The Future Milwaukee Experience

The class typically meets two times each month on Monday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at various Milwaukee locations over a nine-month period. In the past we have met at universities, Independence First, the Journal Sentinel, the Urban Ecology Center, Children's Hospital, and more.

The Future Milwaukee program is a unique opportunity for participants to enhance their community leadership skills and become more involved in the community. There are four main areas of learning and discussion:

• Community leadership skill development: working in a leaderless team environment on a project within the class year provides experience in taking ownership and succeeding in a team environment.
• Understanding community issues: a number of class sessions each program year are devoted to exploring the issues facing our community, covering such topics as education reform, economic and business climate, racism and diversity, and community image. Topics change as community issues shift.
• Practical experience working with community issues: participants work in teams, implementing a real-life project for existing community-based organizations.
• Interact with diverse points of view: the mix of class participants and the program’s emphasis on issues contribute to a better understanding of diverse viewpoints.

The projects developed as part of the Future Milwaukee program have themselves had lasting impact; for example:

• A community health advocate program was designed and developed by classes over two class years, and has been implemented in pilot form by its sponsoring organization, Fortis Insurance Foundation.
• A successful credit union was established to be run by and for participants in local Boys & Girls Clubs.
• A fund raising event held on behalf of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care was instrumental in the capital campaign for a new building.

Future Milwaukee has helped to place its graduates on boards as diverse as Ebenezer Day Care Centers, Renaissance Theater Works, and the Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

Additional Program Offerings:

• One face-to-face leadership coaching session with the instructor each semester
• One face-to-face team coaching session with the instructor each semester
• Materials, articles and tools accessible to students online
• Information regarding further opportunities and events within the community