The New York State Education Department (NYSED) hosted the 2024 My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Symposium on May 30 in Albany, and we are proud to say that the Ellenville Central School District (ECSD) was represented by our three MBK fellows, Ellenville juniors Kwaku Adom Boahen, Pedro Bonachea, and Marcus Lewis-Rivera!
Several faculty members, Reverend Ray Younger, Ellenville School & Family Liaison; Eli Espinosa, and School and Community Engagement Coordinator/MBK Programs Advisor Frank Mulhern also represented Ellenville. More than 1,000 students, parents, educational leaders, advocates, and experts from across the nation came together for this annual event, which featured nationally renowned guest speakers and student and educator panels.
The initiative of the My Brother’s Keeper program is to help boys and young men of color—and all students—realize their full potential. The ECSD has been an MBK grant participant since 2016, and has recently applied for recognition as an MBK Community Challenge District. All three of our student fellows are hoping to become part of the seventh class of the NYS-sponsored MBK Fellows program. Ellenville has worked closely with community stakeholders to develop a Community Action Plan outlining the steps needed to unite the school and community in support of student success for all students, with a focus on boys and young men of color.
Congratulations to our wonderful students for their participation in this important program!