Running Rebels’ Juvenile Justice Programs serve some of the hardest-to-reach and highest-risk young people in Milwaukee. These are young people who have been adjudicated and court-ordered for intensive mentoring. Running Rebels provides these young people with 24/7 mentoring and access to other positive arts, athletic, and academic programs, with the goal of getting them through their probation period and onto a more positive life path. Our professional mentors ensure that young people are attending school and acting responsibly at home and in their communities.
We believe that all youth have strengths that can be developed through meaningful relationships, structure, and support. We are very proud of the hard work that our mentors do to support and redirect these very high-risk youth.
Juvenile Justice Programs:
- Champions Make Change-MCAP (CMC-MCAP)
- Credible Messengers (CM)
Questions about our Juvenile Justice Programs? Email Stacey.Lindsay@runningrebels.org
Be the Change (BTC)
Our Black male leadership development program that focuses on cultural awareness and literacy and connects participants to male mentors and peers. Program participants also engage in group discussions and field trips.
Lady Rebels
A leadership development program for young ladies. Participants will connect with positive female role models, co-create a safe space of sisterhood, and learn a variety of life skills, including goal-setting and relationship-building.
Multimedia (M2)
Youth in M2 engage in a wide range of creative pursuits within the visual, performing, media, and culinary arts. The program consists of weekly workshops that balance education & instruction with dedicated time for exploration, practice, and creative project development. Youth also have consistent access to performance and publication opportunities.
Basketball fundamentals, athletic training, and other activities are free for young people in our programs.
For more information, please contact Donta.Holmes@runningrebels.org.
Our Higher Education Learning Program (HELP) is focused on making college attainable for Milwaukee youth. Our main goal is to provide college-bound youth with the means to become independent adults who will, in turn, give back to their communities. HELP coaches youth through their transition into college by providing emotional and financial support throughout their entire college journey, including annual scholarships.
“Being a recipient of the HELP scholarship sponsored by Running Rebels, I am able to focus my efforts on furthering my education in Electrical Engineering, while not having to focus on the financial burdens of higher education.”
-Maximus Bryant, MSOE Class of 2026
Interested in learning about our HELP College Scholarship? Email info@runningrebels.org for more information.
Pipeline to Promise (P2P) is an initiative established by Running Rebels with the goal of forming partnerships with local businesses, organizations, and community stakeholders that work unselfishly together towards building generational wealth and economic stability.
- Project Goals: Increase employment opportunities, Increase access to post-secondary educational opportunities, Increase access to affordable housing, Provide financial literacy education, Increase public safety, Increase the overall health and wellness of the community.
- Project Accomplishments: Assisted 110 adults & youth in obtaining employment, Purchased a $250k building for our Pipeline to Promise partners, Awarded over $266k in scholarships, Developed a partnership with the City of Milwaukee to connect program participants with meaningful employment, Developed a partnership with Quad Graphics.
Companies interested in partnering with Running Rebels should contact info@runningrebels.org.
Youth eligible for the Community Mentoring Program must:
• Be between the ages of 12 – 17
• Be willing to work with a mentor to set and accomplish goals
• Have no Juvenile Justice involvement
• Have their own transportation to Running Rebels out-of-school time programming
Questions about our Community Mentoring Program? Contact Stacey Lindsay at Stacey.Lindsay@RunningRebels.org. Please note space is limited in the Community Mentoring Program.
Rebel youth and staff work together to provide a variety of services to the community, with youth learning essential entrepreneurship and workforce development skills along the way. Service rates vary, contact info@runningrebels.org to get started.
- Graphic Design: We’ll work with you to design custom flyers, t-shirts, business cards, postcards, and more.
- Photography & Videography: Need great photos or a dynamic highlight video? Hire our team to capture an important event or create a special moment.
- Editing: Our team also specializes in photo and video editing and will work with you to arrive at a personalized final product.
From mentoring to recreation to juvenile justice, Running Rebels provides safe and healthy environments for youth development and refuges from external negativity. Across all our programs, we aim to connect each young person with caring, compassionate adult mentors.
In 1980, at the young age of 19, Victor Barnett saw that the youth of Milwaukee were being pulled into the street life of gangs, crime, and violence. He used basketball as the tool to engage, mentor, and guide youth towards an alternative path that would ensure their future success. From this vision and action, Running Rebels Community Organization was born.
