The Power of Near-Peer Mentorship
This spring our Project L.E.A.D. highschool participants brought their year to a close with their final session, leading a Discovery World Scavenger Hunt for our elementary school group! Throughout the school year, they have been practicing equitable leadership skills through hands-on monthly challenges, and it was amazing to see their hard work come to fruition at this special event.
Young Leaders Find Their Voice Through Art
We know that young people are capable of great things when they are truly empowered. We observed this first-hand last month as a group of Kindred participants gathered for “Screen Printing for Social Change,” the last session in our monthly “Milwaukee After Dark” series for middle school students. This group of young people comes from all across the city of Milwaukee, representing 14 different schools, and these monthly sessions are their chance to reconnect with their friends from Camp Kindred and continue to develop their leadership skills.
Kindred Friendship Spotlight: Megan + Marissa
Two current Project L.E.A.D.ers that met during camp’s first summer take us back to their friendship origin story 4 summers ago. They share that it’s been a challenge to find opportunities to meet people outside of their school + neighborhood communities, especially throughout the past couple of years. “Kindred has been a really cool way to meet people from around our city and make friends with people [we] probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
Introducing: Kindred Leadership Adventures!
Introducing our new summer 2022 programming: Kindred Adventures!
Zanovia’s Story
I worked very hard to get where I am in life. I spent countless nights studying, praying that everything would work in my favor, and crying when I wasn’t so sure that it would. I worked full time while I was in school to make sure I would have everything I would need, and not rely on the support of others—but Unity in Motion was always there in case I fell short. I knew that if I ever needed anything, I would always have the support of the organization. UIM has benefited me in countless ways and I don’t think that I will ever be able to thank the organization enough!
Chef Silas: “Baking Helps Me Calm Down”
Before Kindred clubs, Silas shared that he found himself fighting with his siblings when he got angry. Although Silas had some great tools in his mindfulness toolkit already, he shared that Master Chef Club taught him how to calm down when he was really angry. Silas shared that all of the people in Master Chef club were really nice and made it really comfortable to learn new cooking techniques together.
Our New Program Director Introduces New Programs!
Greetings!
My name is Kinnethia Tolson and I am incredibly honored to join the Unity in Motion team as the new Program Director! For the last six years, I have had the privilege to serve Milwaukee’s young people in both school classrooms and after school programming. Program design has always been a passion of mine, and I am thrilled to continue to exercise my skills to empower Milwaukee’s next generation of leaders.
Providing Authentic Connection in a Season of Isolation
Although we all would have loved to connect in-person at camp this summer, it was clear that it was not worth compromising the safety of our families and staff, and the communities they would have returned to after camp. It was also clear that while “virtual summer camp” is not nearly the same experience, we were uniquely positioned to offer valuable support to our young people during a season of prolonged isolation.
High School Interns Thrive
As you know, your support makes possible our long-term commitment to the youth and families we serve. We guide each participant from adolescence to adulthood (14 year commitment), ensuring they reach their full potential. You’ve fulfilled this promise for over 20 years, through attacks on our country, the housing market crash, and the subsequent recession, but nothing has tested us more, and reaffirmed the resolve of our community, than the year 2020.