Princeton NJ Family Feature Press Releases

Princeton YMCA Joins Forces with Leadership Network for My Brother's Keeper

Princeton, NJ, July 1, 2024 – Princeton YMCA, a branch of Greater Somerset County YMCA is proud to announce its membership in the My Brother's Keeper (MBK) Leadership Network, a nationwide collective of backbone leads who have committed to improving outcomes for boys and young men of color. Ensuring its commitment to serve all youth, Princeton YMCA identifies as My Brother's and Sister's Keeper Princeton (MBSK Princeton), allowing young women to participate.

This initiative, inspired by President Obama's call to action, focuses on meaningful changes across six MBK Milestones: entering school ready to learn, reading at grade level by 3rd grade, graduating high school, completing post-secondary education, all out of school youth employed, and all youth remaining safe from violent crime.

Princeton YMCA currently serves 85 students through its (ACE) Accept Compete Excel and (PYA) Princeton Young Achievers programs, which now fall under the My Brother's and Sister's Keeper Princeton initiative. These programs aim to foster a community ecosystem that produces positive outcomes for youth in Princeton and surrounding areas. This includes collaboration with various entities such as skill-building organizations, educational resources, employers, community groups, employment organizations, government agencies, business associations, and local government.

Keshon Bennett, Branch Executive Director at Princeton YMCA, serves as the Backbone Lead. Catherine Millett, a Princeton YMCA board member, is the Certification Lead, and Tazwell Salter, an ACE coach hired through AmeriCorps, assists with the Y's ACE and PYA programs serves as the Certification Coordinator.

"By joining the MBK Leadership Network, Princeton YMCA reaffirms its commitment to creating a supportive and empowering environment for youth, ensuring they have the opportunities and resources needed to succeed. This initiative continues the Y's Boys and Young Men of Color strategy, providing safe spaces for young leaders to express themselves, nurture their unique identities, and learn important life skills from caring adults," shares Bennett.

To learn more about Princeton YMCA's youth development opportunities visit, www.gscymca.org/bymoc.

Contact:

Jenayah Mathis-Minnigan

Director of Media & Content Marketing

Greater Somerset County YMCA

140 Mount Airy Road, Basking Ridge NJ 07920

908 630 3535 x8131

jmathisminnigan@gscymca.org