January 2019  
YOUR DREAM.  OUR PROMISE.
A Generous Gift

 
Local Family Donates $10,000

Rick and Julie Diermeier have been longtime supporters of La Crosse Promise. They recently gave $10,000 donation to support the Future Centers.
 
"We believe that having a post-secondary education provides young adults with more opportunities to build rewarding careers in addition to increasing the supply of better qualified employees to local employers," said Julie.  "These are two important facets of a vibrant community.  This is why we support the Future Centers and hope that our gift helps students to realize their career aspirations while helping organizations to succeed in our communities."

Thank you to the Diermeiers for their generosity.
Student Testimonials


Mai Der Lee is the daughter of refugees from Laos who settled in La Crosse before she was born. English is her second language (Hmong being her first). She is also a first-generation college student. She first discovered the La Crosse Promise Future Centers during her freshman year through the outreach routinely done by Future Center Advisors. Heading into her senior year, she was introduced to Future Center Advisor Matt Gordy to address several concerns she had for her future.

"I was shy, quiet and confused. The advisors at the Future Center made me feel much more comfortable."

Having had many positive experiences growing up in the La Crosse School District, she decided to pursue elementary education. "I know I would love everything about teaching, right down to making copies and writing on the board," she said. "I have developed a great passion for it. The teachers I've had have been really great. They challenge you every year."  

The Future Center helped her draft her roadmap to success, addressing confidence concerns, financial concerns, and ensuring she developed her support networks along the way. "I was shy, quiet and confused," she said. "The Future Center made me much more comfortable. Getting to know the resources out there. Being willing to ask for help and put myself out there."


Read More of Mai's Story

Future Center Fairs 

L a Crosse Promise will hold Future Center Fairs in March at Central and Logan High Schools  to connect students with a wide range of community organizations and opportunities.

Future Center Fair at Logan:
Tues., March 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Future Center Fair at Central:
Tues., March 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Employers, colleges, unions, businesses, non-profits, and other organizations will bring the "future" to the students. ( Join us for this unique opportunity to engage with students in the schools.

Students will ask questions, find resources and discover the world of work and educational opportunities through these connections. 

Fairs are open to all students and parents/
guardians in the School District of La Crosse. Please join us for this unique opportunity!  


Contact us at 608.789.2049.
Campus Visits 2019

Above: Students from La Crosse braved the cold on Jan.18 for a visit to  Winona State University.

Upcoming Campus Visits:

February 11: Viterbo University

March 15 (NEW DATE!): 
University of Wisconsin - Stout

Space is limited. Sign up in the Future Center. 

State of the Future Centers
By: Brian A. Liesinger,
La Crosse Promise Executive Director

La Crosse Promise Future Centers have now entered the seventh year of service to the students of the School District of La Crosse. 

We have seen hundreds of high schoolers come through our doors seeking Academic and Career Planning advising. Future Center advisors Hayley Moe and Matt Gordy average more than 2000 points of contact with students and family members during the course of each year. We are proud to make these connections largely through individual attention with students. At the heart of our service philosophy is the ability to meet students where they are at to assess and address obstacles they face. And we do this work alongside tremendous administrators, educators, and student service counselors in the District who we partner with to provide the best opportunities for students.

"At the heart of our service philosophy is the ability to meet students where they are at to assess and address obstacles they face." 

A list of just a few of the Future Center services include: resume-building and interviewing skills; essay writing; the entire college application process; job shadows; career speakers; Future Center Fairs; soft skill development; critical thinking as it applies to colleges and careers; securing scholarships and grants, as well as understanding financial aid packages.
 
As a point of pride, I note three students in the district who our Future Centers worked with last year who earned Bucky's  Tuition Promise  for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Bucky's Promise covers the entirety of their tuition for four years (provided they maintain their academic standing). 

