Welcome to the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach! (CURTO)

The Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach positions itself as an intellectual axis and key convener of programs that address issues central to affirming human rights and human dignity.

Building from our networks with local community experts and stakeholders, CURTO projects and initiatives share a number of core features that are rooted in our mission and guiding values. While each project takes on its own life and identity in these university-community collaborations, CURTO projects and initiatives are aligned in that they are all deeply interdisciplinary, they center stakeholders in all phases of project development, and undergraduate and graduate students play an active leadership role in project management. They are at the intersection of our three pillars - research, teaching, and outreach.

 

Check out our latest Annual Report and Newsletter!

Title page of 2025 blue coloring, CURTO expaned horizontal background photos of students and faculty           Title page of CURTO 2026 Newsletter with the index on the left and logo vertically placed on the right

 

Initiatives News

  • MKE Roots hosts regular teacher professional development workshops including book clubs and community of practices.
  • In Spring of 2026, the Les Aspin Center offered the course, "E-Carceration, Digital Surveillance, and Youth Justice" in collaboration with the EM Milwaukee Team.
  • The BLEST Hub is currently developing an opportunity youth participatory research project. We are hiring Youth Researchers to participate. 

Learn More