My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio Selected for an Obama Foundation Communities Program 

My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio Selected for an Obama Foundation Communities Program

Designation recognizes San Antonio’s collaborative efforts to increase postsecondary success for Black and Latino young men.

San Antonio, TX (June 18, 2026) — My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) San Antonio has been selected as one of five communities nationwide to participate in the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Accelerator Communities.

The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK), a program of the Obama Foundation, leads a national call to action to build safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color. The Alliance works with local leaders and cross-sector partners to address opportunity gaps and improve life outcomes through community-driven strategies.

MBK Accelerator Communities represent a select group of MBK Certified Communities best positioned to achieve population-level impact on one of MBK’s six key milestones within the next three years. These milestones represent pivotal moments in the lives of boys and young men of color, which research proves to be predictive of long-term success. They include: entering school ready to learn, reading at grade level by third grade, graduating from high school, completing postsecondary education or training, securing employment for out-of-school youth, and ensuring youth remain safe from violent crimes.

MBK San Antonio, a collective impact network convened locally by nonprofit UP Partnership, was selected for its work advancing Milestone 4: Complete Postsecondary Education or Training, which focuses on ensuring young people have access to the education and training needed for quality jobs and long-term economic opportunity for boys and young men of color in Harlandale, Southwest, and San Antonio ISD. This designation recognizes the work already underway in San Antonio in alignment with the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, a community-wide initiative advancing college and career readiness through cross-sector collaboration among education, nonprofit, civic, and community stakeholders committed to improving outcomes for young people.

“We are honored to be recognized as an MBK Accelerator Community,” said John Jacobs, UP Partnership’s Director of K12 and Justice. “This designation reflects the dedication of partners across San Antonio who are working together to expand opportunity and improve outcomes for boys and young men of color. Through this partnership with the MBK Alliance, we will continue strengthening pathways to postsecondary education and training in school districts that have put in the work for years to ensure that boys and young men of color have the support they need through restorative practices.”

“Completing postsecondary education or training is a key milestone to ensure that our young people are on a trajectory for a prosperous future,” says MacArthur Antigua, Director, Community and Network Impact, MBK Alliance. He continues, “MBK San Antonio has shown great promise in facilitating an ecosystem where students can achieve that before they cross the stage to receive their high school diploma. By selecting them for the Accelerator cohort, we are not only confident in their ability to scaling up that success, so more of Bexar County’s young men of color can achieve that milestone but also codifying their strategies and best practices to inform the rest of our network who are also pursuing that milestone.”

As an MBK Accelerator Community, MBK San Antonio will receive MBK Alliance coaching, funding, evaluation support, and peer-to-peer learning to deepen partnerships, expand effective strategies, and track progress toward population-level impact.

As the nation marks the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, a landmark dedicated to inspiring civic engagement, leadership, and community-driven change, and prepares to celebrate Juneteenth, a day that commemorates freedom and the ongoing pursuit of opportunity for all, this designation serves as a reminder that meaningful progress is built through sustained investment in young people and communities. The selection of MBK San Antonio recognizes local efforts to expand access to postsecondary education and training and reflects a broader commitment to helping boys and young men of color achieve long-term success and economic mobility.

Over the next three years, MBK San Antonio will leverage the resources and national network of the MBK Alliance to continue expanding opportunities and building brighter futures for boys and young men of color in the region.

About My Brother’s Keeper Alliance:

The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance is a program of the Obama Foundation that leads a cross-sector national call to action focused on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color. The initiative works to mobilize communities across the country to address opportunity gaps and improve life outcomes through collaborative action.

About My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio:

My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio is a cross-sector initiative led by UP Partnership as part of its broader effort to align systems and improve outcomes for young people across Bexar County. Through partnerships with school districts, community organizations, and civic leaders, MBK San Antonio focuses on expanding opportunity and strengthening pathways to postsecondary education and training for boys and young men of color.

More about UP Partnership:

Founded in 2009, UP Partnership’s mission is to ensure all young people in Bexar County are ready for the future. We are a San Antonio-based nonprofit social impact organization that coordinates data, aligns pathways and promotes policy change that can help to unlock the full potential of young people ages 0-24 years in our region. Learn more about UP and the Future Ready Bexar County Plan – a strategic plan to guide shared action, language, goals, metrics, and practices that drive progress – at uppartnership.org.

UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship Applications Now Open for 2026–2027

UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship Applications Now Open

for 2026–2027  

 

Are you ready to make your voice heard and create change in your community? Applications are now open for the 2026–2027 UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship, a paid leadership and civic engagement opportunity for young people across Bexar County.

The UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship is designed for young people ages 16–24 who want to better understand how decisions are made and how to influence them. You do not need prior experience in leadership, policy, or advocacy. You just need curiosity, commitment, and a desire to make things better for yourself and your community.

What is the UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship?

The UP Leaders of Tomorrow Fellowship is a nine-month, paid fellowship running from September 2026 through May 2027. Fellows will explore how systems such as education, local government, and public policy impact young people and communities while building the skills needed to advocate for change.

Through hands-on learning, mentorship, group discussions, and real-world experiences, fellows will:

  • Build confidence as civic leaders
    Learn how to speak up about issues that matter to them
    Understand how decisions are made  and how to influence them
    Connect with other young people passionate about making a difference

This program is especially intended for young people who have experienced barriers in education, access, or opportunity and want to help create solutions for their communities.

Fellowship Commitment

Fellows should expect to commit approximately 5–8 hours per month, including:

  • One virtual Tuesday meeting each month (1 hour)
    One in-person Saturday meeting each month (4 hours)
    Optional community events, civic meetings, and youth-led activities throughout the fellowship

Why Apply?

Training, Mentorship & Experiential Learning

Gain practical skills in leadership, civic engagement, advocacy, and policy, no prior experience required.

$2,500 Fellowship Stipend

All fellows will receive a $2,500 stipend to support participation in the program. 

Amplify Your Voice

Share your experiences and perspectives while helping shape conversations and decisions that impact young people and communities across Bexar County.

Continue Your Leadership Journey

Build relationships, strengthen your leadership skills, and gain experiences that can support your future educational, professional, and civic goals.

Who Should Apply?

We encourage applications from young people ages 16–24 who live, work, or attend school in Bexar County, especially those who:

  • Feel decisions are often made without youth voices at the table
    Care about issues impacting their schools or communities
    Want to better understand how change happens
    Have not always had access to leadership or civic opportunities

You do not need to have all the answers, just a willingness to learn, participate, and grow.

Important Dates

  • Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
    Interviews & Selection: August 10–19, 2026
    Fellows Announced: August 21, 2026
    Orientation & Kickoff Celebration: August 27, 2026
    Programming Timeline: September 2026 – May 2027

Apply Today!

This is more than a fellowship, it is an opportunity to grow as a leader, connect with peers, and help shape the future of Bexar County.

Apply Here: bit.ly/UPLeadersApp2026

Applications are due Friday, July 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT.

Questions?

For questions about the fellowship or application process, contact Andrea Ramirez, Youth Leadership Manager, at andrea@uppartnership.org.

Powering Future Ready: Building Capacity for Impact

Powering Future Ready:
Building Capacity for Impact  

 

At UP Partnership, we know that improving outcomes for young people in San Antonio requires more than strong programs, it requires strong, sustainable organizations positioned to grow. That’s why our work focuses on strengthening both the quality of relationships young people experience and the capacity of the organizations that serve them. 

That’s why we’re proud to share the results of our co-investment in the Network Support Pilot (NSP), a national initiative led by Catalyst Exchange, a nonprofit that provides organizations across education and the social sector with the tools, expertise and hands-on support needed to drive transformational outcomes. 

Through this six-month pilot, 10 Future Ready Youth Development Organizations (YDOs) strengthened the systems behind their work by building clearer strategies, stronger infrastructure, and more sustainable revenue models. These organizations included Culturingua, Empower House, Healthy Futures of Texas, The Magik Theatre, Students of Service – San Antonio, Girls on the Run Bexar County, SA Youth, Sporti Transforming Lives, First Tee – Greater San Antonio and Youth Orchestras of San Antonio. 

Each organization received a $30,000 investment, co-invested by Catalyst Exchange and UP Partnership, to address their most pressing needs. In total, partners completed 12 capacity-building projects spanning strategic planning, finance, technology and leadership development, walking away with tangible tools and a clearer path forward. 

Through our Future Ready Bexar County strategies, we are scaling developmental relationships so more young people have access to consistent, meaningful connections with caring adults, which is an essential driver of long-term success. At the same time, we are building the capacity of YDOs to advance Future Ready Action Commitments, ensuring they have the infrastructure, strategy, and resources needed to deliver and expand high-impact work. 

The results speak for themselves—100% of organizations met their project goals, and 90% reported high satisfaction with their outcomes. 

This work reflects a core belief: when we invest in the strength and sustainability of organizations, we expand their ability to build meaningful relationships with young people and deliver lasting impact at scale. This pilot reaffirmed that when we invest in organizations serving young people, we invest in young people themselves, creating a stronger future together.