MKE Roots restarts Milwaukee school programming after federal funding cut, supported by a newly secured grant

Program returns after abrupt funding change

MKE Roots, a Marquette University-based initiative designed to strengthen local history and civics instruction in Milwaukee-area classrooms, has resumed serving schools after facing a federal funding cutoff that shortened its original grant timeline.

The project was launched with a three-year, $1.27 million award announced in October 2023. In mid-2025, Marquette University disclosed it had been notified that the federal grant would be discontinued at the end of September 2025, truncating the project’s planned duration and placing staffing and school support activities at risk.

What MKE Roots does in schools

MKE Roots is built around place-based learning: helping educators teach history and civics through Milwaukee’s communities, institutions and local narratives. The initiative has combined teacher professional development with classroom-facing materials and ongoing support intended to be usable across different school settings.

Its work has included a weeklong summer institute for educators, continued assistance during the academic year, and a digital hub of lesson plans and resources focused on Milwaukee history and civic engagement. Participating partners have included Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee Public Library, alongside other local schools and community institutions.

• Teacher training built around Milwaukee-focused history and civics instruction
• Curricular materials intended to be shared broadly with area schools
• Ongoing educator collaboration through a community-of-practice model

New grant stabilizes near-term operations

Following the federal termination notice, MKE Roots secured new grant support that enabled programming to restart for Milwaukee schools. The resumption arrives after project leaders warned that the federal cutoff jeopardized staffing and the capacity to continue direct school partnerships.

Publicly available project descriptions show MKE Roots was structured with dedicated staff and student support roles, including program management and student research positions. The earlier grant supported core costs such as staffing, training, presenters and materials—elements that are difficult to sustain when funding is interrupted midstream.

MKE Roots was originally designed as a multi-year effort to build a sustainable, Milwaukee-centered approach to history and civics instruction, pairing educator training with classroom-ready resources.

Broader implications for Milwaukee classrooms

The project’s disruption and subsequent restart highlight the fragility of school-facing initiatives that rely on time-limited grants, particularly when program timelines are changed with limited runway. For districts and educators, that instability can affect summer training schedules, lesson adoption and year-to-year continuity in professional learning communities.

With new grant funding now in place, MKE Roots’ immediate focus is again on delivering services to schools—while longer-term sustainability will depend on whether additional public or private support can maintain staffing and keep the curriculum and teacher network active beyond the new award period.