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The My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge

In April 2015, New Rochelle Became The First Community In Westchester To Implement President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, Which Is Designed To Lift All Children And Young Adults, Particularly Boys And Young Men Of Color. Today More Than 250 Cities And Towns Across The Country Have Joined The My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, With The Hope Of Closing Opportunity Gaps For Children And Young Adults Of Color From Birth To Age 24.

My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle (MBKNewRo) Is A Unique Partnership Between The City Of New Rochelle And The School District And Is Supported By More Than 80 Community Partners And 120 Volunteers. the City School District of New Rochelle Oversees The Initiative. MBKNewRo Has Launched Or Implemented More Than 35 Events, Programs And Activities To Help All Students In New Rochelle, Particularly Boys And Young Men Of Color, Make Progress In All Six Of The Milestones Outlined In This National Cradle-To-Career Initiative:

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MBKNewRo Collaborates with Dozens of Community Partners to Implement Change

MBKNewRo Launched Its Action Plan And Website In Late October 2015. Since Then, MBKNewRo Leaders And More Than 120 Volunteers Have Worked With 100 Community Partners To Implement More Than Three Dozen Programs And Events. Our Original Co-Chairs, Councilman Jared Rice And Then NRHS Principal Reginald Richardson, Were Invited To The White House In 2016 And To Albany In 2017 To Talk About Our MBKNewRo Initiative. Eight Of Our Leaders And Volunteers Have Been Recognized Locally And Regionally In 2017 Through 2020 For Their Contributions To The Community. More Than 40 Local, Regional And National Articles And TV Broadcasts Have Highlighted Our Successful Initiatives, Including Coverage From NBC, The Steve Harvey Show, FIOS, News 12, BET, The Journal News, Black Westchester.Com, Westchester Magazine And More.

Here are a Few of MBKNewRo’s Most Recent Accomplishments:

MBK Fellows

Through the creation of the NYS MBK Fellows program, consisting of partnerships between MBK New Ro, New Rochelle HS and the City of New Rochelle, 11th grade students, with an emphasis on boys and young men of color, are provided authentic leadership opportunities in local government and/or education and/or business. 

MBK New Ro will select four NYSMBK Fellows (current 11th graders) and four NYSMBK Ambassadors (current 10th graders) to participate in the program, which will begin in the fall of 2023 semester and continue through the spring semester of students’ 11th and 12th grade year.

Each NYSMBK Fellow will have a mentor currently employed with the City School District of New Rochelle.  Each NYSMBK Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in a fellowship with one of the partners.  As a result, each NYS MBK Fellow will develop a service project related to one of the New York State MBK Milestones with the partner that would benefit the school and/or community. In addition, the Fellows will serve on a statewide MBK Fellows Workgroup, coordinated by the NYSED Office of Family and Community Engagement, which will provide input on the development and implementation of a statewide MBK Mentoring Network. NYSMBK Fellows are expected to attend two conferences held in Albany during their senior year. 

Through this program, the students will also be a part of a public speaking seminar, essay writing program, and 3 cultural book reads and discussions that take place via remote conferencing for 6 weeks for each selection (total of 18 sessions).  

This will be the 5th installment of New Rochelle HS Fellow’s participation in this program.  We have recently been approved to continue this grant through the 2025-26 school year.  At the conclusion of each Fellow’s tenure, they will receive a scholarship for $1,500 to be used for their continued pursuit of higher education. 

MBK fellows students and leaders
MBK fellows students
MBK fellows nate and student
MBK fellows group

So Can You Speakers Series

MBK speaker series charles oakley
MBK speaker series malcom lee
MBK speaker series scott mills
MBK speaker series kent washington

Speaker Series Encourages Students to “Dare to Dream”

An NBA star, Hollywood director, and CEO have visited New Rochelle High School this year as part of a speaker series organized by My Brother’s Keeper New Ro, giving students a strong message: So Can You – Dare to Dream!

So Can You features guest speakers from the public and private sectors delivering a powerful message of determination and hope for young students. “They are living examples of people who have overcome the challenges many of our students face,” said Mr. Adams. 

