All-In Milwaukee will soon be able to significantly expand its reach through a new five-year, $7.4 million grant from Ascendium, a Madison-based nonprofit.

All-In Milwaukee is a nonprofit organization that provides advising, financial aid and career-focused support to help students finish college and begin careers. Since launching in 2017, All-In Milwaukee has supported 600 students.

Ascendium, which was founded in 1967, provides funds nationwide for efforts to remove barriers for individuals from low-income backgrounds seeking education and training after high school. 

With this funding from Ascendium, All-In Milwaukee aims to expand its reach to serve 1,000 students annually by 2029. All-In Milwaukee currently serves 30% of eligible applicants. Of the students served, 90% are on track to graduate in six years or less, 85% are free of student debt and 88% of graduates have chosen to remain in Wisconsin through employment or graduate studies, according to the organization.

“To fully align the potential of all our scholars, we need every community member and every employer to join us and be — no pun intended — all in,” said Allison Wagner, executive director of All-In Milwaukee. “Together, we will build a bright future for Milwaukee and for Wisconsin by cultivating the college educated workforce that will drive our success.”

All-In Milwaukee and Ascendium gathered with supporters and partners at the Baird Center on Tuesday morning to announce the $7.4 million award.

“It’s a day of celebration, a day to look forward to a very bright future, and most of all, a day where we celebrate and say thank you to lots of people,” said Mary Ellen Stanek, Baird managing director and All-In Milwaukee board member.

Adrian Mora, a former All-In Milwaukee scholar who graduated from Marquette University in 2023, is now a budget analyst at Baird. As a first-generation college student, Mora said he was grateful for the resources and guidance he received as an All-In Milwaukee scholar.

“Your investment empowers more students like me to build my life here in Milwaukee,” Mora said. “I am living the life I always dreamed of, and I owe that to All-In Milwaukee, All-In Milwaukee career partners like Baird, and most importantly, the donors that make it all possible.”

Ascendium board member Joan Prince, who grew up in Milwaukee and formerly served as the vice chancellor of global inclusion and engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before she retired, said the grant to All-In Milwaukee received unanimous board approval.

“Another critical piece of this grant is actually the learning and the assessment work that we will be supporting,” Prince said. “We are going to closely study what works. We will help strengthen this program any way that we can, but we also want to develop insights that can be applied to similar initiatives worldwide. It’s just our way of ensuring that the impact of this work extends far beyond Milwaukee.”

Prince said this investment is one of the largest “big bets” Ascendium has ever made in Milwaukee.

“Our eyes are on you,” Prince said to Wagner. “Do a good job, and we might just be back here in a couple of years.”

ST. PAUL — A special election for Minnesota Senate District 60 in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Jan. 28 is set to decide who will take control of the Senate.

The Minneapolis Senate seat opened after the Dec. 28

death of Sen. Kate Dziedzic

, DFL-Minneapolis, leaving the Senate in a temporary 33-33 tie. The seat is expected to return to blue on Tuesday, Jan. 28, as it has been since 1970.

During its tie, the Senate has been operating under a

temporary power-sharing agreement

that passed on the session’s opening day and includes the establishment co-presidents and equal control of committees.

In a primary for the Minneapolis Senate seat on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Abigail Wolters won the Republican race with 72% of the vote and Doron Clark won the DFL candidacy with 38% of the vote. Voters of District 60 will decide between Wolters and Clark Tuesday.

Voter Information

Republican candidate Wolters is a lifelong Minnesotan, software engineer a 2021 graduate from the University of Minnesota. Some of her top priorities are public safety, fiscal responsibility and investments in education and the economy, according to

her campaign website

.

DFL candidate Clark lives in Northeast Minneapolis working full time in ethics and compliance at Medtronic. He served as Senate D60 DFL Chair in 2022. Some of his top priorities are public education, healthcare and housing for all, according to

his campaign website.

The Minnesota Secretary of State website

advises those with absentee ballots to drop them off in person on election day because of the tight deadline. Voters can do so at either the Hennepin County Government Center or the Elections and Voter Services office in Minneapolis. More information on locations for in-person voting and drop-off can be found on the

Secretary of State’s website.

Mary Murphy joined Forum Communications in October 2024 as the Minnesota State Correspondent. She can be reached by email at mmurphy@forumcomm.com.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Aloft Hotels, Marriott’s lifestyle brand, is opening a new location in downtown Indianapolis this February.

Located two blocks east of Monument Circle on Market Street, the Aloft Indianapolis is a short walk away from Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indiana Convention Center, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“We are absolutely thrilled to open our doors and welcome guests to the Aloft Indianapolis Downtown,” General Manager Ryan Niketh said in a press release. “With a focus around local culture, crave-able food and beverage and purpose-built design; the Aloft Indy is the ideal choice for travelers in search of a boutique hotel with bold design elements, but who still want the confidence of a Marriott Brand as well as the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.”

Aloft Indianapolis will have 128 urban loft-style guestrooms, with nine-foot ceilings. Guests will have access to the Arf pet program, which provides lodgings, toys, and treats for your dog, and Camp Aloft, a program designed to entertain children.

In homage to the building’s original tenant, a bank vault in the lobby was renovated as a lounge for private dining and as an event space.

WXYZ Bar, a new cocktail bar, can be found at home in the Aloft. The mixologist-inspired bar will offer weekly live music.