Urban Underground is a youth leadership program located on Milwaukee’s North Side focusing on youth empowerment and social justice. Each summer, it employs students as part of the City of Milwaukee’s Earn and Learn program, giving them the opportunity to learn more about their community and ways they can work to improve it.

This past summer, the students worked together to create the first-ever edition of Youth Rise Magazine, a completely youth-led, digital publication that seeks to promote youth voices to expand perspectives in Milwaukee. In addition to working on the magazine at Marquette University, the students spent time exploring their city and engaging in a variety of community events at places such as Alice’s Garden and Bronzeville, while also participating in fitness sessions and redesigning the front window of Urban Underground. Returning Urban Underground members as well as new faces rounded out the group that stepped up to the challenge of trying something new.

The next issue of Youth Rise Magazine is in the works, and the students at Urban Underground are continuing to engage their community throughout the school year with their Youth Organizing Milwaukee sessions. If you know a high school student who would be interested in becoming an Urban Underground member, it’s not too late!