Since the start of the school year, the MBK New Rochelle has hosted former New York Knicks power forward and NBA All-Star, Charles Oakley; Hollywood director Malcolm Lee, responsible for films such as “The Best Man” series, “Space Jam” starring Lebron James, and “Girls Trip”; and Scott Mills, CEO of BET (Black Entertainment Television) and VH-1. They spoke of their path to success, the trials and tribulations they encountered as high school students, and the turning points in their lives that led them to their successful careers.

Their messages clearly resonated with the students. “To know that someone of Malcolm Lee’s caliber took the time to speak to us means a lot to me. His story was so like my journey. It was empowering to hear him speak about how he overcame so many challenges to become the Hollywood director he is today,” said sophomore Maison Smith.

“It was exciting to see Charles Oakley here at our HS. To know he was able to make the impression on NBA scouts coming from a small school gives me hope that wherever I land, the opportunity can still present itself for me to succeed and possibly plan on a professional level,” said senior Austin Luzzi. 

“I would never imagine that we would be able to meet and talk with the CEO of such a highly influential network like BET and VH-1 in my own school,” said sophomore Angeline Done.

“We are excited to present additional opportunities in the up-coming months as we enrich our students learning with individuals who can provide a glimpse into their lives and allow our students to know that ‘So Can You – Dare 2 Dream,’” said Mr. Adams.

Library Card Initiatives

Milestone 2 speaks to the need of supporting students reading at grade level by the third grade. There is no better way to promote this initiative than by providing an equitable experience for all kindergarten students as they enter our School District. 

Through the months of October and November, over 650 students visited the New Rochelle Public Library where they received their very first library card and participated in a book read with the children librarians. 

We want to thank the NRPL for all their support as community partners in this endeavor.  We look forward to continuing this upward trajectory of young leisure readers.

students listening to a story
students reading

Youth Empowerment

Each week a group of young men assemble with MBK facilitators to discuss their journey in life and the opportunities that exist for their future. 

The conversations lend an opportunity for over 120 young men to understand the power they possess within themselves.  The session units consist of topics that provide students a space to discuss their values, beliefs, identifying their personality traits, the Power they possess, what the world should witness from them and a host of other introspective concepts focused on their development as young men.

  8th graders at each Middle School meet twice a month to further their emotional mindsets as they prepare for life as high school students.  Each session begins with libations, an African tradition that allows for meditation and setting the tone for the forthcoming session. 

The MBK pledge is recited at the conclusion of each session to reaffirm the goals of our MBK men.

mbk empowerment students

mbk pledge

Here are a Few of MBKNewRo’s Past Accomplishments:

Nate Adams photo

Nathaniel Adams III

Contact Information:

Email:

nadams@nredlearn.org

Phone: 914-576-4500 ext. 10930

Nathaniel (Nate) Adams III was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He is a graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. Although his upbringing was rooted in the Bronx, Nate has strong family ties to the New Rochelle community. 

Nate serves as the Program Coordinator for the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK New Ro) Initiative for the School District and City of New Rochelle.

 Nate, along with other community partners, established the New Rochelle Huguenot Elite Football League which is fully operated by men and women of color.  Each year over 150 children participate in the program. Nate also acts as the President of the Metro North NY Youth Football and Cheer program where he oversees programs from New Rochelle, Mt Vernon, Yonkers, White Plains, Peekskill, Poughkeepsie and Spring Valley.  

Nate works closely with organizations such as NR Youth Bureau, NR My Brother’s Keeper Initiative (co-lead advisor), the Guidance Center and Operation Youth Program (OYP) to ensure young people of color gain greater access to experiences and opportunities crucial to their development and future success.  He is also an active member of the New Rochelle African American Advisory Committee and CSDNR Safety Committee.

Nate is also a proud parent of two New Rochelle students:. Together, Lailah Monet Adams, who is a student of Albert Leonard Middle School and 5-year old son, Langston Carter Adams, who attends Barnard Elementary School. Nate has committed his life’s work to inspire others to believe that ‘the best is yet to come’.

MBKNewRo

MBK New Ro is a joint initiative of the City of New Rochelle and the School District of New Rochelle under the auspices of the New Rochelle Youth Bureau.

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