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Camp RISE helps kids earn money, learn about careers in Milwaukee [Video]

Right now, there’s a growing call for help and donations to a special camp for Milwaukee Public Schools students. Camp RISE, a leadership and career exploration program, is returning for its fourth year next summer.Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson helped found the program. “Camp RISE is unique,” said Johnson. “In fact, in my conversations with leaders, mayors from all over the country, I’m not even aware of a similar program like this anywhere else in the United States.”Camp RISE is open to 400 Milwaukee Public Schools students ages 10 to 13. “We do a lot of money management and leadership training,” said Romell Greer of Employ Milwaukee. “Some of the things we do is we go throughout the city, we set up field trips to paint murals, and also clean neighborhoods. We took the kids to the port last year, and the kids were able to see these large boats and were astonished that those boats were actually coming to Milwaukee. We also try to do a lot of relationship building. How do you de-escalate? How do you talk problems out? How do you avoid the physicality and avoid the misunderstandings, and what do you do? Those are some of the things in which we do at Camp RISE.”Once kids age out of the camp, they can move into a paid counselor role. “It introduces them to the world of work with some stipends, cash payments, for participating in this program, Camp RISE,” Johnson said.The city wants to make Camp RISE as accessible as possible, even offering buses to and from students’ homes to places like North Division High School, where they participated in the camp last year.Ahead of Giving Tuesday, Johnson pushed to remind residents Monday to think of Camp RISE on the worldwide day of donation.”This is a unique thing piloted and started in Milwaukee and seeing success here,” said Johnson. “We’re encouraging our partners in the community on Giving Tuesday to contribute to help, to make sure we continue to have this happen.”Tom Berman of the Berman Family Foundation has already made a donation to the camp and encourages others to consider supporting the program. “So many bright people never have a chance, and this gives them a chance,” Berman said. “It gives them direction. It builds them a foundation. I think in these times, you’ve got to be unique in your thinking about what you’re going to do to improve the lives in the inner cities all over America.”Johnson believes your investment could change the future of the city.”I absolutely 100% believe that a Camp RISE student one day will be mayor of the city,” Johnson said.To learn more about Camp RISE or to make a donation, click here.