WE UTILIZE AN INTEGRATED DATA SYSTEM AT ALL UNCOM SITES TO COLLECTIVELY EVALUATE PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS AND TRACK PARTICIPANT OUTCOMES.

GRANT DRIVEN EFFORTS

PROJECT RESPECT
(click to go to site)
A three year implementation grant (2007-2010) funded by the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program to develop leadership, capacity and programs at UNCOM sites to effectively engage communities in the prevention of risk factors of sexual and intimate partner violence involving adolescents who live in many of the most impoverished areas of our community.

YEAR ROUND INNOVATIVE YOUTH PROGRAM
Funded by a 10 month pilot grant from the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, the goals of the program are to coordinate an intensive job training program that assists 90 young people, ages 16 -20 years of age with: 1) successfully graduating from high school or making continuous progress towards obtaining a GED; and (2) successfully place these youth ultimately into full-time, meaningful employment or transition them to post-secondary education.

CULTURAL ARTS AND VISUAL ARTS
Funded by a three grant from the Helen Bader Foundation (2008- 2011) and a one year grant from the Mary Nohl Fund of the Milwaukee Foundation, UNCOM Centers choose and offer to youth educational opportunities from a menu of high quality, model cultural arts programming that include dance, drumming, theater/acting, poetry, painting, pastel, drawing, photography, jewelry making, printmaking, opera, textiles, pottery, sculpture, music appreciation, and more.

ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING
Thanks to a three-year grant from the Helen Bader Foundation, UNCOM agencies provide quality after school and summer arts programs including dance, drumming, theater/acting, poetry, painting, photography, jewelry making, printmaking, opera, textiles, pottery, sculpture, music lessons, and more. UNCOM has partnered with the Milwaukee Cultural Arts Alliance and Arts-At-Large to develop a new website/directory offering a wide variety of arts education programming. See www.MilwaukeeArtsEducationDirectory.org

ONGOING COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS

CENTER-BASED AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
All Centers provide youth with a variety of positive achievement opportunities after school. Participant outcomes include increases in academic achievement, self-esteem and social skills; reduced risk for criminal involvement, substance abuse and other unhealthy behaviors; acquisition of new skills like goal-setting and teamwork. Approximately 12,400 youth participate in our after school programs each year.

URBAN SPORTS LEAGUES
Citywide soccer, basketball, and volleyball leagues are available to UNCOM youth ages 7-18. Boys, girls, and co-ed leagues are coached by volunteer athletes from local university teams as well as community and professional sports clubs. This programming addresses central city youths’ critical need for more opportunities to benefit and learn from organized sports play and physical education. These programs serve 200-400 youth.

DRIVER’S EDUCATION
Driver’s Education is a free program for UNCOM teens who earn the rite to participate in the program by regularly attending after school programming, keeping their grades at 2.3 or above, and performing a minimum of 25 hours of community service.

SUMMER RESIDENT CAMP
UNCOM youth ages 8 to 15 can get out of the city and into nature through resident camp experiences. Camping is an activity that teaches youth many skills, including self-reliance, how to get along with others, leadership, and teamwork. Over 600 campers participate each year.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND CRIME PREVENTION
Teen leadership training is provided at 23 UNCOM sites throughout Milwaukee after school, in the evening and throughout the summer including attendance at a 4-day Youth Leadership Institute (held three times each year). Participants develop site-specific community service projects and become leaders at neighborhood sites.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
All UNCOM centers can access the model “Nature Time” curriculum (developed for multicultural children by an UNCOM center). This experiential curriculum for youth ages 6 weeks to 12 years is based on current environmental education, psychology, social work, and urban education. Already successfully piloted at several Milwaukee schools and at its founding agency, “Nature Time” serves 800 school-age youth.

FAMILY LITERACY
Adults and youth alike can attain their academic goals by participating in the Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Education Development (GED), English as a Second Language, and other educational and literacy programs offered by UNCOM centers. While adults study, qualified child care workers watch over their children. There is also a wide variety of reading and literacy-focused activities for children and parents to work on together. This program impacts over 4,000 families each year.