Milwaukee Succeeds Brings Community-Driven Change to National Convening

In September, Milwaukee Succeeds joined over 600 leaders, advocates and changemakers from across the country at the StriveTogether National Convening in Salt Lake City, Utah. This annual event brought together communities working to reshape systems and improve outcomes for young people nationwide. Over three days, attendees engaged in workshops, panels and interactive sessions aimed at driving change in education and improving economic mobility for young people.

This year, Milwaukee Succeeds took the stage to share our innovative work in two highly anticipated sessions. The first, titled Rooted in Community: This is How We Do It, was co-presented by ECE Community Engagement Manager Anna Smerchek, ECE Ambassador Taffie Foster-Toney and colleagues from ROC the Future Alliance in Rochester, New York. During their part of the presentation, Anna and Taffie highlighted our Early Childhood Education (ECE) Ambassador program, which launched in 2023 with 18 ambassadors. This unique initiative has empowered parents, community members and educators to become advocates for ECE, leading grassroots efforts to improve education in Milwaukee. The session drew a large crowd, all eager to learn how they could replicate this success in their own communities.

Our second session, Empowering Youth Voice through Data and Action, showcased our Autonomous Youth Council and its work to amplify youth voice. The session explored how we’re helping young people in Milwaukee become active, informed decision-makers, with activities that engaged attendees in a meaningful dialogue about youth leadership.

Both sessions were not only well-attended but sparked important conversations about community engagement, equity and empowerment. Participants left inspired by the innovative strategies Milwaukee Succeeds is using to address challenges in education.

Beyond the sessions, Milwaukee Succeeds had the chance to connect, collaborate and learn from other communities committed to education equity. The energy, ideas and partnerships we gained will fuel our work as we continue to drive positive change in Milwaukee.