MKE Fellows

The MKE Fellows program is an initiative launched in 2012 to help young Black professionals from the Milwaukee area discover careers and civic engagement. MKE Fellows offers support to academically talented African-American young men in Wisconsin to ensure that they graduate from college prepared for career success.

Young African-American men in Wisconsin face daunting challenges. Rates of unemployment, crime, and poverty are excessively high, while the graduation rate is well below national averages. Despite these grim statistics, there are many high-potential and resilient young African-American students performing above the achievement gap. Unfortunately, even after they complete high school, there are many barriers that keep them from graduating from college and launching successful careers. Too often these students lack the social networks, personal mentors, financial wherewithal, and access to pre-professional experiences that lead to career success.

MKE Fellows envisions a healthier and more economically prosperous community that is better positioned to support the fiscal growth of Wisconsin. The primary goal of MKE Fellows is the creation of a strong pipeline of young, African-American male college graduates ready to return to Wisconsin to excel in their careers, build wealth, and become engaged leaders. MKE Fellows seeks to develop groups of young men who are not only well-educated, but who provide servant leadership that will be emulated by others.

OUR APPROACH

Internships and job experiences: MKE Fellows are paired with Wisconsin companies who offer paid internships that help them gain on-the-job experience, build professional networks, and present fresh perspective to company teams & cultures.
Mentorship: Each Fellow is paired with a volunteer leader from the community who serves as a dedicated mentor providing career guidance and leadership advice. Fellows also have opportunities to meet successful professionals across a range of careers, and consult with dedicated program staff as they navigate through the program.
Career and professional development: Through experiential and engaging summer workshops, Fellows learn about networking, interviewing, prioritizing, conflict management, use of technology, and other keys to a successful career.
Scholarship opportunities: MKE Fellows provides merit-based book scholarships to offset the costs of subsidiary educational materials, as well as emergency funds to provide support in extreme circumstances.
Civic engagement: MKE Fellows develop meaningful social relationships and business networks that will help students secure a job AND build a career. Fellows participate in “Lunch and Learn” events hosted by corporate and civic organizations as well as social events. Not only that, but our cohort mentality helps students connect with each other on a personal level providing peer-to-peer mentorship relationships that will benefit them as they continue along in their careers while retaining bridges to maintain the integrity of our talented city leaders.