Coming Together

Youth and agency staff recognized for their work in violence prevention at the Coming Together awards luncheon in August 2015.

The Coming Together Partnership is a health-focused coalition, aiming to build collaboration and support youth-oriented initiatives to end violence in Milwaukee. Its partners include Community Advocates’ Milwaukee Brighter Futures Initiative, City of Milwaukee Health Department Office of Violence Prevention, the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Violence Prevention Initiative, and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Project Ujima.

"Become a Change-maker" Coming Together Summit

Video from 2nd Annual Coming Together Summit, held at UW-Milwaukee on December 10, 2014.

On December 10, 2014, Milwaukee’s Coming Together Partnership hosted its second annual gun violence prevention summit at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Union. The summit brought together Milwaukee youth with community workers and leaders to advance strategies to prevent and reduce gun violence.

The summit, moderated by Derrick Shoates from the Milwaukee Violence Free Zone program, centered around a “Become a Change-Maker” theme, and included remarks by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver, and Medical College of Wisconsin Chair of Emergency Medicine Dr. Stephen Hargarten. The morning session also highlighted youth led firearm and violence prevention projects supported by mini-grants awarded to youth serving agencies by the Coming Together Partnership.  A youth panel featuring young people discussing experiences and identifying preventive strategies completed the morning presentations.

Afternoon interactive workshops provided an opportunity for adults and youth to learn more about local activities, including restorative justice practices, the work of Milwaukee’s Homicide Review Commission, using music to tell stories, and youth violence prevention action groups. The summit was capped off by a joint performance of “The Figureheads” and youth summit participants who presented original violence prevention messages, created just that day.

The December summit was co-sponsored by The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Department of Student Affairs. For information about the previous year's summit, please visit the 2013 Coming Together Summit page.

Conference Materials

Press

• The Coming Together Partnership announced mini-grant awards to six Milwaukee youth serving agencies. The grants will assist in the development of youth led gun violence prevention activities. Read the press release. (April 2015) 
• Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, "Teens recognized for gun violence prevention efforts." (August 2015)
• Read the Coming Together Op Ed, "Use the strengths of our youth to prevent gun violence." (May 2015)
• Watch "Community leaders gather for Milwaukee's 2nd Annual Gun Prevention Summit," the CBS 58 coverage of the 2014 summit.
• Watch "Sharing ideas: Leaders gather in Milwaukee for second annual gun violence prevention summit," the Fox6 coverage of the 2014 summit.
• Watch "Mayor Barrett speaks at gun violence prevention summit," the TMJ4 coverage of the 2014 summit.
• Read "Milwaukee youths can help prevent gun violence," a Coming Together opinion piece featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. (July 2014)

Last Updated: 8/20/2015