WACYCP Award Winners at PEAK!

On Thursday, May 15th, the Wisconsin Association of Child and Youth Care Professionals held their annual Youth Work Awards Celebration, where two PEAK staff members were nominees!

The Wisconsin Association of Child and Youth Care Professionals, or WACYCP, is an organization dedicated to meeting the needs of Wisconsin’s child and youth care professionals, and they having been working towards that goal since 1962. Throughout the decades, WACYCP has provided trainings, certifications, and memberships to Milwaukee’s youth workers. They’ve also partnered with multiple organizations, including University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee’s Division of Outreach and Continuing Education. Through their expertise and partnerships, WACYCP has expanded to include annual conferences, outreach efforts, and their awards program, which is on it’s 25th year. WACYCP’s awards have a rich history of recognizing Wisconsin’s premier youth workers and organizations, including Your Move MKE, Running Rebels, and Milwaukee Academy of Science.

Because it was WACYCP’s 25th anniversary, they changed their event format by expanding the awards to honor 25 of Wisconsin’s best youth workers. PEAK was thrilled to have two of our own staff, Laura Martinez and Mariah Johnson, nominated to be a part of the 25 winners! Several PEAK staff members attended the Youth Work Awards Celebration to support them. The event took place at 88.9 Radio Milwaukee in Third Ward, where attendees enjoyed drinks and snacks while connecting with other professionals before the awards. WACYCP also took advantage of the space and hosted karaoke after the ceremony!

It is with great joy that we can say that not one, but BOTH Laura and Mariah received the award and were a part of WACYCP’s 25 superstar youth workers! Both have earned the recognition and have been critical pieces of PEAK and the Milwaukee youth-serving community in general. Congratulations Laura and Congratulations Mariah, thank you for your hard work and for your dedication to the young people here at PEAK!