Hayley Moe has been a Future Center advisor at Central for five years.  Read: Parent Testimonial to Hayley's Dedication
These low-income students were both assisted in the application process by Matt and Hayley. 
One of these students did not know the program existed until Matt encouraged her and coached her through the application process. Financial challenges continue to be a major concern for families in our community. 
 
Future Centers were not explicitly created for low-income students but that is a demographic we have increasingly served. There are census tracks in the City of La Crosse that have as high as 65% poverty rate, compared to a regional average of 14%. 

We believe we have the greatest impact on poverty alleviation and prevention by putting students from low-income situations in the position to succeed in post-secondary education and careers. If students graduate from high school ready to seize opportunities and thrive economically, the next generation will be poised to reverse high poverty rates. Students from low-income families often feel destined to remain in poverty. We aim to change that narrative and provide resources to prevent it.
 
Given the multiple obstacles to lower-income students' academic achievement,  solutions must stretch beyond normal classroom and school activities. That is where Future Centers come in. The best-case scenario would be to simply elevate more families out of poverty, but as a country we have not found "magic bullet" solution for the issue of poverty. That is why we believe so strongly in individual student attention. There is no one-size-fits-all approach for students. We work one-on-one to address barriers. We leverage our social capital when students have none. We are able modify and adapt readily to the needs and goals of students.
 
La Crosse Promise has also been inspired by many other organizations doing incredible service in a variety of areas in the region. I consider La Crosse Pro mise Future Centers along the same continuation of services as stalwart organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of the 7 Rivers Region, the YMCA Teen Club,  Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse, The Good Fight Community Center and more--offering tremendous programs to students who need that extra lift outside of the classroom.
 
Matt Gordy has been a Future Center advisor since 2017, bringing a passion for student success.
La Crosse Promise is a nonprofit rooted in collaboration.  Only a handful of communities across the nation have advising centers like the Future Centers, a fact that makes me immensely proud. But we would not be who we  are and we would not be effective without a decade of making connections. 

We have had the great opportunity to learn about, learn from, and partner with many people from all sectors. La Crosse Promise has also been blessed with an incredibly dedicated Board of Directors and Community Advisors-- a number of whom have been with the Promise from the start. 

To all of you, I express my deepest gratitude. By supporting us, you assert your belief in investing in our schools to produce the best and brightest. You believe in closing achievement gaps and striving to improve access and equity in education. I believe our ultimate goal as a community should be to create an environm ent where all the community's children  reach high school graduation with the mindset and the tools to take them wherever they choose to go.

Finally: a special note of thanks to those who fund the Future Centers. Yours is an investment that goes straight to students with returns that multiply year over year. Your impact on Future Center programs is an impact on the kind of skills and opportunities students carry with them the rest of their lives.   

Promise Eligible Properties




The following properties are eligible for a La Crosse Promise Scholarship of up to $50,000 per household. 

New construction and Lots Available
  • 915 5th Avenue 
  • 921 Farnam Street  (above)
  • 807-811 6th Street Twindos 
  • 819 6th Street 
  • 1218 6th Street (lot available)
  • 1003 5th Avenue (lot available)
  • 942 Johnson Street (lot available)
Interested in buying, building or renovating and becoming our next Promise family? Contact us at info@lacrossepromise.org or call 608.792.1137.

Homeowners do not qualify for our program unless they submit an application for the property and are approved by La Crosse Promise. See our Policies and Requirements. 


We couldn't make this Promise without you

 
    
About Us 
La Crosse Promise is a non-profit dedicated to education and neighborhood revitalization. We provide advising to all of the students in the School District of La Crosse about their future plans. In addition, our neighborhood program provides qualifying homeowners up to $50,000 in education scholarships.  lacrossepromise.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

608.792.1137


Serving Logan and Aquinas
Logan High School, Room 125:
608.789.7034

Serving Central and Luther
Central High School, Room 243: 
608.789.2054


General Information:  608.789.2049 
or at info@lacrossepromise.org