This is a truly rare partnership. It clearly benefits the students at all three institutions and the entire community.
College? Bring it on, says Samia Bell.
Thanks to a partnership between Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Area Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee called M³ (pronounced M-cubed), Bell, a senior at MPS’ Vincent High School, feels only excitement about her educational future.
Through M³, she has taken college classes, visited college campuses and learned about financial aid.
By the time she graduates this spring, Bell will have earned 22 college credits. Her biggest decision will be where to go: She has already been admitted to 18 colleges and offered full-ride scholarships at four of them.
“I have got a glimpse of what is out there for me,” Bell said. “The M³ programs are preparing me.”
That’s exactly the kind of impact and results M³ leaders hoped the initiative would have when it started in 2015.
On Thursday, January 30, about 150 M³ representatives, community partners, elected officials, students and other guests gathered at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus to celebrate 10 years of M³ collaboration and impact.
The M³ concept was born in 2015, when new executives from MPS, MATC and UWM created the partnership to increase the retention, graduation and career success of students, and to provide a prepared workforce and citizenry for the Wisconsin economy.
“This is a truly rare partnership,” said MATC President Anthony Cruz, Ed.D., at the celebration. “It clearly benefits the students at all three institutions and the entire community.”
“M³ started with a dream,” said UWM Chancellor Mark Mone, Ph.D. “We created a partnership, something that didn’t exist before.”
M³ created several programs to drive student success:
- Smart Start helps ease the transition for students graduating high school and preparing to enter college by offering support through applications, registering for classes, summer programs and the first year of higher education.
- Direct Admit streamlines the MATC and UWM college application process by providing one form that is free and takes only five minutes for MPS juniors to complete.
- Work-Based Learning provides students with real-world experiences through job fairs, internships and job shadowing.
- College Connections is a dual enrollment program in which MPS seniors can earn college credits during their final year of high school.
- Milwaukee Parent Institute equips MPS families with the knowledge and skills to help their students graduate and prepare for higher education.
The results of students participating in these programs have been impressive, officials said.
- 900 MPS juniors in the class of 2025 submitted streamlined college applications through Milwaukee Direct Admit.
- Since 2019, more than 700 MPS seniors have earned 8,000 college credits from UWM and MATC through the College Connections initiative, saving nearly $2.6 million in tuition.
- Since 2018, 5,000 MPS students have participated in work-based learning and job fairs to explore careers.
- 10,000 freshmen and sophomores have toured MATC and UWM campuses since 2017.
- More than 61% of MPS seniors in the class of 2024 completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), surpassing both the national (54%) and Wisconsin (47%) averages and unlocking greater access to college.
“It’s easy to look at the results and celebrate them,” said Eduardo Galvan, interim superintendent at MPS. “But we also need to imagine how things might look if all of those students didn’t get any of that support.”
At the celebration, several current or graduated MPS students praised the programs for providing that crucial support.
Victor Lo and Devin Hayden, both in their second year at MATC, said they participated in the Smart Start program to make friendships with fellow first-year students and learn the ins and outs of the college.
Jesus Ruiz Villamil, a native of Colombia who graduated from MPS’ South Division High School in 2024, earned 23 credits through dual enrollment, visited campuses and also engaged in the Smart Start program. Today, he is studying linguistics at UWM.
“Being able to visit campuses allowed me to visualize myself in college,” he said. “Smart Start answered a lot of my questions, and I started college on the right foot.”
About M³ (M-cubed): Founded in the spring of 2015, M³ seeks to transform the future of Milwaukee through education. Through collaboration, coordination and partnership, MPS, MATC and UWM will increase the retention, graduation and career success of our students and provide a prepared workforce and citizenry for the Wisconsin economy. M³ will also provide the education and resources to help drive an entrepreneurial mindset for all students to increase choices and opportunities for growth.
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.