Young Man With a Plan

Thank you, Darryl Huggins, Big Mike Mendes and the team at Children's Services of Roxbury, Inc., for engaging with our summer program. It was truly wonderful to introduce Beats Rhymes and Life to our young men at YMWAP. We especially valued witnessing the healing power of the arts as our young men learned how to express their thoughts plus emotions in writing and produce their own collaborative songs. 🗣 🎙 🎶 Our kids were filled with laughter and smiles. Your contribution aligns perfectly with one of YMWAP’s latest initiatives: Wellness through Art. 🙌🏾 #YouthAndArt #WellnessThroughArt

Young Man with a Plan is delighted to introduce two new Board members into our village: Závon Billups & Jennie McDonald-Brown. 🙌🏾 We're so excited to engage their energy and experience. Learn more about them below 📝⬇ 👥 Závon Billups: Závon earned a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Black Studies from Fairfield University, where he was awarded the St. Ignatius Loyola Medal, Fairfield's highest student achievement honor. Závon spent several years teaching at a Boston middle school where he developed their first ever Civics curriculum and authored curricular discourse that drew acclaim by national organizations, including RAND.  Závon is currently finishing his law degree at Boston College. In 2021, Závon was unanimously appointed Executive Director of Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus – the youngest ever to achieve this feat.    Many people would describe Závon as a Community Organizer, Wellness Strategist, Life-long Learner, and Friend.   👥 Jennie McDonald-Brown: Jennie McDonald-Brown (she/her) is the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and the RCC Foundation at Roxbury Community College, the only Predominantly Black Institution in New England, and one of the most affordable in the Commonwealth. Previously, Jennie held leadership roles at Breakthrough Greater Boston, preparing low-income students for college and training future teachers with a Students Teaching Students model. As Managing Director of Major Gifts, she led fundraising efforts, and as Managing Director of Student Services, she oversaw middle school programs in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. Before Breakthrough, Jennie was a school administrator in Boston Public Schools for six years at Roxbury's Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School and the Taylor in Mattapan. She holds a B.A. in English and African American Studies from Rollins College, an MSW from Boston College, and an M.Ed. from Harvard. Jennie lives in Roxbury with her wife and two sons. Welcome to YMWAP's village, Závon and Jennie! 🙌🏾

Calling all Rising Seniors! 📢 A $30,000 scholarship opportunity is OPEN for applications! That's right- now in it's 10th year(!), the ALKU Scholarship is awarded to one rising senior (going into their senior year Fall 2024) enrolled in a high school within Massachusetts who is engaged in a mentoring relationship (for 1 year(s)). Applicants must also be able to demonstrate exceptional leadership skills and a commitment to their communities. The deadline to apply is September 23, 2024! Visit https://lnkd.in/eGgc7vba NOW to learn more and apply! The $30,000 award must be used for the student’s educational pursuits, such as college tuition, books, or other materials and expenses necessary for college. #MentoringAmplifies #ALKUScholarship #massmentoring #mmp #bostonma

Young Man With a Plan is thrilled to welcome Jennie McDonald-Brown to our Board of Directors and to the village that is YMWAP!

🌞 Support YMWAP's Summer Program! 🌞 YMWAP is launching an exceptional Summer Program in our newly renovated Hyde Park space! During July and August we’re offering incredible opportunities for young men, including: 👥 Connection and Employment: Group meetings, summer jobs, and preschool educator training through partnerships with Boston PIC, ABCD, He is Me, and Boston Outdoor Preschool Network. 📝 Wellness and Writing: Dr. Jay will teach students research methods as they work in small teams on wellness projects. Young men will also maintain wellness journals, set fitness goals, learn healthy cooking techniques, experience hip hop therapy with Beats Rhymes Life, and participate in writing workshops with 826 Boston. 🎓 Alumni Support: We’ll provide alums with college and career guidance, and host meet-ups, celebrations and college send-offs for our grads. At the heart of YMWAP is our passionate drive to uplift young men and close Boston’s racial health and wealth gaps. We invite you to join us in supporting YMWAP with a donation as we gear up for an inspiring summer! Link: https://lnkd.in/eQiMU3yk #YMWAP #SummerProgram #SupportYouth #Boston #Community #Education

Thank you Ultragenyx and Life Science Cares Boston! We are most appreciative!

"The best part of YMWAP is seeing how the program can inspire me to know what I want to do, and how you push me to be better." "The best part of the program for me is gaining knowledge from successful people I relate to." "I come back every week to get help or advice when I need it, to talk about topics that are important for me to learn while still growing, and just for having fun with everyone and making conversation." - 2024 student evaluations

Our Executive Director, Khary Lazarre-White, appeared on PIX11 News to discuss improving college readiness for underserved students. With only 57% of 2022 graduates deemed college-ready, our mission is urgent. Khary addressed the impact of poverty, housing, and food insecurity on education. The segment followed our College Access and Preparedness Panel held with NYC Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams and NYC Council Members Shaun Abreu, Rita Joseph, Althea Stevens, and Nantasha Williams, during which they discussed solutions like economic access, poverty reduction, and improved access to quality after-school programs. The Brotherhood Sister Sol is designed to tackle these obstacles head-on.

YMWAP is so proud of our 2024 graduates--heading off to colleges that include Northeastern, UMass Amherst and Boston, Clark Atlanta, Salem State, Curry College, Ben Franklin Cummings, Bridgewater State, and Bunker Hill. They are planning to study speech therapy, computer science, psychology, business management, media communications, electronics, and barber education. When asked how YMWAP could help, one graduate said "just keep checking in on me. It redirects my focus when I'm distracted."

I'm excited to share that Someone Else's Child, Inc. is expanding our amazing team! Genesis Bautista and Natasha Wright, Esq. 💙 💛 We're on the lookout for an awesome Development Coordinator to lead our fund development and external relations. It's a great opportunity to help us make an even bigger impact for young people around the world. Please share with your networks and reach out if you're interested!