Wisconsin has some of the largest achievement gaps in education, along racial and economic lines. But low-income housing centers in the state are trying to change that.
These housing units, based in Madison and Milwaukee, offer on-site learning services including early childhood programs, K-12 education and college prep programs.
"What we’ve done is the built actual physical structures on each property that house computer labs, daycare centers areas, conference rooms and other education classes so that we can do some rather unique things," said Carmen Porco, CEO of the nonprofit Housing Ministries of American Baptists in Wisconsin.
Some of those unique things include hiring development residents and provide them job training on managing the property, maintaining it and implementing the educational programs. They are also able to augment their abilities and curriculum by tapping the University of Wisconsin System, as well as the Madison and Milwaukee public school systems.
Porco, who oversees four low-income housing sites in Milwaukee and two Madison, said the centers have been a great success, with nearly 100 percent of students involved in the programs graduating from high school and 76 percent of those students going on to higher education.
"We’ve built within the community a new sense that this is not a poor community, this is not necessarily low-income, it’s becoming an education community," said Porco.
Porco said the benefit in providing these education programs on site helps to build a sense of the community owning the institution as well as logistical help by eliminating transportation issues, providing daycare and easy parental access.
He said a side benefit is that many of the parents decide to pursue some of the adult education and college classes with much success too.