Educators | Wisconsin Promise

As an educator, you are connected to youth and families who could benefit from Wisconsin Promise. This page provides information to share with youth and their families about why Wisconsin Promise could be a life-changing experience for them. It also provides youth and their families with valuable resources to help make the transition process a positive, empowering journey toward a promising future!

About Wisconsin Promise

General information about why Promise was initiated.

How to Enroll

Information to share with students and families.

Support Promise Enrollees

Find out more about how to support enrolled youth and their families…

Educator Resources

Find tools and resources for Educators

General Information about Wisconsin Promise

Get to know more about Wisconsin Promise and how your students and their families could benefit. Before diving into these resources, you should know that youth age 14 to 16 who are SSI (Social Security Supplemental Security Income) recipients are eligible to participate in this program.

Why was Wisconsin Promise initiated?

How does Wisconsin Promise work?

Why Early Work Experiences Result in Future Career Success: The Research

Service Collaboration and Linkages to Achieve Seamless Transition from School to Career: Adobe pdf (pdf) or powerpoint (ppt)
Keys to Success for Supporting VR Clients with Autism: Strategies to Increase Meaningful Collaboration and Maximize Employment Outcomes

Wisconsin Promise Enrollment Information

Following is some information to share with families about enrolling in Wisconsin Promise.

Enroll in Wisconsin Promise
Schools Partner with Promise
I Enrolled In Wisconsin Promise Because….
Share the Benefits of Promise: Services
Order Materials to Share including brochures, posters, and other handouts!
Other Ways to Spread the Word about Promise

Support Promise Enrollees

When a youth enrolls in Wisconsin Promise, they are either assigned to the “Wisconsin Promise usual services group” or the “Wisconsin Promise services group”. To help a student or family you work with navigate or understand the services available in their group, check out each group below:

Wisconsin Promise Usual Services Group

So after a youth and their family enrolled in Promise, they were assigned to the Usual Services Group? Now what?

More about the Usual Services Group

For youth who are receiving special education and have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), they should start transition planning by age 14. In Wisconsin this transition planning is called the Postsecondary Transition Plan (PTP). You can encourage the youth and their family to bring the youth’s career goals and needs to the school, so they can be a part of the transition planning (PTP) meetings.

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) can also help youth with disabilities plan and meet their career goals. Youth are highly encouraged start working with DVR at least two years before graduation. So if the youth is 16, encourage the youth and the family to talk to the school about how DVR can be part of the youth’s transition planning process. Share the local DVR phone number. Tell the youth and families they can contact DVR directly if they would like to.

If the youth is receiving long term care or mental health services, encourage the youth and the family to talk to the youth’s case manager about their career goals, so they can talk about the supports they might need to reach those goals. Get more information and assistance:

Wisconsin Promise Services Group

So after a youth and their family enrolled in Promise, they were assigned to the Usual Services Group? Now what?

More about the Promise Services Group

When youth enroll in Wisconsin Promise, the youth becomes a Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) consumer. Promise DVR Counselors also provide services to the youth’s family members. Promise DVR Counselors and Coordinators help Promise youth and their family members plan and meet their career goals. Find a list Promise DVR Counselors and Coordinators.

Services available for students and families from Wisconsin Promise
Enrolling is the first step, the next step is to take advantage of all the great resources Promise has to offer:

Youth who are eligible, have an Individual Education Plan (IEP), and are receiving special education services, begin transition planning the school year they turn age 14. In Wisconsin, the required transition portion of the IEP, or the I-8, is an on-line application called the Postsecondary Transition Plan (PTP). The PTP includes information about a student’s annual goals, course of study, transition services, and postsecondary goals. For youth in Wisconsin Promise, the Wisconsin Promise DVR Counselor will contact the youth’s special education teacher, so they can work together with the youth and family on education and career goals. The Wisconsin Promise DVR Counselor encourages and helps the youth and their family bring the youth’s career goals and needs to the school, so they can be a part of the transition planning (PTP) meetings. If the youth is not in special education, the youth may have a 504 plan or may not have accommodation needs. Either way, the Promise DVR Counselor partners with the school by contacting/reaching out to key school personnel identified by the youth and the family (e.g., teachers, guidance counselors, truancy officers, social workers, school nurses).

Promise Counselors work with the youth and the family to connect to or coordinate with long term care or mental health services. The Wisconsin Promise Counselors reach out and partner with the youth’s service/care coordinator, so they can talk about how the available supports and services can support them. Get more information and assistance: