My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio announces $300,000 in scholarships for boys and young men of color

With funding from USAA, MBKSA further strengthens commitment to BYMOC’s success

May 4, 2021
Contact: Paulina Sosa
202.379.8940
paulina@uppartnership.org

San Antonio, Texas – My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio (MBKSA) recently announced 150 scholarships totaling $300,000 for boys and young men of color, made possible with funding from USAA. The scholarships, announced at the network’s annual Youth Summit in March, will target high school seniors, student college mentors, and justice-involved young people. Each scholarship recipient will have access to college and career mentors, as well as other MBKSA partners to plan their next steps to attend college or join the workforce.

“Working in partnership with other institutions and organizations to find alignment in our goals is not only necessary for these young men; it’s key to our city’s success,” said Edwin Barea Rodriguez, MBKSA Postsecondary Success work group co-chair and University of Texas at San Antonio Associate Dean for Student Success.

MBKSA is a network of more than 30 cross-sector partners working to ensure boys and young men of color in Bexar County have pathways to success. The network includes school districts, colleges and universities, city and county representatives, and numerous community organizations.

MBKSA is one of four systems-change networks at UP Partnership and was launched in 2014 as a response to former President Barack Obama’s call to action to close opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color.

“Both the MBKSA Youth Summit and these scholarships are a reflection of the commitment our community has made to empower boys and young men of color for their future,” said Lowell Butler, UP Partnership’s College Pathways Manager.

In addition to working with institutions, organizations and systems, MBKSA ensures that young men of color are also included in policy making.

“As a college student, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to access resources which is why I’m a mentor. I’m so excited that my peers and I will have the opportunity to not only potentially secure a scholarship, but continue to serve others like us who are in high school,” said Nya Thornton, St. Phillip’s College student and mentor.

In late 2020, USAA invested $1 million in the MBKSA network as part of a three-year, $50 million commitment to advance racial diversity, equity and inclusion. MBKSA will help ensure that young men of color are on a path to a postsecondary degree or credential, specifically focusing on the educational success of young men who are at the highest risk of not completing high school.

Applications are available to young people already involved with MBKSA partner institutions.

Learn more about My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio
Learn more about UP Partnership

Teens and adults come together to address mental health at the 2021 Youth Voice Summit

Our Tomorrow network uses event to facilitate conversations between young people and adults to address mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

April 6, 2021
Contact: Paulina Sosa
202.379.8940
paulina@uppartnership.org

San Antonio, Texas – On Saturday, April 10, community leaders and teens will come together for the Our Tomorrow Youth Voice Summit with the 2021 theme Mental Wellness: Moving Past the Stigma and into Wellness.

The third annual summit will be held virtually and was planned by young people and adults to tackle the challenges teens are facing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health challenges are at the forefront for many young people who have endured extended school closures, lost learning, and myriad COVID-19 uncertainties. Additionally, with February’s Texas winter storm adding a layer of trauma, the summit is being held at a time of critical need for young people, who chose this year’s summit theme.

“With both COVID-19 and the winter storm, many of my friends and I have been struggling and craving a space to connect and talk about these issues. The Youth Voice Summit is doing that for us,” said Breanna Jimenez, a freshman at East Central High School.

Our Tomorrow is one of four networks at UP Partnership, and brings together 14-19-year-olds and community partners like school districts (East Central ISD and Southwest ISD), youth-serving organizations (Boys and Girls Club and San Antonio Youth Council), and universities (UTSA) to advocate for change in policies that affect young people. The coalition’s work focuses on data, policy and arts & media.

“It’s been so motivating to see youth and community partners come together to collectively plan this year’s Summit. At the core, planning has been relationship building — strengthening bonds and building new bridges for collaboration. This event is the epitome of what UP Partnership stands for — making change together,” said Leroy Adams, UP Partnership Youth Voice Manager.

The event will feature a welcome from Mayor Ron Nirenberg, community leaders discussing mental health topics, and a cross-cultural dialogue on mental health with guests from Pakistan and Sierra Leone, among other topics.

“Being part of Our Tomorrow has been a privilege because as a coalition, we can do more and make a greater impact in our community,” said Patricia Reyes, Business and Community Outreach Facilitator at East Central ISD and co-chair of the Our Tomorrow arts & media work group.

The Our Tomorrow Youth Voice Summit will be held on Zoom from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on April 10. Young people, ages 14-19 can register at bit.ly/YouthVoiceSummit.

Learn more about Our Tomorrow
Learn more about UP Partnership
Watch a conversation about the Youth Voice Summit

2021 East Central ISD ECISD Our Tomorrow UP Partnership youth voice Youth Voice Summit

UP Partnership and San Antonio Area Foundation announce grant application period open to nonprofits serving youth

Applications due April 9, 2021, 11:59 p.m. CDT

UP Partnership and the San Antonio Area Foundation are pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Youth Leadership Development Grant open to Bexar County organizations that serve young people.

The Area Foundation, an UP Partnership anchor partner, is leading this community grantmaking initiative that will award up to 15 Youth Leadership Development grants and four Artist Fellowship grants throughout the city. These grants will support community-serving organizations that work directly with young people to prepare them for future success, career readiness, and resiliency.

These grants are made possible through an investment from Blue Meridian Partners as part of a community-wide strategy to ensure equitable recovery in San Antonio and spur long-term economic mobility in our city.

About Our Partners and Purpose

UP Partnership serves as the backbone of the larger equitable recovery initiative, accelerating a citywide plan alongside its 175 cross-sector and youth-serving institutions throughout Bexar County. The citywide alignment initiative is composed of UP Partnership and its two anchor partners, the City of San Antonio and the Area Foundation, as well as implementation partners who will receive funding for their work on this project. This particular project is between UP Partnership, the Area Foundation and selected grantees.

About the Youth Leadership Development Grant

Youth Leadership Development grants will support organizations that develop and foster the following strategies for youth and have a strategy in place for youth empowerment and growth:

Leadership: Develop young leaders by providing opportunities for youth to exercise their voice
Resiliency: Support social and emotional learning and mental health to develop resiliency
Future Success: Prepare youth for future success by offering education and career development programs that align to student passion and interest

Number of grants: 15
Grant Amount: $5-50,000 grants/ 2 years (depends on the size of the organization)

About the Artist Fellowship Grant

Additionally, art-based learning grants will support four organizations awarded Youth Leadership Development grants to hire artist fellows. This fellowship will support art-specific strategies centered on empowering the youth voice and building civic engagement. These projects are intended to promote collaboration between an artist or artist collective and youth participants.

Artist fellowship grants are added on to the Youth Leadership Development Grant applications and foster the following strategies:

Use art to support social and emotional learning and mental health to develop resiliency
Develop youth leaders by providing opportunities for youth to exercise their voice through art
Partner with UP Partnership’s Our Tomorrow network on a citywide youth-led exhibit
Share artist and youth participant stories on Our Tomorrow’s podcast

Art Fellow: $15,000
Partnering organization: $5,000

Anchor Partners

equitable recovery grant application SAAFDN San Antonio Area Foundation UP Partnership