2011: Artist rendering of Journey House Center for Family Learning and Youth Athletics
1886 – 2011
1886: H.W. Longfellow School opens
1969: Americorps VISTA volunteers found “Happy Moon Journey House”
1987: Journey House purchases church on 1900 W. Washington St. (Now the Adult Learning Center)
1996: Dr. Michele Bria joins Journey House as the Associate Director—at the time Journey House has only six staff members and a budget of $270,000
1997: Journey House launches original Capital Campaign
1998: Journey House opens the Community Learning Center at Longfellow School
1999: Journey House directors meet with Mayor John Norquist at City Hall
2000: MPS approves the “Neighborhood Schools Initiative”
2006: Longfellow adds new addition and 400 more students
2008: Walter L. and Grace M. Merten Charitable Trust provides Journey House with a $500,000 donation
2008: The Zilber Family Foundation selects the Clarke Square neighborhood as one of two initial pilots of the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative
2008-2009: Journey House raises $3 million towards their Capital Campaign Fund. The goal is $5.95 million
2009: Burke Foundation provides a $1 million investment to the Journey House’s Capital Campaign Fund
2009: Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCB) are introduced as a new tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
2009: MPS receives $72 million in Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs)
2010: MPS approves $2.95 million toward construction of the new building
2011: Spring – Groundbreaking for the Journey House Center for Family Learning and Youth Athletics
Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.
