Join the Autonomous Youth Council

Yes! Council members will be paid $17/hour during the summer training academy and subsequent programming.

We’re looking for Milwaukee youth ages 14-24 who want to be active participants in shaping the decisions that impact their lives.

The Autonomous Youth Council is an 18-month commitment. It starts with a 4-week summer training academy, which runs from July 8-August 2, 2024. This in-person training runs 20 hours/week (Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Following the summer and fall training sessions, youth will have a yearlong placement at a local organization, where they’ll add youth voice and experience to the decision-making process.

So much! The content and structure of the training has been shaped by youth and community feedback. Participants will learn about the history of education in Milwaukee, culturally and historically responsive education practices, youth/adult equity, community organizing, life skills, data-driven decision-making, budgeting and more!

This won’t be a typical school environment. We want to focus on hands-on development, where participants can get practical experience in the subjects we’re teaching - like helping a partner organization plan their budget. Each topic will be taught by a different community expert, creating a diverse teaching pool and a collaborative learning environment.

The 4-week training will take place in-person at ThriveOn King (2153 N Doctor MLK Jr Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53212).

Our placement organizations include: Data You Can Use, the African American Round Table, Your Move MKE, Milwaukee Succeeds, the City of Milwaukee DPW Parks Program, Lad Lake, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts and Arts at Large. Between 2-5 council members will be placed at each site, meaning you won’t be going in alone! We’ll also be there to provide support and assistance throughout the process to help you make the most of this experience.

The application period for our 2024 cohort closed on May 3, 2024.