News & Press
Milwaukee Succeeds in MCW’s Community Engagement Spotlight
On October 29, Milwaukee Succeeds’ director of research, Kristen Kappelman, joined the Medical College of Wisconsin’s for their Community Engagement Spotlight Series podcast. The session featured the Opportunity Youth Project - a new collaborative effort led by community organizations, local education and workforce advocates, Marquette University and MCW.
Milwaukee Succeeds Attends the 2025 StriveTogether Convening
This September, the Milwaukee Succeeds team traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, joining changemakers from across the country for the annual StriveTogether Cradle to Career Convening. For three days, we immersed ourselves in ideas, inspiration and collaboration, all driven by a shared goal: putting 4 million more young people on a path to economic mobility by 2030.
Wisconsin Partnership Welcomes Benjamin Porter as State Director
We are pleased to announce that Benjamin Porter, who has long served as the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s health equity portfolio manager, will be stepping into the role of state director for the Wisconsin Partnership. This statewide coalition brings together four communities to strengthen education through data-driven, community-led solutions.
Milwaukee Succeeds Welcomes Trinity Fellow Francisco Hernandez-Flores
Milwaukee Succeeds is excited to welcome Francisco Hernandez-Flores as our new data coordinator, beginning September 2. Francisco joins us through the Trinity Fellows Program at Marquette University, which is dedicated to developing urban leaders with a commitment to social and economic justice.
Samantha Reynoso Promoted to Research and Evaluation Manager
Milwaukee Succeeds is proud to announce that Samantha Reynoso has been promoted to the role of research and evaluation manager. Samantha first joined the team in August 2022 as our ECE data analyst. Since then, she’s played a pivotal role in advancing our research and evaluation efforts.
National Spotlight on Wisconsin’s Early Childhood Win
Wisconsin’s early childhood win is making national waves. StriveTogether, a national network partner working to improve outcomes from cradle to career, recently published a blog post highlighting the work of Milwaukee Succeeds and our partners as proof that community-led advocacy can drive real, lasting change for kids and families.
The Wisconsin Partnership celebrates $330 million investment in early care and education made via 2025-27 state budget
Coalition members of the Wisconsin Partnership and their hundreds of partners across Wisconsin thank Gov. Tony Evers and legislative leaders in the Wisconsin Legislature for making a historic $330 million investment in the state’s child care sector.
Convening for Change: Wisconsin Partnership Gathers to Strengthen Statewide Impact
This June, Milwaukee Succeeds joined our fellow Wisconsin Partnership organizations for a two-day convening focused on strengthening the systems that support children and families across the state. Together, we exchanged bold ideas, swapped insights and laid the groundwork for a shared policy agenda that aims to drive lasting change for children and families across Wisconsin.
Ambassadors Share ECE Realities in new Video Series
The stories of Milwaukee families navigating the broken early childhood education (ECE) system took center stage this week in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel video series. Four Milwaukee Succeeds ECE Ambassadors – Jackie Burrell, LaDonna Foster, Taffie Foster-Toney and Vanessa Giraldez – shared their lived experiences as parents, educators and advocates, spotlighting the urgent need for sustainable child care solutions in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Partnership’s Public Statement on the State Budget
Early childhood education is an issue that impacts kids’ futures, families’ pocketbooks and employers’ bottom lines in every electoral district of the state, regardless of party or allegiance. Together, the Wisconsin Partnership respectfully urges every legislator and member of the Joint Committee on Finance to recognize the critical role early childhood education plays in the strength of our economy and the well-being of our communities.