Milwaukee, WI
All-In Milwaukee receives $7.4 million grant to support low-income students
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.”
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee standoff, tactical response; man taken into custody
MILWAUKEE – One person is in custody after an hours-long standoff from Milwaukee’s north side on Thursday night, Jan. 30.
Man vs. police
What we know:
The Milwaukee Police Department said officers had a tactical set-up on a residence near 45th and Hampton. They had said to avoid the area.
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FOX6 News had a crew on the scene and saw a man jump from a second floor window and take off running from officers, attempting to get away. Witnesses said MPD started arriving the scene around 3 p.m.
The man running was ultimately taken into custody.
What we don’t know:
There is no word on what the man was wanted for. FOX6 reached out to MPD for more information.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
The Source: FOX6 News was on the scene and got some information from the Milwaukee Police Department.
Milwaukee, WI
Want to be a lifeguard? Another Milwaukee County Parks free training session begins next week
‘Meadow’ installation blooms at Milwaukee Art Museum
Created by the duo DRIFT, the ‘Meadow’ installation blooms likes wildflowers on an unpredictable schedule at Milwaukee Art Museum.
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee County Park’s second free lifeguard training session begins next week.
There’s been an ongoing lifeguard shortage, which was greatly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the county has not been able to open all of its summer swimming facilities since 2019, a Milwaukee County Parks official told the Journal Sentinel last May.
However, there was an uptick last year. In May, the Journal Sentinel reported county lifeguard staff increased to 136, up 36% from 2023.
Want to get involved this summer? Here’s what to know about lifeguard training in Milwaukee County:
When are the lifeguard training sessions?
The first session was earlier this month.
According to the department’s website, there will be three free training sessions through April. Recruits must pass the mandatory exam at the end of their designated session in order to move on to an emergency medical responder course.
Sessions for the emergency medical responder course will be available beginning in early June.
Here is the training schedule:
Session 2
Location: Pulaski Pool, 2701 S. 16th St.
Date: Feb. 4 to Feb. 20 on Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Exam Date: Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 a.m.
Session 3
Location: Noyes Pool, 8235 W. Good Hope Road
Date: Feb. 25 to March 13 on Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Exam Date: Saturday, March 15 at 7 a.m.
Session 4
Location: Pulaski Pool, 2701 S. 16th St.
Date: March 31 to April 18 on Monday and Wednesday
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Exam Date: Saturday, April 19 at 7 a.m.
How can I sign up for lifeguard training?
You can sign up for lifeguard training here.
Is there an age requirement to be a lifeguard?
Yes. To qualify for training, you must be at least 15 years old and must be 16 years old by your hire date, according to the Milwaukee County Parks website.
What other qualifications must Milwaukee County lifeguards meet?
Aside from the age requirement, those interested in being lifeguards must be able to swim 100 meters in one minute 45 seconds or less and be “in good physical condition,” according to the department’s website.
How much do lifeguards get paid?
Lifeguards in Milwaukee County get paid $17.13 an hour, according to the Milwaukee County Parks website.
For more information on becoming a lifeguard in Milwaukee County:
You can find more information on becoming a lifeguard on the Milwaukee County Parks website here.
Claire Reid and Vanessa Swales contributed to this report.
Milwaukee, WI
Nation's Report Card data; MPS shows troubling 'proficiency' levels
MILWAUKEE – Most students in Milwaukee are not proficient in math or reading, based on a new national report released Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The new study says Milwaukee Public School’s scores are some of the nation’s worst.
MPS’ failing report card
What we know:
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called The Nation’s Report Card, came out Wednesday, Jan. 29. It’s given every two years, measuring the academic performance of students throughout the country.
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The numbers are troubling across the nation and in Milwaukee, the low levels of “proficiency” continue a trend that spans decades.
The NAEP shows troubling “proficiency” levels inside MPS.
In math, 12% of fourth graders and 8% of eighth graders are at or above that benchmark.
In reading, it’s 9% of fourth graders and 15% of eighth graders.
Education professor responds
What they’re saying:
Gabriel Velez is an associate professor of education at Marquette University. He said what stands out most is the fact MPS really isn’t improving in each of the four categories.
“I don’t think it’s surprising,” Velez said. “I think we can hold Milwaukee to a standard of saying like, we should be doing better, and we should be seeing improvement on this, and we can, because look at other places that are.”
But why isn’t MPS seeing that improvement?
Velez points to a number of factors that create instability in the district.
He referenced housing and food insecurities, but also everything that’s happened with the district alone, like paperwork problems and the ongoing search for a superintendent.
“I think that’s why that leadership, that vision into the future is going to be really critical to, sort of speak, get that house in order,” Velez said.
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Velez also points to attendance. The latest available data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction shows 50% of all MPS students are considered “chronically absentee,” meaning they attended less than 90% of their school days.
“I work with different programs and folks in MPS who are doing really great work,” he said. “But if students aren’t coming into school, you know, they can’t access them. They can’t provide them with this service or work with them in this way to help support their development.”
The Source: The National Assessment of Educational Progress’ data contributed to this report.
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