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The State Education Department today inducted the eighth class of My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows—the largest ever class of boys and young men of color who are leaders in their schools and communities—and announced that the��MBK Community Network��has now grown to 50 member communities.��The My Brother’s Keeper initiative, a statewide initiative aimed at addressing opportunity gaps, helps boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential.��

Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said,��"New York State My Brother’s Keeper is more than a program—it’s a movement that is changing lives by empowering young people to lead with purpose, and nurturing the next generation of changemakers dedicated to equity. We are proud to welcome the newest MBK Network Communities and Fellows as we continue to strengthen a culture of confidence, opportunity and achievement for all students. We extend our deepest gratitude to Governor Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and their legislative colleagues for their unwavering commitment to the MBK mission and for opening doors of opportunity across New York State."

Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, "My Brother’s Keeper reflects the Department’s steadfast commitment to uplifting every student and ensuring equity in education. It is our shared responsibility to close opportunity gaps and empower young people to realize their full potential. The remarkable young men named 2025 MBK Fellows today represent the promise of tomorrow—their leadership, vision, and determination will help shape a more just and inclusive future for us all."

MBK Community Network��

The New York State My Brother’s Keeper Community Network has expanded to 50 member communities statewide, with the newest members joining our statewide movement to advance equity and improve outcomes for boys and young men of color.

The most recent NYSMBK Community Network additions are:

• Auburn
• Central Islip
• Ellenville
• Lockport
• Longwood
• Massena
• Port Chester-Rye
• Salmon River
• Southampton
• Suffern
• Troy
• Valley Stream
• Westbury
• Wyandanch

To join the NYSMBK Community Network, a school superintendent and local government official must sign a joint letter to the State Education Department indicating their support of, and commitment to, meeting the six MBK National milestones and the six New York State MBK goals. Upon becoming a member of the statewide network, a community gains the support of С槼�ֱ��'s Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement Services to help build a community initiative and develop a local MBK action plan.

The full list of NYSMBK Communities is available on С槼�ֱ��’s MBK Community Network webpage.

My Brother’s Keeper Fellows��

Each of the 124 Fellows will be matched with a mentor from an NYSMBK Community Network partner and given a fellowship opportunity. Additionally, each rising senior will�� be required to develop and execute a service project related to a NYSMBK initiative, such as: ��

• Ensuring equitable access to high-quality schools and programs;��

• Expanding prevention, early warning, and intervention services;��

• Responding to structural and institutional racism; or��

• Engaging families and communities in a trusted and respectful way.��

�ճ�� approved NYSMBK Communities were eligible to apply to the Fellows Program and consist of a partnership between the Office of the Mayor and the School District Superintendent (or the Chancellor in New York City). Additionally, each Community Network must secure a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with a local postsecondary education institution, local business, or community-based organization for this program.��

Fellows participated in an induction ceremony today during the 2025 MBK Symposium.����

The 2025 MBK Fellows are:��

In 2014, former President Barack Obama established the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force at the federal level. The Task Force was an interagency effort focused on closing and eliminating the opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color so that all young people have the chance to reach their full potential. With the adoption of the 2016–17 New York State budget, New York became the first state to accept the President’s challenge and enacted the My Brother’s Keeper initiative into law. The budget included a $20 million investment supporting the initiative to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color.

The��MBK Fellows Program has inducted a total of 540 Fellows to date. Each is paired with a mentor from a New York State MBK Community Network partner and participates in a fellowship in a local government office, partnering business, or educational institute. Fellows develop service projects beneficial to the schools they attend and the communities they live in. С槼�ֱ�� has awarded over $3 million in grant funds to support this program since 2016.

Since 2016, С槼�ֱ�� has awarded more than $6 million in grant funds to 12 school districts for the MBK Indigenous Education Program. The program’s goal is to increase the academic achievement and college/career readiness of Indigenous students, with an emphasis on boys and young men.

Also, since 2016, С槼�ֱ�� has awarded more than $55.5 million in grants to school districts for the MBK Family and Community Engagement Program. These grants support programs to increase the academic achievement and college and career readiness of boys and young men of color while fostering the development of effective relationships with families to promote the success of all students.

С槼�ֱ�� has awarded $54.6 million in MBK Challenge Grants to school districts since 2016. The MBK Challenge Grant Program encourages regions and school districts to develop and execute coherent cradle-to-career college strategies.

More than $33 million in Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) grants have been awarded to 27 colleges and universities since 2016. For the 2023-24 project year TOC II served over 650 students. TOC II projects have graduated over 936 teachers to date. Eligible applicants are New York State public and independent degree-granting colleges and universities with a teacher preparation (undergraduate or graduate) program approved by С槼�ֱ��.

Visit the Department’s My Brother’s Keeper website for details on this movement and information on how to , “Changing the Narrative.”