RUHS Needs & Foundation Goals
Advanced Placement Program – Since its formation as the very first public high school in the City of Milwaukee in 1868, Riverside has had a reputation for academic rigor and high academic achievement. Today, Riverside’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program challenges students with college-level learning and the ability to earn college credits. Riverside offers the largest number of AP courses of any MPS high school. At a time when schools are competing for students, Riverside’s AP Program is a drawing card. The AP Program is expensive to operate because of the small class sizes that are required.
The Foundation’s Goal: To raise funds and assist Riverside in maintaining the AP Program without depleting resources needed to provide the appropriate resources to non-AP students.
Success Stories!
Additional Information
School Auditorium – In 1915, when Riverside’s current building was completed, the full-sized auditorium designed to house performing arts, school assemblies, rallies, debates, speakers, etc. was a major accomplishment and a rarity in its day. Today, the auditorium is used as robustly as ever. Unfortunately, after 100-years and several rounds of remodeling and renovations, the acoustics had deteriorated horribly. Thanks to a major fund-raising effort, The Foundation partnered with the high school to finance an upgrade of the acoustics and a renovation of the space to include new curtains, freshly painted walls, including gold trim accents, along with a new stage curtain.
The Foundation’s Goal Accomplished!: The project was called a “Sound Investment,” and the result has been a beautiful auditorium that is both aesthetically appealing and acoustically dynamic!
Racial Diversity – The cultural and ethnic diversity of Riverside’s student population has long been considered a formidable strength of the RUHS experience. While the majority African American student population is reflective of the racial makeup of the city, Riverside also boasts an engaged population of Hispanic, Asian, and American Indian students. When graduating seniors are asked to describe their most valuable experiences at Riverside, they inevitably include their experience of learning and interacting with students from a variety of different cultures.
The Foundation’s Goal: To help RUHS promote the positive aspects of the cultural and ethnic diversity of its student body through school clubs, fairs, programs and academic study.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) – For many years, with the assistance of private funds, the faculty and staff of RUHS have sponsored a Spring Break tour of selected HBCUs. The tour exposes students to the unique educational opportunities offered by HBCUs and serves as motivation for students to work hard, to qualify for higher education opportunities. The private funding for this highly praised activity has been drastically depleted putting the Spring Break tour in jeopardy of being canceled.
The Foundation’s Goal: Establish an endowment fund to ensure that money is available for an annual Spring Break tour of HBCUs.
