Our latest research analyzes youth development expenditures by Milwaukee’s largest public sector entities, a need that was heightened by last summer’s events in Sherman Park, which raised questions about the services provided to young people throughout the city. We find that Milwaukee’s major governmental entities are investing considerable resources in out-of-school programming for the city’s youth, but that investments should be better tracked and coordinated.
Key findings:
- New approaches to financial accounting would clarify youth development investment needs and results.
- Joint planning and goal-setting could be used to strengthen current initiatives and maximize the value of investments by individual governments.
- Preserving and potentially enhancing after school programs could be the first step in a longer-term effort to collaborate on goals and to coordinate investment.