Northwestern Mutual is the latest organization to join the Milky Way Tech Hub (MWTH) as a corporate member.
According to a press release, the partnership will support the growth of K-12 STEM programming in Milwaukee. Northwestern Mutual will provide program grants focusing on tech outreach among K-12 students. The grants will be provided by Northwestern Mutual’s STEM outreach program, “hi, Tech.”
The hi, Tech program will support scaling of MWTH’s Data Science Program in targeted Milwaukee schools Northwestern Mutual has invested in through its’ philanthropic education strategy.
“We recognize that to ensure a strong STEM ecosystem in Milwaukee, all students must have the opportunity to excel and see themselves in a tech career,” said Stacy Zaja, assistant director for hi, Tech. “We’re thrilled that middle school students from our partner schools will have the opportunity to experience the MWTH Data Science Program and look forward to seeing the positive student outcomes from our collective work.”
Milky Way Tech Hub is the social impact arm of Jet Constellations and led by founder Nadiyah Johnson. The organization’s goal is to help make Milwaukee a tech hub where people of color can thrive in the field of technology. Plans for the entrepreneurial hub were first announced in mid-2020.
In a statement, Johnson explained that the partnership with Northwestern Mutual helps support the overall mission of MWTH and aligns with Northwestern Mutual’s commitment to invest in pipelines for diverse tech talent.
“Through our partnership with Northwestern Mutual, we will scale our civic tech and data science programming to upskill our communities and drive toward collaborative data-driven solutions for the city,” said Johnson. “We are grateful to have Northwestern Mutual join us as we continue to double down on our mission of making Milwaukee a tech ecosystem that serves and uplifts Black, Latinx, and Tribal communities.”
This is the second well-known corporate partner to join the MWTH is the span of two months. Milwaukee Tool also joined the organization in December. Through their partnership, MWTH and Milwaukee Tool offer a four-week program with Milwaukee Academy of Science teaching middle school students computer science skills focused on hardware and embedded systems.
