Our Supporters

THANK YOU PEOPLE PARTNERS!

Alumni often say some of the most important lessons learned on campus had nothing to do with lecture halls and library stacks.

We strongly believe that a diverse student body and faculty are paramount to fulfilling our mission as a world-class institution of higher learning. That the breadth of experiences and interactions gained on campus today will shape the leadership of tomorrow.

Thanks to partnerships with visionary companies such as AT&T, we have built a pipeline filled with 1,200 bright, motivated students of color, ranging in age from 7 to 21. Two-thirds come from low-income families and are the first to go to college.

The program is used as a national model and is the UW System’s most successful venture in creating opportunities and improving campus diversity. PEOPLE is working and we believe there is strong potential to quadruple the number of students served.

We are grateful to the leadership at AT&T Wisconsin and others who accepted the challenge of keeping a long-term investment in education on their radar screen. Together, we are helping to reverse the troubling high school graduation rates among African American, Hispanic and American Indian students statewide. Not with affirmative action programs, but with early interventions that give hope and direction at critical junctures in young lives.

Once PEOPLE students are selected, they are put through intense academic preparation with UW faculty and staff focusing on individual areas of need. Summer residential programs introduce students to the rigors of academic research and the rewards of professional careers. They are held accountable for meeting program requirements every step of the way.

At the conclusion of their four-year commitment, students are confident in their abilities and well prepared for competitive college entry. Ninety-nine percent graduate from high school. (PEOPLE currently serves 18 Milwaukee-area high schools.) Those who apply, are accepted and enroll at the UW-Madison are put on full scholarship. We have had a 92% retention rate compared to 81% for other targeted minority students and 88% for all students. Approximately 70% of PEOPLE students enroll at UW-System schools.

A strong foundation has been built, but there are more students out there with great leadership potential who need an intervention now. Our goal is to expand the pipeline–not just enhance those already there. For more information about how to join our growing list of partners below, please contact the UW Foundation.