Milwaukee County · Impact
What we know so far.
Three views of the work show what Milwaukee County invested, what participating young people and adults reported, and what the summer program delivered.
03 / Evidence and impact
The work in numbers.
A snapshot of the state investment and participant outcomes Milwaukee County shared at the initiative’s launch.
- State investment
- $1.5MIn Office of Violence Prevention grants for new projects announced in June 2026.
- Advance Peace
- 95%Of fellows reported no new gun injuries since the fellowship launched in 2024, as reported at the June 2026 launch.
- Credible Messengers
- 76%Of participating youth had no new referral or offense during programming in the most recent figures cited at launch.
The grant figure describes an investment. The two percentages describe participant outcomes as reported by the County at launch. They measure different things.
Youth voice
Young people named what helps them stay safe.
In a Milwaukee County survey, 597 young people and young adults ages 14 to 29 described the relationships and opportunities that help them avoid gun violence.
In practice / Safe Summer Sites
A summer shaped by young people.
When young people called for more welcoming places and trusted adults, schools and community organizations opened their doors for evening and weekend activities, enrichment, and paid youth leadership.
- 12 Anchor sites
- 64 Paid youth ambassadors
- 24 Safe Passage workers
Safe Summer Sites Evaluation, October 2026. Workforce categories can overlap.
Safe Summer Sites / June to August 2026
A closer look at who showed up.
Schools and community organizations used different attendance measures. The evaluation reports their figures separately.
- 4,870 visits
- Recorded across six Milwaukee Public Schools sites. At least 1,300 distinct young people made those visits.
- 1,766 attendees
- Approximate count reported by six community sites across the summer.
- 184 people
- Employed across the initiative, including youth ambassadors and Safe Passage staff.
Safe Summer Sites Evaluation, October 2026. People could attend more than one site or event.
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A Milwaukee County community safety and mental wellness initiative.