Youth Forward MKE Takes a Different Approach to Data
Data is often used to demonstrate how our youth are failing. Milwaukee Succeeds and Youth Forward MKE are taking a different approach. Through the lens of data, they’re shining a light on how our systems are failing youth – and the incredible opportunity we have to change things.
“Prioritizing youth voice and leadership can create an environment where our youth can thrive,” explained Maria Hamidu, Milwaukee Succeeds’ high school success project manager. “We go about this by learning more from the data, fostering leadership within our youth, and building authentic and sustained relationships with them.”
During the first Youth Forward MKE meeting of 2024, the coalition did just that, laying out the data on the current state of high school success and exploring tools and opportunities designed to help youth thrive.
Reimagining High School Success
A Youth Forward MKE sweatshirt is raffled off at the YFM Winter Jam.
Grades, graduation rates and test scores are typically the first place people look in order to measure high school success. Yet those data points only provide a small part of the overall picture.
“Why not redefine what high school success means?” posed Maria. “Why not center the whole child instead of looking solely at pieces of them?”
Milwaukee Succeeds has been hard at work exploring what success truly means for our students. Our new report – titled “Reimagining High School Success: A Community-Centric Approach” – provides a comprehensive look at all aspects of success, from mental and physical wellbeing to life skills and extracurricular supports. The 20-page research report is accompanied by a handy infographic, which neatly summarizes the state of high school success in Milwaukee.
“High school success doesn't revolve around grades,” explained Youth Forward MKE Ambassador Deh Nee. “It's about knowing what to do after high school and…also your mental health and your career and your passion.”
Yet, according to the data and feedback from other Youth Forward MKE Ambassadors, the systems currently in place to support students in these areas aren’t cutting it.
“It wasn't really taught by anyone in high school how to manage [stress and anxiety],” said Ambassador Delonta Henderson. “I was on my own to try to figure it out and handle it myself. The same goes for handling real-world responsibilities, like taxes.”
In fact, over half of MPS high schoolers report experiencing significant problems with anxiety. And 34% of youth surveyed during community listening sessions expressed the desire to learn more life skills. The data clearly demonstrates that our students want and need more from their education, but it also highlights how adults can help.
“We are at a pivotal moment in fostering high school success,” said Kristin Kappelman, Milwaukee Succeeds’ director of research. “It’s time to amplify the voices of our youth in this critical conversation. By amplifying youth voice, we not only ensure that their perspectives are heard, but also cultivate a more inclusive and effective educational landscape.”
Youth Adult Equity Ladder Assessment
Youth enjoy the festivities at the YFM Winter Jam.
One way to ensure your organization is effectively incorporating youth voice is through the Youth Adult Equity Ladder Assessment. This tool, piloted last year and re-released in an improved format this winter – measures how well organizations are interacting with and empowering young people.
“It's an opportunity to use data as a flashlight to highlight successes and areas of improvement,” explained Kristin.
The updated version not only awards a score based on where you land on the Youth Adult Equity Ladder, but it also provides concrete suggestions based on your particular industry to help your organization improve.
“I think it was very insightful for us to do it,” explained Nate Deans, director of the MPS Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement (BLMA). The results and lessons learned from the process led BLMA to incorporate more student leaders, putting them in positions to lead sessions and conduct projects such as voter registration drives.
For SKY Schools, who completed the new and improved version, the recommendations helped them develop action steps, including more paid internship positions for students, that will allow youth to take an active part in decision-making.
The assessment will continue to grow and evolve as more organizations like SKY Schools and BLMA complete it. The aim is to incorporate local examples of organizations who are demonstrating what successful youth adult equity looks like in practice.
“I know this assessment is focused on youth,” added Maria, “but if you work with families and parents in the community, you can also use this assessment to gauge how you work in partnership with the community members that you serve.”
Youth Leadership Directory
Plenty of organizations across the city are incorporating youth in some shape or form. The problem is that, until now, there’s been no centralized place to access and browse those youth development opportunities.
Milwaukee Succeeds, together with the BLEST Hub at Marquette University, has set about changing that. Together, they’ve developed a youth leadership directory to highlight the incredible opportunities happening in Milwaukee, throughout the state of Wisconsin and across the nation.
“[It’s] a place where young people, people who work with young people, and families can come and see the types of really strong developmental opportunities that there are and then access them,” said Dr. Gabriel Velez, who helps lead Marquette’s BLEST hub.
The directory is interactive, so users can search for specific terms or types of opportunities, click around for more information, and access websites and social platforms connected to each organization.
Although it houses an extensive list of opportunities, the directory is very much a living entity, with new entries being added regularly. If you’d like to add an item, feel free to fill out this short form.
Autonomous Youth Council
One new opportunity offering youth the chance to grow and learn is Youth Forward MKE’s Autonomous Youth Council. Born out of the third Design Your Future proposal, which focuses on authentic and engaged youth leadership, the council aims to recruit, train and place young people on local decision-making bodies.
Applications for the council opened in March, with a summer training session set to begin in July. This 18-month commitment will also include fall and winter trainings, as well as a yearlong placement within a local organization.
Participants will receive hands-on training and practical experience in subjects such as youth adult equity, community organizing, data-driven decision-making, life skills and more. Listening sessions held throughout 2023 allowed the planning team to incorporate youth and community voice into the content and design of the program, ensuring a responsive and youth-focused environment.
“We aim to empower young people with knowledge, skills, connections and resources so that they can actively participate at these decision-making tables that ultimately impact their lives,” shared Sebastián Fuentes, Milwaukee Succeeds’ community engagement manager.
Into the Future
Future Youth Forward MKE meetings will delve more into the Autonomous Youth Council, as well as exploring the policy efforts coming from the K12 Civic Action Team. Until then, coalition members and partners across the city were provided with concrete action steps to keep the momentum going.
“Actively seek out opportunities to engage with young people in your community,” advised Kristin. “Educate others about the importance of youth voice and spark conversations in your circles. And encourage others to join the movement for youth empowerment. Together, let’s amplify the voices of the next generation, ensuring they’re not just heard but actively included and valued in all the discussions that impact their lives.”
