(Image Description: The logo of Journey 21 is presented, with "Journey" highlighted in a dark blue color and "21" bolded in light green with arrows surrounding it.)
Journey 21 Interview
In today's world, there is a growing need to provide adults with IDD a safe, inclusive residential community to take part in. After high school graduation, individuals with IDD are often left in the dust, unable to participate in regular outings and programs that were possible in the school setting. Moreover, there are more than 61 million adults with IDD in the U.S., many of whom are supported by close family or friends over the age of 60. Every caregiver will ultimately ask themselves the hard question of "What will happen to our child when we are no longer here?"
Journey 21, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit organization supporting adults with IDD, is providing a solution to these concerns. Check out the exclusive interview below with Journey 21 to learn more about the amazing work they are doing.
Briefly introduce yourselves.
Mike: "My name is Mike Brauer, and I'm the Executive Director of Journey 21. I've been with the organization since May 2022, bringing 35 years of non-profit, management, and fundraising-related experience to a new discipline. This new field is new for me, but there's lots of transferrable skills and it's been a great year so far. We're animating a mission, building a brand, and I'm thrilled to be a part of this organization."
Heidi: "I'm Heidi Hamilton, and I'm the Program and Enrichment Center Director. I started Programs & Outings and Clubs for Journey 21 a little over a year ago with 10 participants, and we are currently at 110 participants. I was a Special Education teacher and Transition Coordinator for 29 years at Arrowhead High School, and I retired last June to work at Journey 21. I will also be teaching the Life Academy and overseeing the Enrichment Center."
What is Journey 21 and what is its mission?
Mike: "Journey 21 was an idea that was formed about 7 years ago between two parents who started to think about a future for their sons, each of whom has a disability. They thought about the days after high school graduation, which started at age 21 for students with IDD in Wisconsin. Their sons obviously have disabilities, but more importantly, they have abilities. The parents dreamt about how they could maximize their abilities and get them on a trajectory for fulfillment beyond the structure that high school provides. Thus, the mission was born to provide a living community for adults with IDD while fostering activities and programs that would help grow and develop their skills. Our work in Programs & Outings has been a way to engage people with IDD by utilizing their strengths and steering them away from the isolation that often happens post-high school. This mission has especially come alive in our new building in Oconomowoc called the Enrichment Center."
Heidi: "After being a high school teacher and preparing all of our young adults for life after high school, there's always been the question of 'What's the next step?'. It's such an underserved population in that there's really not a lot available for our adults with IDD. Through Journey 21, we are bridging this gap by providing socialization, personal finance training, independent living skills, job and vocational skills, and other opportunities for education and connection. With our Residential Living pillar, we provide adults with a safe and secure place where they can grow and live in a community within Oconomowoc, Wisconsin."
What types of services does Journey 21 have to offer for adults with IDD?
Heidi: "Journey 21 is based off 5 pillars, which are: Programs/Outings, Employment, Advocacy/Partnerships, Residential Living, and Learning/Education. Through each of these pillars, we strive to provide enriching living and learning options for adults with IDD. We offer three different Life Academies: the Summer Academy, 18-21 Transition Academy, and a Life Academy. These are all educational programs that provide living skills, employment skills, and other components to live their best lives. The overall number of participants in the Programs & Outings and Clubs has tripled since its founding, and we are even becoming sold out of many of our events within a week of releasing them. Now we have a physical space where we can offer multiple sections of training so that we can provide even more to adults with IDD in Southeastern Wisconsin. We encourage you to check out our website at journey21.org for the specific services under each pillar that we offer."
What is the inspiration that led you to join Journey 21?
Heidi: "My brother, who has an IDD, is the one who has guided me into special education and the field of providing opportunities after high school. I was fortunate enough to be the Case Manager for all three of our co-founders' sons and work with them to develop a plan while in high school. Through this experience working with them, I was able to learn about Journey 21. It's been incredible working here; I love my job and team, Mike is an amazing Executive Director, and we have another employee who serves as the Director of Operations. Together, with the three of us, we're a dynamic team that's moving this project forward."
