Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is starting to hand out more federal COVID-19 relief funds. This week, it's $82 million available under the Equitable Recovery Grant program. The money is targeted for community-based organizations that aim to increase equity and eliminate disparities in areas disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
One million dollars, the maximum allowed under the grants, is going to a literacy program in Milwaukee.
Evers visited the Next Door social service agency Tuesday to announce the money for the Literacy Lab and Leading Men Fellowship, which aims to place young men of color in early childhood education positions.
Evers called it a meaningful day. "Here we have an opportunity to not only help little kids in their reading skills and their literacy skills, but at the same time, bringing more representation to those who are educating those kids," he said.
Bernard Rahming II helps run the Literacy Lab. He said there are far too few Black or brown men in early childhood education, noting that he's the son of two teachers in the Milwaukee Public Schools.
"While I knew it was possible for Black and brown men to be educators with my dad serving as a daily example, my lived experience in schools did not reinforce that message. Throughout my entire schooling, including K-12, undergrad and graduate school, I did not have a single teacher who was a Black or brown male," Rahming said.
Rahming told WUWM that the COVID-19 pandemic hurt the Literacy Lab's efforts to teach kids to read.
"We tried to do virtual learning and did our best. But you know it wasn't the same, right? It's not the same to teach kids to read. We're working with K4 and K5, and we did our best to create videos interventions and go home with kids in some way. But it's not the same as being in the classroom and seeing these guys work," he said.
Rahming said the federal money will help the Literacy Lab double the number of fellows, or teachers, from the current 10 to 20.
Before the COVID pandemic, the lab served up to 400 students per year. Rahming hopes to return to that number or help even more kids.
