impact on the daily lives of young people and their families. I’m excited about the potential for AYC members to add capacity, authenticity and depth to our processes. They’ll bring creative insight to amplify the value of our parks for local residents.”

At Data You Can Use, youth will take on a leadership role by sitting on the organization’s board, shaping decisions with their unique perspectives.

According to Dr. Victor Amaya, president and executive director, “Youth bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and an authentic understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face. By becoming a placement site for the AYC, we aim to cultivate a space where young leaders can directly influence the work we do, ensuring our efforts are more inclusive, relevant and impactful for future generations.”

Data You Can use aims to use data as a tool to drive equity and positive change – and fostering youth leadership fits perfectly into this mission. By providing these young leaders with access to their decision-making processes, they aim to equip youth with the skills needed to leverage data effectively in advocating for their communities.

Building the Future

This next phase of the AYC represents an exciting opportunity to embed youth voices at decision-making tables across Milwaukee. By fostering partnerships rooted in equity and mutual learning, the AYC aims to transform how the city engages with young leaders.

“We hope this model will inspire other local organizations to embrace youth as integral voices in decision-making,” explained Sebastián.

Stay tuned as we follow their journey and share their impact in the months ahead!