About
Our story
Breaking Barriers Mentoring is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit serving youth, young adults, and adults who have been directly or systemically impacted by incarceration. We unite community leaders, mentors, and organizers to provide support at both the individual and community level for people facing systemic barriers to success.
How we got here
2013
Breaking Barriers Mentoring is founded in Madison, Wisconsin.
Early years
Peer counseling and one-to-one mentoring take root.
Growth
Youth leadership and school engagement work expands.
Madison
Community violence-prevention work begins in Madison.
Kenosha
Community work extends to Kenosha.
Milwaukee
The organization expands into Milwaukee.
Youth Be Well
Wellness programming launches for young people.
Today
Mentoring, outreach, wellness, and opportunity initiatives continue across Wisconsin.
Our values
- Dignity
- Accountability
- Community
- Lived Experience
- Compassion
- Leadership
- Opportunity
- Restoration
- Collaboration
- Equity
We are a community-led organization. The people who guide this work are neighbors, parents, mentors, and people who have moved through the criminal legal system themselves.