June 2018
Matthew - a Youth with Promise
Matthew in a gym
You could call him the strong, silent type. Matthew is a teen from Wisconsin’s Northwoods who is pumped about getting even stronger. He’s set his sights on working, and with the support of Wisconsin Promise and others, he succeeded in his first job of maintaining his high school’s weight room. Next he got a job keeping CrossFit Chippewa Falls in tip-top shape.

Matthew connected his interest in getting healthy and fit with his job goals, and there’s no stopping him. Matthew is a youth with Promise, building muscle while working, learning, and pursuing his dreams

Matthew is a Youth with Promise, with plans to change the world.
Aidan with his arm around a female
Aidan's Story: Going Above and Beyond to Reach His Goals

Aidan was able to develop his self-advocacy skills and get on the path to success by participating in Wisconsin Promise. He learned to use his diagnosis of Autism as a tool for self-insight and personal growth, galvanizing his vocational goals to help others the best he can.
“Without Promise, I wouldn’t have had the self-advocacy skills to turn my life around, let alone help others in need.” - ADIAN
As a Junior at Platteville High School, Aidan loves writing, teaching, and technology. His grades and ACT scores demonstrate he has what it takes to get into a great college and pursue a degree in Special Education. He’s working with his Wisconsin Promise Counselor, Roxanne, to gain work experience that will help him develop and reach his long-term academic and employment goals.

Aidan Speaks

Wisconsin Promise inspired Aidan to start an on-line self-advocacy project called Aidan Speaks. Aidan uses this project to work toward his goal of becoming a prominent public speaker and advocate for those with disabilities. He looks for opportunities to go above and beyond whenever he can: he has written grants for his high school’s special education department, joined the WI Youth Leadership Forum, spoken at school events, and entered writing contests to name a few. Recently, Aidan won a second-place award for the Autism Society of Wisconsin’s Essay Contest.

Aidan hopes he can teach others what he has learned in Promise.  You can learn more about Aidan and his journey to help others.

Aidan is a youth with Promise!
Flower growing through crack in cement
Resilience: Strength in the
Face of Trauma

The Result of Trauma
Children who have repeated traumatic experiences often develop defensive or aggressive behaviors and are less trusting of others. Often, these children have difficulty focusing on learning or building healthy relationships with others because they’re concerned with surviving.

A Trauma-Informed Approach
We know it works, but what is it?

A boy showing the peace sign
#PromiseWIStories

As a Promise participant, you’ve set work and school goals that will create a better future for yourself and your family. You’ve worked hard with Promise through challenges. You’ve made new connections, learned about resources, and made progress toward your goals. You’ve celebrated successes, big and small.

Your experiences can inspire others to take steps to create better futures for themselves and their families. Join other Promise youth and family members as they celebrate and share their Promise experience.

Ellie's Updates

Check out the Promise Services Summary and find out how Promise is helping Wisconsin Promise Youth and Families. The more impact we can have with more youth and their family members, the more we will be able to demonstrate how Wisconsin Promise Services and Supports can help to increase participants’ education, employment, and financial self-sufficiency.

Parents with child coloring
High Expectations of Parents Result in Child's Future Success

Attention all parents!
Did you know the most powerful force in predicting the future success of your son or daughter is decided by your expectations of them? It’s true. If you have high expectations for your child and talk about them, your child will be more likely to achieve them. So what if your child has a disability?


Community Forums

Employing Young Adults with Barriers:
Finding Workforce Solutions
Business's have workforce needs and young adults with disabilities and other barriers have the skills and the desire to work. Join the discussion to help identify how to make these connections.

Milwaukee, WI
When: August 21, 2018
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: Radisson West Milwaukee
Cost: FREE
Recap from the Wausau, WI Community Forum

On May 8 at the Great Dane Pub and Brew Company 128 people came together to eat, celebrate youth who are working in community integrated employment, and discuss, “Employing Young Adults with Barriers: Finding Workforce Solutions". Attendees commented that the large number of families and youth sitting at tables with employers generated an atmosphere filled with lively conversation. There was a lot of sharing of experiences and learning. A representative from Marathon Cheese said during the wrap-up, “I will hire anyone who is excited to come to work and will show up every day”. Representative Pat Snyder added that individuals with disabilities as employees are the “best kept secret”. The community needs to let employers know that individuals with disabilities are “there, eager, reliable, and ready to fill those jobs”.
People talking
Panel of people
Completed Next Steps Project from Superior, WI.

Teachers from the Maple School District who attended the Superior community conversation applied for and received Next Steps funding to organize a “reverse job fair”. Using Next Steps funds they reached out to around 80 local businesses, rented a district school bus, prepared students to dress and behave professionally, and took students on a tour to visit local businesses and other places where they could potentially find jobs. They visited the electric company, a winery, a bank, a restaurant, among others. At each stop a representative from the business told them about the work and talked about what they are looking for in their employees and on applications. They gave a tour of the business and gave each student a paper application. Teacher, Cindy Wicke, commented, “The employers gave similar advice to what teachers had told the students, but it was much more meaningful coming directly from the employers’ mouths”. The school district, staff, employers, and youth are very pleased with the outcomes of the “reverse job fair” and hope to hold 4 similar events next year.
Phone
Steering Committee Profile Members and Emails
Project Director
Meredith Dressel

Project Manager
Ellie Hartman