- Advocates find their voices at the Wisconsin Child and Family Institute
The annual Wisconsin Child and Family Advocacy Institute helps grass-roots community representatives improve the quality of life for Wisconsin children and families. Participants say the institute helps them apply current university research, access the state''s public policy planning process, and network effectively with local, state and federal policymakers to influence legislation and regulations affecting Wisconsin''''s children and families. Several participants have been elected to public office or taken positions with organizations that advocate for children.
- Apprentice Program gives Milwaukee Latino youth real world work experience
The UW-Milwaukee Apprentice Program gives Latino youth the opportunity to compete for and hold internships in fields that interest them. But the 29 students who participated in the experience in its first year say they learned even more than job skills: every student reports learning about academic opportunities available to them that will help increase their prospects for the future. Moreover, nearly every participant says he or she now feels more confident about applying for college and financial aid. Two students even received scholarships from their internship employers. A diversity program grant from University of Wisconsin-Extension helped make the program possible.
- Become a Young Entrepreneur (BYE)
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education’s College for Teens Program partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee and Wells Fargo Bank to provide teens from the Boys & Girls Club with a unique, hands-on experience in entrepreneurship. They participated in a program that educated them on the post-secondary path necessary to become a successful business owner. The curriculum for “Become a Yong Entrepreneur” was formulated around materials published by Youngbiz, a nationally based organization whose mission is to empower youth with entrepreneurial, business, and financial skills through innovative education and real-world experience. Students worked in teams to develop and present a business plan.
- El Centro Empresarial offers bilingual training and resources to strengthen Milwaukee’s Hispanic business community
Since opening its doors in 2004, El Centro Empresarial, the Hispanic Entrepreneurship Center at UW-Milwaukee, has graduated 76 area Latinos from its certificate program, with 24 graduates going on to start their own businesses. The program promotes entrepreneurship in the region’s Hispanic community through bilingual training, counseling, technical assistance, and networking activities. It is the initiative of UW-Milwaukee’s School of Continuing Education, which has teamed up its Small Business Development Center with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin and other community partners.
- Get Checking gives consumers with poor credit histories a chance at financial stability
A pilot program created for people who have no banking privileges helped nearly 1400 Milwaukee County residents open checking accounts between 1998 and 2002. In 2006, the Get Checking program continues to offer personal financial training that enables consumers to use banking services effectively, and eventually to open and maintain their own accounts. UW-Extension Milwaukee County, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Milwaukee, and three sponsoring financial institutions initiated the program, which has now expanded to serve more than 9,000 consumers in 102 cities nationwide.
- Minority Contractors’ Capacity Initiative gives minority-owned construction firms a business edge in southeast Wisconsin
To compete with large construction firms for jobs, smaller contractors have some hurdles to leap. In an effort to level the playing field for small minority- and women-owned firms, UW-Milwaukee and its partners kicked off the Minority Contractors'' Capacity Initiative in 2004. Program leaders interviewed 98 minority contractors to determine obstacles to achieving growth and, subsequently, to offer them the training and support they say they need. Contractors who took part in the resulting programming report that they acquired new, relevant knowledge to help them advance their businesses. In fact, 100% of participants interviewed after a bonding seminar say they would recommend the program to others.
- RNs earn their baccalaureate degree @ home
Ten years after launching its first online class, the BSN@HOME program has awarded baccalaureate degrees to 445 registered nurses. Participants choose the program—offered specifically for Wisconsin nurses through the combined resources of five University of Wisconsin nursing schools—because they like the flexibility it affords them. Learning online allows them to get their degrees without disrupting their work or family lives. Furthermore, graduates of BSN@HOME say the program prepares them to advance in their careers. Many alumnae have either completed, begun or plan to enroll in a graduate nursing program.
- Small Business Development Center state network counseling services retain and develop Wisconsin’s businesses
The UW-Extension Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network provides one-to-one business counseling to help entrepreneurs and established businesses become more profitable, retain jobs and better compete in today's global market. Businesses receiving SBDC counseling increased sales by $113 million incrementally, created 1452 new jobs and retained 601. These businesses generated $ 4.6 million in state tax revenues, and obtained $1.7 million in financing, according to a recent survey.
- UW-Milwaukee's Career Paths Program is an early step to a college degree for participating Latino youth
Latino teens participating in a UW-Milwaukee College for Teens program say the experience influenced their outlook for the future. They report giving more consideration to their vocational options and say they are more likely to think about setting academic goals that will help them enter into a chosen field. The UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education partnered with the Milwaukee Latino Community Center for the week-long event.
