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MBSK Colorado Receives Grant Funding from the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance
MBSK Colorado Receives Grant Funding from the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance to Create Safe Spaces for Boys and Young Men of Color in the Metro Denver Area.
October 27th, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday October 27th, 2022
Contact: Morgan McElroy morgan.mcelroy@mbskco.org
My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper Colorado (MBSK Colorado) Receives Grant Funding from the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance to Create Safe Spaces for Boys and Young Men of Color in the Metro Denver Area. The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance dispersed $1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations nationwide.
Aurora, Colorado – Today, My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper Colorado (MBSK Colorado) announced that it received $25,000 in grant funding from the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a program of the Obama Foundation. The funding is part of the MBK Alliance’s Freedom Summer 2022 Fund.
The MBK Freedom Grant was instrumental in us putting on a successful college admissions event with an emphasis on HBCU applications. Fourteen seniors were able to apply to Colorado colleges free of charge and also receive coverage for their HBCU application fees. The grant also allowed for the creation of LIT Academy. LIT Academy allowed the City of Aurora to collaborate with a community partner and signed up 54 students to support youth violence prevention and use one of their most vulnerable recreation centers to achieve this. We also developed partnerships with school districts in the Denver Metro Area to support their student population with a culturally responsive Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum. For one hour on Tuesdays and Fridays, 44 Overland High School (Cherry Creek School District) freshman football players take part in one-hour study hall sessions and group discussions.
The Freedom Summer 2022 Fund is part of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance’s broader Freedom Summer 2022 initiative, which launched in June. In an effort to deter youth violence, the MBK Alliance issued a national call to action for communities to create safe spaces for boys and young men of color this summer. Freedom Summer 2022 is an opportunity for individuals, community organizers, and organizations to develop creative ways to keep children engaged and safe this summer.
"Without receiving this funding; MBSK Colorado would not have been able to play such an instrumental role in disrupting and dismantling the cumulative adverse child and young adulthood experiences that have had intergenerational effects for African Americans and Latinx communities in Colorado. I am pleased to have partnered with our trusted partner Driven by Our Ambitions to provide such critical resources to our communities to ensure the success of your youth.” President Christian Caldwell
The efforts of community organizations are often stifled due to limited financial resources. In line with its mission, the MBK Alliance is committed to ensuring community-based organizations have the tools and resources to create safe spaces for boys and young men of color to play, convene, and learn.
“I am so proud to support organizations committed to the safety and protection of our boys and young men of color,” said Dr. Adren Wilson, MBK Alliance Executive Director. “The Freedom Summer 2022 Fund will empower grant recipients to pour resources, opportunity, hope, and love into our young boys during the time when they need it most. The MBK Alliance will continue its longstanding commitment to working with community-based organizations to create a brighter, more promising future–not just for our boys and young men of color–but for our country.”
Click here to learn more about My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper Colorado.
For press-related questions about My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper Colorado, please email morgan.mcelroy@mbskco.org
For press-related questions about the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, please email glnlewedim@obama.org.