'From first grade to first job': Foundation surprises first graders, families with promise of ongoing support, college scholarships
Milwaukee developer Barry Mandel stood before the graduating class of kindergarteners and their families at Milwaukee Academy of Science and asked them to close their eyes.
"I want you to go ahead and dream," said Mandel, a national board member of the "I Have A Dream" Foundation. "Dream about something you want to do. I want you to put your mind to it. And then, I want to tell you we're going to do everything we can to help you accomplish those dreams."
Moments earlier, "I Have A Dream" Foundation Milwaukee board chairwoman Margaret Henningsen announced that 95 of these students — the entire Academy incoming first grade class — have been selected as the next cohort of "Dreamers." They are promised up to a $10,000 college scholarship if they remain at the Academy through 12th grade. The scholarship can be put toward any 4-year, 2-year or trade school degree of the student's choosing.
"I feel like it's basically giving my child a great opportunity to succeed in this world instead of having no opportunity at all," said Dennis Morgan, father of student Keon Morgan.
As Kahina Cargile, executive director of the Milwaukee affiliate explained, the organization takes a "holistic approach" in supporting Dreamers and their families from first grade through higher education. Dreamers have access to year-round academic tutoring, mentoring opportunities and, later, college visits as well as after-school and summer programs at the Academy and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
Academy CEO Anthony McHenry said the year-round programs will provide Dreamers with academic and recreational activities, three meals a day and a safe and nurturing environment while their parents are at work.
"What's really unique about this program is that it is a two-generational approach," Mandel said. "It's not only to help the children from first grade to first job, but also to help the families stabilize their lives."
He explained each Dreamer family will receive housing, broadband internet and workforce support in order to foster a more stable learning environment for the children. According to the Academy's 2020-2021 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction School Report Card, 97.4% of MAS students come from economically disadvantaged homes, and Mandel estimates 8% to 10% may be homeless.
He said a subcommittee will work with each Dreamer family to find or improve their housing and set up broadband internet in their homes. They will also connect families with mental and physical health providers throughout Milwaukee.
The Dreamers will not be the only ones receiving the opportunity to pursue secondary education. "I Have A Dream" Milwaukee has partnerships with Employ Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College and other local institutions to provide parents and guardians of Dreamers with job training and education programs, Mandel said.
"Our goal is to bring resources together that already exist in the community," he said. "Every person I talk to, every company I talk to about this program, are all excited to participate."
He said the foundation began fundraising for this new cohort in January and has already raised sufficient funds to provide the 95 scholarships and operate the program for its first three years. Over the next 12 years, he said, organizers plan to raise more than $4 million to support the program.
The history of the foundation
The rising Academy first graders will be the third cohort of Milwaukee students to take part in the Dreamer program. The first two cohorts are comprised of now-college-aged students, many of whom entered as first graders at Clarke Street School.
IHAD-MKE is one of 14 "I Have A Dream" Foundation affiliates that make up the national "I Have A Dream" organization headquartered in New York and serving over 4,000 Dreamers. Henningsen said then-Mayor Tom Barrett approached her about starting an IHAD affiliate in Milwaukee in late 2006 as a way to increase educational equity in the city.
The original cohorts began with 90 Clarke Street first graders, though many of them left Clarke Street or moved out of Milwaukee entirely before completing 12th grade.
"They were moving so much, it was hard to keep up with them," Henningsen recalled. "We had relationships with the public schools, but they, oftentimes, didn't want to share the records of where our Dreamers went."
She said it was also difficult to maintain relationships with members of the original cohorts who remained local because, after graduating from Clarke Street, they went on to attend at least 10 different high schools.
In the end, 45 of the original Dreamers completed the 12-year program and graduated from high school, and 43 went on to attend college. Members of the original cohorts now attend over 25 colleges and universities including Arizona State University, Howard University, UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee.
Desiree Aldi, 21, is a member of one of the original cohorts. She graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in 2019 and Grand Canyon University this spring with a degree in sociology. Aldi now works in a social work role at a homeless shelter and hopes to become a family lawyer.
"(This program) really reinforced the goals I had ... and it really did change a lot for me," she said. "A lot of us in Milwaukee are low-income, high-achieving and didn't have money to go to college, so it definitely helped take a lot of relief off of our backs and gave us that chance to pursue an education."
Why the Academy of Science?
When Mandel approached Henningsen with the idea of starting a new IHAD-MKE cohort, he said they considered many Milwaukee public and charter schools for the program.
"Quite frankly, all roads led to Milwaukee Academy of Science," Mandel recalled. "One reason is that it's K-12. We felt that at a K-12 school, we'd have a better opportunity to be able to keep a cohort together for that 12-year period."
Henningsen added that the Academy was an ideal choice because the school provides transportation to students from 25 different zip codes. This, in part, has contributed to the Academy's 94% student retention rate, which Henningsen sees as another plus.
McHenry said the choice to say yes when asked to take part in the program "didn't take much thought."
"This is one of the best opportunities our young people can ever have," he said. "Our model is based on our ability to provide additional support for our young people within the school day. The "I Have A Dream" program allows us to enhance those supports significantly."
Academy families couldn't agree more.
"It gives the kids some hope for college and gives them something to look forward to," said Ayanna Taylor, mother of student Nathaniel Logan. "It's a blessing for the kids; I'm glad it happened."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee foundation to support kids from 'first grade to first job'
