If I can see it, I can be it.

Like most cities across the country, Milwaukee is rife with opportunities and challenges, especially in urban public education (PreK-12). Our presence in Milwaukee contributes to an existing ecosystem that includes partnerships between the public and private sectors to increase the quality of life and social outcomes for Milwaukee's most vulnerable residents. For MKE Rising, we put young men of color at the center of our efforts by providing them with an opportunity to make an enduring and profound impact on the social and academic trajectories of young children from low-income communities, most of whom are of color.

Instrumental in our movement to increase the representation of men of color across the PreK-12 continuum are community partners, both public and private. Collectively, philanthropy, community-based organizations, and private stakeholders help ensure that we have the vital resources (economic and non-economic) needed to succeed and endure. We give great thanks to Milwaukee Succeeds, Malaika Early Learning Center, Next Door, Milwaukee Public Schools, The Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Herb Kohl Philanthropies, Bader Philanthropies, and the City of Milwaukee for their support.

Our advisory committee comprises education practitioners, including young men of color and scholars with decades of experience in urban PreK-12 education. Their buy-in has and continues to play a critical role in shaping our decision-making around program planning, policy, and professional development for the Fellows.

The Fellows consist of a talented pool of young men of color eager to ensure that students, most of whom are racial minorities, have opportunities to build nurturing and affirming relationships with male educators of color. As a result, students stand to benefit significantly from exposure to the unique and diverse pedagogies of these emerging talented educators of color while also showing students that men of color can and do teach in early childhood settings.