December 2017

Hello Everyone,

In this edition of  "Changing the Narrative," we highlight several My Brother's Keeper programs across the state that are using their grant awards to do great things for students. If your school or community would like to share a story, please email photos and news items to NYSMBK@nysed.gov. Thank you for your interest in MBK!

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MBK communities gear up for 2018 Symposium
Spring 2018 date TBA

Please Note: The original tentative date of February 16, 2018 has been changed.  Stay tuned for full details coming soon!
My Brother's Keeper Challenge Grant - $7 Million

The purpose of the My Brother's Keeper Challenge grant is to incentivize and support school districts to develop and execute coherent cradle-to-college strategies aimed at improving the life outcomes for boys and young men of color.
Students at the Mentoring Program learning how to navigate college and future careers
MBK Challenge Spotlight: East Ramapo

In early November, East Ramapo's Spring Valley High School kicked off its Community Mentoring Program. The program incorporates the use of both student and adult mentors to improve student achievement in conjunction with field trips to college campuses. The Good News Mentoring group will partner with SVHS to conduct one-on-one mentoring on college and career exploration. At the kickoff, student mentors discussed strategies for navigating through high school and building successful relationships with caring adults.
Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) II - $3 Million
The purpose of TOC II is to increase the rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers. TOC II programs incorporate proven strategies for teacher retention and best practice, such as mentors for new teachers and differentiated instructional techniques.

Of the 304 total TOC II enrollees in 2016-17, approximately 85% reported they were a member of a historically underrepresented group (see chart below).
Percentage of TOC II Enrolled Students by Race/Ethnicity
2016-17
TOC II Spotlight: Mount Saint Mary College

TOC II candidate Isaiah Bevans-Didymus
Recently, the Mount Saint Mary College newsletter featured a story about TOC II candidate Isaiah Bevans-Didymus, a junior at the school. The article highlights Isaiah's return to his home district in Poughkeepsie, NY to complete an internship at the middle school he previously attended. In Isaiah's own words, "It's been an eye-opening experience seeing the classroom from the teacher's point of view. Assisting in the implementation of lesson plans and redirecting student behaviors puts a new perspective on education at Poughkeepsie that I didn't have when I was a student there."
 
In addition to Bevans-Didymus, two other students from Mount Saint Mary College are completing their TOC II internships at high-needs schools this semester. Through the TOC II grant, Mount Saint Mary College and other partner institutions are able to provide training, mentoring, early clinical experiences, financial assistance, and other supports to diverse groups of students pursuing teaching degrees.
Family and Community Engagement Program (FCEP) - $6 Million
The purpose of the FCEP is to increase the academic achievement and college and career readiness of boys and young men of color by developing and sustaining effective relationships with families in order to achieve student success.
FCEP Spotlight: Greenburgh Central Schools

Greenburgh Central Schools kicked off its My Brother's Keeper Family and Community Engagement Project in November with a trip to the Westchester Knicks basketball game. The event was organized by the Greenburgh My Brother's Keeper mentors and sponsored by the Westchester Knicks as a way to introduce the program to the 125 participating students and their families.

Students and their family members watch the Westchester Knicks game
Westchester Knicks vs Lakeland Magic

Exemplary School Models and Practices - $2 Million

NYSED has received proposals for the Exemplary School Models and Practices (ESMP) program and will announce awardees in the coming months. School district awardees will develop and/or expand exemplary high quality college and career readiness school models, programs, and practices that demonstrate cultural and linguistic responsiveness and emphasize the needs of boys and young men of color.
Implicit Bias Training

In November, former White House Senior Advisor on Education, Dr. Bryant T. Marks, conducted training on implicit bias at the University at Albany, SUNY. More than 170 school, government, and New York State MBK community leaders participated in the training, which focused on implicit bias within higher education as well as within MBK communities. Participants discussed the causes of implicit bias and strategies to reduce it at individual and system-wide levels. As part of the training, MBK community teams designed assessment, awareness, and action plans to identify and reduce implicit bias.

School, government, and community leaders attend implicit bias training
Dr. Bryant T. Marks speaks about implicit bias

Learn More

Find out more about New York State's My Brother's Keeper initiative by visiting our MBK website, which provides details about the grants mentioned in this newsletter. The website also includes sharable videos about MBK, featuring young men of color from New York.
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