"Engaging...Unique...Inspiring" Milwaukee STEAM & Dream Summit video recap and photos

On Saturday, July 30 American Family Insurance brought the STEAM & Dream National City Tour to Milwaukee with an Adult and Youth Summit hosted at the University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. The Summit was a part of the National City Tour to encourage exploration of tech and entrepreneurship. The next stop on the tour is Saturday, August 20 in Chicago.

The summit provided an engaging and unique experience focused on equipping youth, aged 12-17, and adults with the necessary tools to pursue technology/STEM and entrepreneurship aspirations. 

Programming included sessions with celebrity guests Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings of Earn Your Leisure, Black on Black Education and Latinos in Tech as well Hip Hop Yoga, wellness sessions, NFT sessions and more.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and American Family CEO Bill Westrate also provided welcoming remarks at the event.

Watch this video recap of the  Milwaukee STEAM & Dream Summit: 

STEAM & Dream background

Launched in 2020 in Milwaukee during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to a lack of access to computers and STEM programming at home, STEAM & Dream works to prepare BIPOC students for careers in STEM through engaging programming, mentorship and more. Led by an investment from American Family Insurance, STEAM & Dream is a collective of community-based organizations including Connect Business Consulting, Jet Constellations, and Sherman Phoenix. These organizations are committed to using their connections and resources to foster partnerships that build power for communities most impacted by physical, economic and social disparities and close gaps for BIPOC youth in STEAM-based fields. 

The summits (another took place in Atlanta earlier and the last on the tour will be held in Phoenix in October) are in collaboration with American Family Insurance partners including Connect Business Consulting, Sherman Phoenix, Milky Way Tech Hub, Journey House, Young Enterprising Society, Discovery World, and Grateful Girls. 

Urban Future Centers

As part of this effort, and led by an investment from American Family Insurance, Urban Future Centers is an initiative that is committed to honoring and amplifying community-based organizations through resources and funding. The Urban Future Centers provide a variety of resources, with an emphasis on innovative educational programming in the STEAM disciplines. They also offer arts and cultural events, mentorship, workforce training, support of entrepreneurship and access to minority-owned businesses. The Urban Future Center concept is unique as it brings tech education and programming and other resources directly to youth and adults in Milwaukee’s high-population, inner-city neighborhoods, serving those most in need in a welcoming, community-based environment. Urban Future Centers is comprised of Sherman Phoenix, Journey House, Milky Way Tech Hub and Young Enterprising Society - four Black-led community organizations dedicated to building power in underserved communities most impacted by racial and economic disparities.  

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About American Family Insurance
Based in Madison, Wisconsin, American Family Insurance has been serving customers since 1927. We inspire, protect and restore dreams through our insurance products, exceptional service from our agency owners and employees, community investment and creative partnerships to address societal challenges. We act on our belief in diversity and inclusion by constantly evolving to meet customer needs and preferences. American Family Insurance group is the nation’s 13th-largest property/casualty insurance group, ranking No. 251 on the Fortune 500 list. The group sells American Family-brand products, primarily through exclusive agency owners in 19 states. The American Family Insurance group also includes CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, The General, Homesite and Main Street America Insurance. Across these companies the group has more than 13,500 employees nationwide.