Mike: "The unique part for me is that I worked for Cardinal Stritch University, which serves a significant population of first-generation college students. I also worked for Messmer Catholic Schools, where the students being served were predominantly from underserved populations. There's a certain vulnerability that comes to people who, just by life's circumstances, have less advantages than others. For first generation college students, many don't know about college, and they're not being guided by parents, who similarly have limited knowledge. If you take a child out of the inner city who is born into a tough spot, at no fault of their own, they're not unlike someone born with a disability such as a traumatic brain injury. There's something really special about working with people with that vulnerability but not lingering on what they look like, sound like, or how they walk. Rather, we get the chance to enhance those abilities and gifts that may be less visible. Compared to Heidi, my experience is a little bit more extrapolated into some related situations, but I think it informs how we approach creating an organization and culture that welcomes people. Our building was built like a home, and it's a very warm place. In fact, the first thing you see when walking in is a fireplace and a spot to sit down, which is a reflection of how people feel within Journey 21."
How has Journey 21 worked with other community organizations and/or individuals to promote inclusion and reach its goals?
Heidi: "Our goal is to create partnerships with local businesses and organizations, and so far, we've created at least 30 business partnerships, which have included Sendik's Food Market, Culver's, the Optimist Club of Lake Country, Zachariah's Acres, and more. All of these partnerships are providing opportunities for our Life Academy and 18-21 Academy students to have internships and work experiences as part of the academy. These businesses have opened their doors for us to bring our students in and provide job coaches along the way. We have also partnered with Marquette University, Carroll University, Mount Mary University, and Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC). For WCTC, participants are taking four courses within the two year curriculum. Additionally, we are having graduate and doctoral students, whether it be in occupational therapy or special education, work alongside Journey 21 participants for their practicum placement. Overall, partnerships have been a big pillar of what we're all about to support our community.
In fact, we will be meeting with Best Buddies Wisconsin staff soon to discuss opportunities for connection between Journey 21 and Best Buddies. In the Lake County area, there are multiple Best Buddies chapters that don't collaborate much together and feel segregated. Part of my goal is to host events to bring chapters together within our Enrichment Center, whether it be food drives, dances, or other opportunities to unite Best Buddies chapters. We are already in the beginning stages of making this partnership happen. As a whole, working with non-profit, for-profit, and other organizations has helped us effectively engage our participants and it's all in the planning!"
Mike: "As Heidi said, we've strived to stay connected to the community even though Journey 21 is a newer organization. We're hoping to leverage these relationships in such a way to continue our growth and cross over to make sure we aren't caught up in the boundaries that geography might present. Obviously, distance is an issue for some people to visit our building, but many of our programs are mobile, and we hope to continue something that is so unique people will want to seek us out."
What do you ultimately envision in 10 to 20 years from now for Journey 21?
Mike: "The Enrichment Center is up and running, and as of the first week of April, we will have continuous activities in here. The rest of the 10-acre property we have will ultimately be a living community for 40-50 adults with IDD who can live independently with some support. These individuals will live in a neighborhood with their own condo or cottage. This residential phase is expected to finish within the next couple of years. Our vision is to create a vibrant living community that provides a safe and successful environment for adults that live there. Right now, our age range is from 15 to the 60s, so we're covering a lot of people in our community. We plan to continue to have the Enrichment Center as our face out into the broader community, where everyone is welcome to participate, whether you live here or not. We're serving over 120 people right now, and we can see this number ballooning once the Residential Center is open to the public. Though that's a long way down the road, we plan to add classes, teachers, and other resources. Eventually, in 2-4 years from now, we hope to have a neighborhood here and a thriving living community."
How can our readers find out more about Journey 21?
Heidi: "We encourage everyone to check out our website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and also sign up for our newsletter to learn more about Journey 21."
I hope you enjoyed learning more about Journey 21 through this interview!
In friendship,
Nathan Moldavsky
YLC Member, Wisconsin
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