ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

In February 2014, President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. The My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge seeks to inspire community leaders, and encourage their commitment to ensuring all young people can succeed.

The My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge encourages communities to convene leaders, identify effective strategies, and work together toward achieving these goals:

1. Ensuring all children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready;
2. Ensuring all children read at grade level by third grade;
3. Ensuring all youth graduate from high school;
4. Ensuring all youth complete post-secondary education or training;
5. Ensuring all youth out of school are employed; and
6. Ensuring all youth remain safe from violent crime.

The urgency of the situation requires a sustained effort from all of us. Local leadership is essential to building partnerships and developing plans of action to ensure a brighter future for all young people. That’s why the President is issuing a challenge to cities, towns, counties, and Tribal Nations to commit to building “My Brother’s Keeper Communities” and implementing a coherent cradle-to-college and career strategy, consistent with the goals and recommendations of the May 28, 2014 report of the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, to ensure that all young people can succeed.

Across the country, business leaders, non-profits, foundations, and local school systems are stepping up to answer the President’s call to action. Local elected officials and tribal leaders know what it takes to build sustainable change. Will you join us?