 Our students from the Youth Voice Project did an outstanding job with writing questions, moderating discussions, and leading the conversation with confidence and thoughtfulness. We are so proud of their leadership.
Thank you to the candidates for engaging in meaningful dialogue, to Gateway Technical College for hosting the event, and to Upload Partners for making the livestream possible. We also appreciate coverage from Kenosha News and TMJ4, which helped amplify the students’ voices. If you couldn’t attend or watch live, you can view the forum here:
Special thanks to Destiny, Brandon and Maggie for their leadership—Youth Voice Project is five years in the making, and our students continue to shine each year as they host this forum. Let’s continue to amplify youth voices!  Forty-two early care and education providers across Kenosha County plan to offer the new Get Kids Ready program, representing 38% of all providers in the county. This places Kenosha 12th in Wisconsin for provider participation, the highest among StriveTogether communities, and the highest of any county with more than 100 providers. Providers from across the county are participating, including the City of Kenosha and communities west of I-94 such as Salem, Twin Lakes, and Wilmot, reflecting strong regional commitment to school readiness.
Backed by $66 million in state funding and administered by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, Get Kids Ready provides free school readiness programming for 4-year-olds during the funded portion of the day, reducing costs for families while expanding access to high-quality early learning. To support implementation, participating providers are invited to join a statewide Community of Practice, offering technical assistance and peer learning on curriculum alignment, scheduling the required 437 hours of instruction, staffing, compliance, and family outreach. Why it matters: Expanding access to high-quality early learning helps ensure more children enter kindergarten ready to succeed. Next steps: Building Our Future will continue working with providers and partners to support implementation and ensure families across Kenosha County are aware of this new no-cost opportunity.  Building Our Future recently launched the Kenosha County Overview Data Dashboard, a new tool designed to make key community data easier to access in one place. By bringing together publicly available data sources, the dashboard helps partners, educators, and community leaders quickly explore local trends that inform strategies supporting our shared cradle-to-career outcomes.
Each month, we’ll highlight a different section of the dashboard. To get started, visit the first page: “Who Lives in Kenosha?” This interactive view shows the county’s population and demographics. Users can click on individual municipalities or use the dropdown menu to compare how communities across the county contribute to the overall population. Why it matters: Shared data helps partners align efforts, identify gaps, and better target strategies that improve outcomes for children and families. Click on the image below to explore the Kenosha County Overview Dashboard Looking for deeper cradle-to-career outcomes data? Additional dashboards are available on the Building Our Future website. |
Our Mission: Together we will engage our community to provide an environment in which all contribute and excel. Our Vision: Everyone achieving personal potential from cradle to career. |
