Bridging the gap between classroom and career.

The McKenzie Foundation strives to break the cycle of poverty through a comprehensive cradle-to-career approach.

Studies have shown that teens who do not go to college face significant challenges in the job market.

By providing students with practical skills and hands-on experience, The McKenzie Foundation will help bridge the gap between academic learning and real-work job requirements, thereby reducing the skills mismatch that often leads to unemployment.

Forward Career & College Academy

We are passionate about helping to improve the opportunities for young people and the communities where they live and are determined to make a difference. Too many young people complete High School without the tools to be financially, emotionally and physically healthy and are not energized to contribute to their community. The McKenzie Foundation has enlisted a powerful team of nationally recognized education professionals to address the core issues that are too often ignored in current public education.

  • The Vision

    To build a school that will prepare high school graduates to confidently enter the workforce or begin college with an accelerated clarity of purpose.

  • The School

    The Forward Career and College Academy is a public, tuition-free charter high school in Madison, Wisconsin, proposed to open August 2026.

  • The Curriculum

    A robust work-study program, mental and physical health support, wealth-building skills, goal visualization, civics, and more.

Learn More

“I believe we can affect the cycle of poverty by giving kids a vision of hope for the future and providing them with the tools they need to help them achieve their goals.”

— Jo Ellen McKenzie, Co-Founder & Board Member

Thanks to our Partners!

The McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, currently offers high school students collaborative learning in skilled trades and financial literacy education. Once the Academy opens, the Center will act as a satellite campus to all district students.

Whether you join as a donor, partner, educator, or volunteer, your involvement will help young people in our community.

Make an impact today

Support our mission by contributing a donation.