It’s not hard to quantify the work we do here at COA; thousands and thousands of lives have been touched-- 10,000 each year; hundreds of at-risk youth are provided scholarships to camp each summer; and 90 cents of every dollar we raise directly serves Milwaukee families. But numbers don’t always tell the whole story. Meet [...]

We are proud to recognize these Rising Stars for their tremendous leadership and personal growth throughout their participation in COA programs. Azalea and Chris embody COA's holistic mission to serve children, strengthen families, and build our Milwaukee community. Chris Morgan Chris Morgan is a mentor, leader, and coach passionate about the Amani neighborhood where he [...]

Cousins Subs awarded a $2,000 grant to COA Youth & Family Centers for its Home-based Literacy Program for Preschoolers (HIPPY). The grant funds will be used to sponsor families in the HIPPY program. Although HIPPY is free for participants, the program cost per family is around $1,000. This includes the cost of books, activities, family [...]

Azalea Martinez is a junior at Riverside University High School and is a member of the school's Midwest Regional champion robotic team. But her "educational career" began when she was 3 years old as one of the first participants in COA's HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) program. As a young parent, Leticia [...]

Seventy preschoolers graduated from Milwaukee's HIPPY program on Saturday, May 16th at Milwaukee Public Library - Centennial Hall. HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) is an internationally known early literacy and parental engagement program for children provided by COA in partnership with The Parenting Network. The event included a graduation ceremony for families completing [...]

A recent article from WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio sheds light on violence and hope in the Amani neighborhood. An excerpt from the article about COA is below: "The threat of violence is always present, according to Quintrell Boyles. “It’s affecting everybody tremendously. I mean, for some of us, it’s right on our front doorsteps. For others, [...]

Volunteers play an important role at COA, and we would like to recognize the outstanding contributions of Kim Wynn as a volunteer with our pre-teen program. Kim Wynn works at Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., and is a member of the United Way Women's Leadership Council. She first learned about COA when the Council volunteered with [...]

The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service recently featured teen participant Joshua Leonard in an article about COA's free drivers education program. From the article: "About a decade ago, students participating in COA’s three-day youth leadership institute camp proposed a scholarship-based driver’s education program to alleviate the barriers they were facing in getting their licenses. A pilot program [...]

COA was recently highlighted in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on the changing landscape of the Amani neighborhood. From the article: "Amani — bordered by N. 27th St., W. Keefe Ave., N. 20th St. and W. Center St. — historically has been one of Milwaukee's most challenged neighborhoods with high rates of poverty and crime. [...]

This month, Milwaukee Magazine featured an article with an in-depth look into Milwaukee's 53206 zip code. COA opened the Goldin Center in the 53206 zip code ten years ago to offer after-school and summer opportunities for youth in one of Milwaukee's most distressed neighborhoods. Since then, COA has opened a pediatric and family clinic in partnership with Children's Hospital [...]