Just days after Meralis Hood took over as executive director, at City Year Milwaukee, the AmeriCorps group of young people that works to help kids in Milwaukee Public Schools succeed, ManpowerGroup has announced it is giving the group $200,000 over the next four years.
The contribution will help fuel City Year’s Whole School, Whole Child (WSWC), which aims to boost the number of students who stay in school and graduate from MPS. Currently, 100 City Year/AmeriCorps members work in 11 MPS schools. The goal is to reach students in 38 schools.
"We are pleased to support City Year Milwaukee to give young people a strong start for sustainable careers," said Jonas Prising, chairman & CEO, ManpowerGroup, which has had a partnership with City Year nationally for even years.
"Upskilling young people and getting them work-ready requires deep partnerships between educators and employers. Half of the people we place around the world are Millennials, so we know exactly how to nurture young people’s learnability so they have the desire and ability to keep learning new skills that help them stay employable throughout their careers. ManpowerGroup people are glad to bring their expertise to City Year and we’re all proud of the commitment and positive impact on youth here in our Milwaukee community."
Hood hopes ManpowerGroup’s commitment will spur others to follow the lead and support the organzation’s important work among Milwaukee children.
"This year, City Year Milwaukee celebrates our seventh year working with local students, schools and communities. We know students are making significant gains in academics, behavior and attendance." said Hood. "And that is why this commitment is so important. We hope others will feel compelled to contribute as well."
The grant was announced this morning at City Year Milwaukee’s 18-Minute Networking Event, which brings together 100 AmeriCorps volunteers with Milwaukee-area professionals, held at ManpowerGroup global headquarters in Downtown Milwaukee.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
