All Jazzed Up to Support Our Scholars!!
On Thursday, November 2nd, 2023, over 220 community members join us for All Jazzed Up, our 5th Annual Gala at the Milwaukee Athletic Club!
The evening was filled with merriment as attendees participated in the evening's festivities including; Hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour, Live music from the Milwaukee Jazz Institute, casino-style gaming, a silent auction, exquisite cuisine and specialty cocktails, and a look at the successes of FUL programming over the last year!
On Thursday, November 2nd, 2023, over 220 community members join us for All Jazzed Up, our 5th Annual Gala at the Milwaukee Athletic Club!
The evening was filled with merriment as attendees participated in the evening's festivities including; Hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour, Live music from the Milwaukee Jazz Institute, casino-style gaming, a silent auction, exquisite cuisine and specialty cocktails, and a look at the successes of FUL programming over the last year!
A huge thank you goes out to the night’s emcee, FOX 6’s very own Ted Perry, who ignited the crowd with his energetic presence! Special acknowledgment goes out to FUL’s Parent Advisory Board, Gala Committee, and our event sponsors for ensuring the night was a huge success!
We hope to see you all next year for our 6th annual gala in 2024!
Meet Serina Jamison, Future Urban Leader's New High School Program Coordinator!
We are very excited to welcome FUL’s new High School Program Coordinator, Serina Jamison! As a way to introduce Serina, we asked her a few questions…
We are very excited to welcome FUL’s new High School Program Coordinator, Serina Jamison! As a way to introduce Serina, we asked her a few questions:
1. What has you most excited about joining the FUL Family?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my personal and professional life is the importance of building authentic relationships. Relationships, an essential step in establishing trust, makes working towards a common goal possible. With that said, I am most excited about getting to know all members of the FUL Family and building lasting connections with colleagues, parents, and students as we support youth in their academic and social development. When I attended a donor appreciation event, it was clear that the FUL Family values equity and provides a space for students to be their authentic selves. I saw the joy on everyone’s faces when students spoke to community members about their work with FUL and their plans for the future. It was invigorating.
2. What are some significant leadership components you are looking forward to showcasing with our high school Fellows?
I have dedicated nearly a decade of my life to teaching and learning from the students who have graced my classroom. With my experience working alongside youth, I am looking forward to showcasing the necessity of life-long learning in ensuring personal growth and development. Additionally, I am a proponent of reflection and emotional intelligence in everyday practice to inform decisions. My roles as a teacher coach, facilitator, and school administrator taught me that an effective leader has a clear vision/purpose, structure, and the support of the community to achieve said vision/purpose. Illustrating these components to students will aid our work in pursuing their personal purpose.
3. Who inspires you and your work as a leader in the world of education?
My nieces, nephews, and hundreds of former students inspire me to work as a leader in the world of education because I know with love and support, the youth will make the world better - for themselves and others.
4. If you had to tell FUL families one thing to expect from you in this role, what would it be?
As an educator, I continuously strive to develop my students spoken and written voices. I challenge them to question the worlds around them to be agents in their transformation. I support students in their journeys of self-discovery, pushing them to be their authentic selves in a society that works tirelessly to pull students from their purpose. Leveraging our children’s existing talents and skills while challenging them to think critically is important to strengthen their ability to make informed choices, their choices.
2023 FUL HBCU Experience
On March 31, Future Urban Leaders embarked on its 2nd Annual HBCU Tour with nineteen of our FUL fellows, three staff members (our Executive Director, Co-Founder, Program Director) and a Parent Advisory Board (PAB) member.
Together the group toured eight historically black college campuses and participated in a number of new experiences.
The trip was amazing, everyone had a great time. We were able to chat with a few of the students who participated. In our chat we discussed what they learned, things they liked about the trip, advice they had for younger scholars, and if the trip has helped them have a clearer view for their futures.
On March 31, Future Urban Leaders embarked on its 2nd Annual HBCU Tour with nineteen of our FUL Fellows, three staff members (our Executive Director, Co-Founder, and Program Director) and a Parent Advisory Board (PAB) member.
