About Us

It's been over 40 years since our agency began with just two staff and a strong commitment to “meeting the challenge of creative change”. Over the years, our budget, staff, and programs have grown significantly, and adapted to changing community needs. We have employed and trained hundreds of people, and provided education and resources to hundreds more.

What remains the same as it was in the beginning is New Concept's commitment. We continue to dedicate ourselves to making a real difference in the lives of thousands of Milwaukee's families and children.

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Our Mission

To preserve families and protect children while promoting self sufficiency

Our Vision

We are a visionary group committed to change, working to motivate, educate and empower our community to meet the challenges of the future

Our Motto

Meeting the Challenge of Creative Change

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New Concept has been a leader in many arenas, developing programs that others have later replicated:

• 1978 — Selected by United Way to operate the Social Service Dept. in a county park facility
• 1982 — Mentoring program for girls started in Hillside Housing Project
• 1982 — First Youth Motivation Seminar for Role Models and Youth
• 1985 — Youth Managed and Operated Business (youth entrepreneurship program)
• 1985 — Wrote and published books for parents to teach human sexuality in the home
• 1986 — Authored Blue Ribbon Report for Teen Pregnancy Prevention for the City of Milwaukee
• 1990 — Developed first Prenatal Care Program that soon became model for Title XIX benefit
  
• 1994 — Opened city’s first Father’s Resource Center at MLK Center
• 1997 — Developed First Time Juvenile Offenders Program model for Milw. Co.
• 1999 — Enrichment Institute School Support Services Model social entrepreneurship model
• 2003 — Expansion of the FTJOP Tracking model to serve truant youth with OJA funding
• 2005 — Expansion of mentoring program to serve children whose parents are incarcerated

We have done these things with the help of a dedicated work force, volunteers and a Board of Directors that has remained committed and required accountability. Our past history is valuable and includes many “lessons learned” We are known for our willingness to hire and train emerging leaders, case managers and social workers, for our professionalism, willingness to collaborate, and for successfully surviving many changes in the Milwaukee community and the social service arena. We started implementing a succession plan over seven years ago that prepared well trained managers and new leadership to take us forward beyond the founders.

As we move beyond the first 40+ years, we are prepared to take on the challenge when the question is asked “when are ‘they’ going to do something about teen pregnancy, school drop out, violence among youth, juvenile delinquency?”

New Concept is “meeting the challenge of creative change”, serving Milwaukee, developing well trained staff and making a difference in the lives of thousands of families and children.

We are the “they.”

— Vanessa Johnson, Executive Director (Retired)

Staff

• Maria M. Flores
  Executive Director
• Tawauna Swanigan
  Finance Manager
  
• Berry Birts
  Adult Specialist
  
• Edwin Matheny

              Adult/Youth Specialist​