Boys and Young Men of Color
Vision Statement
Boys and young men of color live in a different America—an America that both sees and treats them differently, resulting in a unique set of barriers to reaching their full potential. At the Y, we believe that all youth deserve the opportunity to thrive. That’s why we’re committed to building sustainable pathways for success through the YMCA Boys and Young Men of Color Strategy (BYMOC).
Launched in 2018 by the YMCA of the USA, the Boys and Young Men of Color Strategy works to ensure equitable outcomes for boys and young men of color ages 11-17 by removing systemic barriers, providing relevant services and support systems, and creating nurturing environments that provide confidence and growth.
Goals
The Boys and Young Men of Color strategy is designed to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color by:
Reducing school truancy and chronic absenteeism
Improving graduation rates
Helping to establish career pathways ensuring economic mobility
By 2024, the national Boys and Young Men of Color strategy seeks to achieve the following outcomes for 10,000 boys and young men of color:
- Access to high-quality, nurturing, and more culturally responsive neighborhood environments for 70% of participants.
- Reducing suspensions and improving school attendance, resulting in stabilized and improved grades for 75% of participants.
- Completed pre- and post-assessment of social-emotional learning for 100% of participants.
- Access to high quality post-secondary and career-ready pathways for 75% of participants.
Initiatives
Check out some of the programs, initiatives, and partnerships that support our local BYMOC strategy: Gradify, Teen Mental Health, and Best Buy® Teen Tech Center
Areas of Focus
Designed for flexible implementation through policies, practices, and programs that can be defined by the needs of each community and Y, the strategy helps boys and young men of color to:
Education
- Impact their attitudes toward education.
- Instill belief in their capabilities.
- Prepare them with skills to achieve academic success.
College & Career Readiness
- Create pipelines to connect them with post-secondary education and meaningful jobs.
- Provide work-based learning experiences, financial education, skills development, career and college opportunities, as well as resource navigation opportunities.
Character Development
- Create experiences and environments that strengthen social-emotional competencies,
- Support character development across the Y’s core values of honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility.
Belonging & Community Building
- Help them build healthy relationships with peers and adults.
- Foster their positive cultural- and self-identity.
- Support opportunities for community connections and civic engagement.
Health & Well-being
- Help them develop healthy physical and eating habits.
- Teach them about lifestyle changes that can prevent chronic conditions in adulthood such as diabetes and heart disease.
- Combat their experiences with food insecurity.
Meet Our Boys and Young Men of Color Committee:
- Adrianne Hobbs, Senior Vice President
- Amanda Wilkinson, Association Director of Youth Development
- Christina Bellamy, Executive Director
- Crystal Little, Associate Executive Director
- Donna Bigham, Chief Financial Officer
- Doug Sarver, Vice President of Human Resources
- Jemarion Young, Executive Director
- Joyce Tompkins, Vice President of Membership
- Kamal Shaw, DEIB Coordinator
- Natalia Flores, APR, Senior Marketing Director
- Niambi Goings, Executive Director
- Sue Glass, Chief Executive Officer