Together the group toured eight college campuses:
Harris Stowe State University
Fisk University
Tennessee State University
Meharry Medical College
Alabama A&M University
Morehouse College
Spelman College
Georgia State University
In addition to touring the college campuses we were able to plan a number of activities and site visits such as:
A visit to the memorial of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO
A visit to AND up the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO
A history lesson of black music at The Jefferson Street Sound Museum in Nashville, TN
A day of fun interacting with black NASA representatives from engineering, finance, and HR at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL
Reflective moments spent at the Historic Bethel Baptist Church and Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, AL
A night strolling through Atlanta
An opportunity to dine with leaders in their respective industries of the Nashville community
The trip was amazing, everyone had a great time. We were able to chat with a few of the students who participated: Marquonnis, Nehemiah, and Neveah. In our chat we discussed what they learned, things they liked about the trip, advice they had for younger scholars, and if the trip has helped them have a clearer view for their futures. Below are their responses.
Our next HBCU trip will take place in 2024. Our goal is to bring over 20 scholars with us on the trip and to have a coach bus as our mode of transportation (in past years we have driven in a few separate vans). Our set budget at this time is approximately $40,000 for the trip, your donation supports everything from gas money, meals, transportation, accommodations, extracurricular experiences, and more - all with the goal of helping our scholars have a clearer view of what is possible for their futures.
See the impact of your donation!
$14,000 - Supports FUL's transportation for the annual HBCU Experience
$4,000 - Supports FUL's meal plan for the annual HBCU Experience
$2,500 - Supports the curation of educational activities for the annual HBCU Experience
$2,000 - Supports FUL's annual partnership with Greater Life Community Center
$2,000 - Supports FUL's ability to provide ACT/SAT prep for Fellows programming
$2,000 - Supports FUL's purchase of Chromebooks for Fellows programming
Exploring Possibility: Science, Art, and Project-Based Programming
Our Young Einstein's are our youngest scholars beginning in 4K and going to 2nd grade. In this program we take a STEAM-based approach to curriculum building, which allows our scholars to develop critical thinking skills and curiosity about the world around them at a young age.
Our Young Einstein's are our youngest scholars beginning in 4K and going to 2nd grade. In this program we take a STEAM-based approach to curriculum building, which allows our scholars to develop critical thinking skills and curiosity about the world around them at a young age.
2022 was a year of reset for our Young Einsteins program since pre-COVID times. In the second half of the 2021-2022 school year we were able to focus more about programming and providing our youngest scholars with intentional STEAM-based activities and aligning the STEAM-based activities with standard-based learning.
Our Young Einsteins Program Lead, Emily Ventola, was very intentional in allowing our scholars to have input on the types of programming she planned. We had no shortage of ideas!
STEAM activities our students love most are the exploratory, hands-on activities. Some examples of activities our Young Einstein’s loved this year included; creating slime, science experiments (such as taking baking soda and little droppers of vinegar and food coloring to see how they react to each other), and art activities.
“We have been busy with the Young Einsteins building, creating, and exploring. I've been so happy to see how all of our scholars - even our littlest 4 year olds - have been able to engage in our activities and show off their creative energy!” - Emily Ventola, Young Einsteins Program Lead
College Prep
Our high school scholars are our Leadership Fellows. In our high school programming we focus on comprehensive college and career readiness including; ACT prep, college exploration, and entrepreneurship.
In 2022, we were able to bring in a number of professionals from the community to educate our scholars on their careers and skill sets. The goal of all of our programming for our Fellows is to equip our scholars with tools for their toolboxes as they plan and begin to transition into the next phase of their lives.
Jamaria, a FUL senior and has also been involved with Future Urban Leaders since she was in sixth grade.
Over the years as a FUL scholar, the different experiences and opportunities she has been able to participate in is one of her favorite parts of Future Urban Leaders. In addition to new opportunities, the real relationships built within FUL have been most impactful.
“The staff talk to you outside of FUL programming, they truly care about me as a person. I know that if I would text Mr.Krueger or Mr. Romenesko for help, they would respond,” Jamaria shared.
Jamaria had known since she was young that she wanted to attend Howard University in Washington D.C. After attending the 2022 HBCU Trip, she was able to visit Howard University and learned quickly that the campus wasn’t the perfect fit she had dreamed it to be.
“I wanted to go to Howard and when we got there it wasn’t the area I wanted to be in.”
The HBCU Trip was one of Jamaria’s favorite experiences with FUL, along with Future Cities as a younger scholar, and College Prep as a high school scholar.
“I like the Wednesday night College Prep class for a number of reasons. Some weeks it is nice to have a place to go to chill and be with good people I haven’t seen in a while. Other weeks, I go into Wednesday nights needing help and I am able to sit down and focus on school work or other college prep materials.”