Advisors from the Brentwood Union Free School District’s My Brother’s Keeper program attended the MBK Chicago Fall Quarterly Convening in mid-September, joining peers from across the country to exchange ideas and strategies to support boys and young men of color.

“The most exciting part is to be in a room of people from as far away as Hawaii that want to uplift our young men,” said Nicholas Scott, district MBK coordinator and assistant principal of the Freshman Campus. “The MBK Alliance indicated that over 2.5 million young men will have their lives changed due to the efforts of MBK.”

The event marked Brentwood’s first national convening as a certified MBK Alliance community. The Obama Foundation awarded the certification in August, recognizing the district’s commitment to the initiative’s six milestones: entering school ready to learn; reading at grade level by third grade; graduating high school ready for college and career; completing postsecondary education or training; entering the workforce through STEM engagement; and developing strong social-emotional skills.

Brentwood selected Milestone 3 – graduating high school ready for college and career – as its focus. The milestone aligns directly with the district’s Graduation PLUS+ initiative, which equips students with skills, guidance and opportunities to thrive beyond high school. Together, MBK and Graduation PLUS+ advance a shared mission of preparing every student for success.