Our Core Pillars
MKE Fellows works in close partnership with leaders of universities and local corporations to provide Fellows with the internships, support, connections, and resources they need to thrive in college and graduate prepared for the professional world. Over the years, the program has incorporated the following core pillars to build a platform for transformative leadership.
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Internships &
Job Experiences
Internships represent an important opportunity for Fellows to build skills, networks, and knowledge, and have long paved the way for college students to gain real world experience. They are also, increasingly, a direct pipeline to jobs after graduation. MKE Fellows pairs interns with Milwaukee and Wisconsin companies who offer paid internships that help Fellows gain important on-the-job experience, build professional contacts, and earn money.
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Career & Professional
Development
MKE Fellows provides immersive experiential learning opportunities that foster personal growth, self-confidence, and perseverance. Fellows are expected to participate in professional development workshops held on Saturdays throughout the summer which enable them to contribute readily at their internship experiences.
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Mentorship
Each Fellow is paired with a volunteer professional leader in the Milwaukee community who serves as a dedicated mentor and provides career guidance and leadership advice. Through professional development programming, the Fellows have additional opportunities to meet successful professionals of color across various careers. In addition, a group of ministers of all faiths serve as mentors for the Fellows.
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Civic Engagement
Supporting the Fellows’ development outside the workplace is critical to setting the stage for their personal growth. MKE Fellows’ comprehensive approach allows each Fellow to meet the challenges of his daily life and develop meaningful social relationships and business networks that will ultimately help him not only acquire a job, but build a career. MKE Fellows hosts programming that allows each fellow to develop important professional relationships and experience the broader community.
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Scholarship Opportunities
The financial barriers to a college degree faced by most urban minority students are formidable. MKE Fellows provides educational support through a merit-based book scholarship program that helps offset the costs of subsidiary educational materials. MKE Fellows is also building a need-based emergency fund to help support extreme circumstances in which an MKE Fellow requires supplemental funding to complete a semester.