The Schenectady school district and the city are committing to the My Brother’s Keeper program.
The MBK program launched by former President Barack Obama was introduced in the Schenectady School District in 2018 with a small grant. It works to mitigate the effects of poverty and discrimination by recognizing the challenges faced by young people and creating connections, mentoring and providing opportunities and pathways to educational and career success.
Tuesday at Mont Pleasant Middle School Auditorium Superintendent of Schools Anibal Soler hailed the gathering of students, teachers and city officials as “a call to action to the community.”
"Today, we're talking about the young men in the room, making sure that you have all the opportunities to succeed here in Schenectady," Soler said. "And here in the city school district. The biggest thing here, and the largest thing I don't want us to lose sight of, is that each of you have a story to tell. And it's our job to make sure that when you graduate, because that is the first milestone here in Schenectady is graduation, that every other opportunity you have after you graduate, every door opens up for you."
Carlos Cotto is the district's Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Equity and Engagement.
"My Brother's Keeper is about removing the barriers our youth face," Cotto said. "It's about building strong bridges to opportunities for boys and girls, young men and young women. No matter what their backgrounds or the circumstances into which they were born. It is important to invest in what works, acting with a sense of urgency, basing strategies on data and evidence and having the courage to call out and tear down discrimination in every system and policy where it shows up."
Soler and Cotto credit Mayor Gary McCarthy with boosting the district's MBK program.
"We need your input, your thoughts, your ideas, things that will help facilitate the goals that you're setting for yourself," said McCarthy. "And hopefully, this is going to open doors for you that you will be able to look out and do things that you never thought were possible. And like just talking about the some of the fundamental things, is we want people to graduate. Who here is going to make a commitment that they're going to graduate from high school here in Schenectady. Put your hands up."
Schenectady High School senior Nate Dale says it’s the brotherhood of MBK that he connects with the most.
"This program has taught me so much about being confident in what I want to do in life, respect the people that I meet, and that this, respect everybody that gives me respect, honestly," said Dale. "But one of the biggest thing that this program has ever done for me is give me the friends that I really do appreciate. I really do appreciate because honestly, without these guys over here, I wouldn't even be here. I wouldn't even be standing here."
A new MBK Schenectady logo was revealed. Schenectady MBK has expanded to now include early childhood support for families of pr-K kids through high school and acceptance of the New York State MBK Community Challenge, which asks communities to "work with local leaders, educators, business leaders and youth development experts across sectors to design and implement action plans that expand opportunities for all young people, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born."
There are currently 31 member communities in the MBK network in New York state, including school districts in Albany, Hudson, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh and Ithaca.
