IYT Wisconsin Executive Briefing: April 2026
- Apr 6
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Executive Summary
This April, Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) Wisconsin reached unprecedented milestones in our mission to dismantle opportunity gaps and build purpose-driven leaders across the state. In this briefing, Executive Director Korbey White highlights our first-ever community Showcase—attended by school superintendents and elected officials—and proudly announces IYT Wisconsin as a recipient of the state’s Violence Prevention Grant, which will allow us to expand our life-changing services to even more districts. Alongside a recent media spotlight on the Madison365 podcast, this month's update showcases powerful student workshops focused on self-advocacy and leadership accountability, and celebrates 12th-grader Brother Roger, who recently earned the prestigious Wilson Senior Academic Improvement Award from the Madison Rotary Club!
Updates from Executive Director, Korbey White
IYT Wisconsin's First-Ever Showcase
March 11, 2026, is a day the entire IYT Wisconsin Team will never forget! We proudly hosted our first-ever Showcase, providing an exclusive opportunity for site leadership, community leaders, and elected officials to witness the daily magic of our program.
I had the honor of opening the event by sharing our "why," outlining our expectations for site partnerships, discussing our expansion plans, and highlighting the incredible government and corporate support we’ve recently received. From there, Associate Program Director Aaron Broadwater and Program Manager Riley Morin led attendees through a live workshop with our IYT Brothers.
We welcomed 22 esteemed guests, including MMSD Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard, Frances Huntley-Cooper (the first Black Mayor elected in Wisconsin), and Madison Community College President Dr. Jennifer Berne. The energy was incredible, and we continue to receive incredibly positive feedback and partnership inquiries from this milestone event!
IYT Wisconsin Receives Violence Prevention Grant
Improve Your Tomorrow Wisconsin is thrilled to announce that we are official recipients of the State of Wisconsin’s Violence Prevention Grant! Brought to us by the Department of Administration in conjunction with Governor Tony Evers, this funding is part of a $15 million federal allocation directed toward violence prevention efforts across the state.
With this grant, IYT Wisconsin has an amazing opportunity to expand our impact, reaching Brothers in multiple school districts where our support is needed most. This funding allows us to provide life-changing, culture-shifting experiences that actively dismantle the daily opportunity gaps our young men face. Thank you to Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Administration for believing in our mission!
IYT Wisconsin Featured on the Madison365 Podcast
The week of March 6, we were honored to be featured on the Madison365 podcast, 365 Amplified! Reporters and co-hosts Omar Waheed and Rob Chappelle discussed our ongoing initiatives, our impact on students of color in Madison, and our recent expansion into Verona. They also highlighted our community showcase and the profound difference IYT has made since our Wisconsin launch in October 2025.
Madison Metropolitan & Verona Updates
Our Madison Metropolitan School District sites are fully locked in! Brothers at La Follette, Capital High, and Verona are deeply engaging with our curriculum, reflecting on their habits, and applying these lessons to their daily lives.
Workshop Spotlights
La Follette High School (Power vs. Pride)
Brothers engaged in a vulnerable conversation about reacting to life's challenges with "pride" (being reactive and emotional) versus "power" (being the bigger person and focusing on long-term goals). Through a basketball-based physical activity, Brothers were asked to choose a "power" move (the hardest shot), a "pride" move (mid-range), or a "safe" move (the easiest shot). Almost every Brother chose the power move, noting that while it was the most difficult, it offered the greatest reward. This is a massive mindset shift for our young men!
Capital High School (The Advocacy Web)
Brothers participated in a powerful workshop on self-advocacy. Using a ball of yarn, the group created a massive web connecting the different areas of their lives (school, family, and work). When mentors pulled specific strings, it demonstrated the "ripple effect" and the very real costs of what happens when we fail to advocate for ourselves.
Academic Achievements
Building Leaders from Within: IYT Verona Brothers Take a Stand
Our IYT Verona Brothers engaged in an "Agree–Disagree Spectrum" Fireside Chat, tackling tough questions like, “If you are the leader, do you deserve more credit?” This sparked a passionate exchange of ideas about leading for personal recognition versus leading in service to others. Crucially, the conversation pivoted to academics. Our Brothers engaged in a very real dialogue about the responsibility of young leaders to strive for academic excellence. It pushed them to ask themselves: Am I leading by example in the classroom? Am I putting in the work required to become the leader I say I want to be? This activity created a powerful space for reflection, accountability, and real-time growth.
Brother of the Month
Brother Roger
12th Grade
Capital High School
We are incredibly proud to recognize Brother Roger as our Brother of the Month!
Although Brother Roger is naturally on the quieter side, he has truly come out of his shell this year, continuously pushing himself out of his comfort zone with IYT. He is deeply committed to bettering his academics and himself as an individual. Capital High staff and his family have all noted that since joining IYT, he has become more positive, focused, and engaged—communicating far more with his teachers and peers.
Now in his senior year, Brother Roger is making the absolute most of his time before he heads off to Army basic training, already working with a local sergeant to prepare. To round out an incredible year, Brother Roger was recently awarded the Wilson Senior Academic Improvement Award from the Madison Rotary Club! Through this honor, he will receive a $500 certificate and attend a special recognition luncheon.
We are incredibly proud of your growth and your commitment to your future, Brother Roger!
Champion Spotlight
At Improve Your Tomorrow, we are deeply grateful for the generous support of funders from across the nation who make our work possible. Your contributions fuel life-changing programs that empower young men of color to achieve their full potential in education, career, and community leadership. Together, we are building brighter futures and stronger communities. Thank you for believing in our mission!
MWH Law Group
Leadership Update: Wisconsin Board of Advisors
We're thrilled to announce our new Board of Advisors for IYT Wisconsin! These dedicated individuals are deeply committed to moving the needle forward for young men of color.
Featured Advisor
Joe Gothard
Superintendent, MMSD
"IYT is more than a program; it is the essential pathway for guiding our young men from our classrooms to college, career, and the community. Their success is a measure of our collective commitment to a more equitable future."