Milwaukee Teens Discover Careers and More at TRUE Skool

A Milwaukee organization is exposing youths to careers through its free summer sessions and helping them find who they are along the way.

Established in 2005, TRUE Skool Inc. is a nonprofit that educates, engages and empowers youths through transformative arts and hip-hop culture.

Harambee resident Zion Porter-Lewis is among the participating students at TRUE Skool’s summer sessions.

The 17-year-old joined the organization during his sophomore year of high school.

“When I first got here, I wanted to experiment with my life and do things I never tried,” Porter-Lewis said.

Porter-Lewis comes from a family of visual artists, but while in the organization, he ventured off into DJing, music production, MCing, breakdancing and live band and performance.

“I’m trying to grow confidence and bring energy to the crowds. My peers are naturals at that, but I’m just really shy,” Porter-Lewis said.

Monetizing their skills

Fidel Verdin and Shalina Ali are co-executive directors of TRUE Skool. They said the summer sessions focus primarily on workforce development and entrepreneurship. Classes include music production, visual design and aquaponics.

“The goal is to help the youth learn how to monetize what they’re already amazing at,” Verdin said.

The organization also connects current students and alumni to paid professional opportunities. For example, students who have been good at learning the fundamentals have the chance to earn paid gigs for DJ services, live art and media contracting for local businesses and events. Others have earned money by creating zines and coloring books.

Collaboration is key

To provide real-world experiences to students, TRUE Skool collaborates with local businesses to create products.

“This is another way we introduce students to branding and selling,” Verdin said.

The organization partnered with Stone Creek Coffee to commission TRUE Skool artists to create a private label coffee blend as a fundraiser.

Additional hands-on experiences and collaborations included a visit to a vegan brewery, Dead Bird Brewing Co. Students taste-tested and canned products there and created a sparkling beverage.

Shifting career aspirations

Before exploring arts, Porter-Lewis had dreams of becoming a doctor to combat the poor health in some communities, so TRUE Skool allowed him to participate in farm-to-table activities.

Porter-Lewis’ latest career aspiration is to study architecture. His interest in the field grew after joining the National Organization of Minority Architects Wisconsin Chapter Project Pipeline, a free summer architecture camp designed for middle and high school students from underrepresented communities.

In 2024, Porter-Lewis participated in an interior architecture and design course at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design as part of its summer pre-college program.

“TRUE Skool recommended me to go to MIAD for architecture and interior design and that’s how I started getting into architecture and planning out buildings,” Porter-Lewis said.

Transformative moments in the garden

Other participants include 16-year-old Francois Aldon, who has been learning aquaponics at TRUE Skool for two years.

Aquaponics is a sustainable farming method that uses fish waste to help plants grow.

In Aldon’s backyard is a garden that he helps his parents take care of. Initially, he hated it, but he grew to love it because of the organization.

“My dad would tell me to do stuff, then leave me to do something by myself, and that was hard for me at the time,” Aldon said.

In his first year at the organization, Aldon learned how to plant, keep pests away and install fences and wiring independently.

“I told my dad all the things I was learning here with gardening and he was impressed. Now, when he calls me outside, I’m more open to it,” Aldon said.

Aldon said the skills he learned from the organization brought him and his dad closer.

“Anytime my dad asks me to come to the garden, it’s just a hangout session now and we talk,” Aldon said.

In addition, Aldon learned to create a resume and cover letter through TRUE Skool and helped his peers outside of the organization do the same.

Currently, Aldon is growing interest in photography, fashion and modeling, prompting him to network with the organization’s partner and clothing brand called Unfinished Legacy and TRUE Skool Inc. alumni.

Finding inspiration

Porter-Lewis and Aldon have found mentors at TRUE Skool and from outside experiences.

For Porter-Lewis, he found inspiration in Marion Clendenen-Acosta, a Black female architect who helped him build a 3D model during Project Pipeline.

“Marion really helped me figure out that sometimes everything isn’t completely technical from the start. It’s a design process,” Porter-Lewis said.

Aldon was inspired by Ali and Verdin.

“It’s an honor to have young people trust me, receive love and guidance from me because young people read adults very well,” Ali said.

When on site, Ali leads TRUE Skool knowledge sessions and visits each class to give support and critiques.

“I’m not the instructor, but the instructors utilize me for a point of preparation for these babies,” Ali said.

For teens who are unsure of what career paths to take, Aldon encourages them to look into their hobbies and explore them deeper.

“See what others have done, see what they do on a daily basis and how they talk about the things you like,” Aldon said.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.