Fall Updates: A Successful Summer Camp, a New Cohort of BRO X, Expanding the BRO Space, Upcoming Events, and More
Hello, my wonderful friends,
I hope this message finds you in great spirits. We have fantastic updates and there's so much happening as we enter the fall season.
Our mission at The B.R.O. Experience is to provide safe havens for young men of color to nurture their growth and potential. Over the past year we've been steadily moving toward our goal of positively impacting the lives of young men in our community. This progress has been nothing short of remarkable.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to The Pinkerton Foundation, Capital One Bank, The Cowles Charitable Trust, and others for standing by us in our endeavors. A big shout out also goes to our local political leaders who've shown unwavering support for The B.R.O. Experience Foundation and the young men we serve.
We’re so grateful you believe in the importance of providing young men of color the space to discover themselves. This is a collective effort, you help fuel our work.
Before we dive into the newsletter, I have a request: I invite each and every one of you to join our "100 Strong" as a recurring donor if you haven’t yet. Become one of the 100+ donors who support our work day in and day out. Without you, our ability to grow and expand is limited.
I hope you take to heart the importance of being part of this impactful work. Your support truly makes a difference!
With gratitude and a big smile,
Barry A. Cooper
Founder and Executive Director
BRO X Rites of Passage Returns for the Fall Semester
As we dive into the fall semester, Rites of Passage is entering its third year and taking things up a notch! We're beyond excited to introduce an incoming cohort of 9th-graders. That means for this academic year we’ll have 41 young men across our 9th and 11th grade cohorts at Frederick Douglass Academy in Brownsville.
What's in store for students? They'll receive direct Cognitive Behavioral support, which includes engaging group sessions twice a week as well as one-on-one coaching sessions with social workers and an academic accountability buddy system. We have two new facilitators and a team of social work interns who are doing incredible work.
The program is already making a tremendous impact at school. We recently surveyed our incoming 11th graders and 100% said they attended school more regularly and 0% have been involved in any physical fights since starting the program. There has been steady improvement of student grades and the use of critical thinking in the classroom. And both our grade levels had a 100% retention rate last school year.
Administrators and teachers at Frederick Douglass Academy strongly concur.
“I have been watching the growth over the last two years and towards the end of 10th grade it seems like the boys just changed. They are way more respectful. I don’t have to talk to them as much. I see the focus.”
Hug The BRO Space
We have some significant news here, and it's both a great opportunity and a bit scary. The BRO Space is our vibrant transformational community center. For the past year we've been sharing the space (and the rent) with a sister org, The Center for NuLeadership, but they’re now ready to move on to their own space.
It's great news because we're ready to grow, and we have more than enough programming, partnerships, and demand to fully utilize the space (and for $5,000/month it's a pretty good deal).
After our screening of American Skin
But the budgetary change is real, and means your support is all the more vital. We're diving into action, seeking heroes and partners who can join us in this financial endeavor. Your support is critical to us, and we need it now more than ever.
Over the past year, our space has been a hub of transformation, supporting over 100 young men directly and hosting events that have left a positive impact not only on young men but also on partners and nonprofit organizations. We've even provided a platform for political leaders to engage in community discussions.
In the fourth quarter of 2023 we're set to launch our first full program right here at The BRO Space. This program will support young men aged 18 to 24 who are disengaged from their communities. They'll be the pioneering cohort of “The BRO Project,” an initiative aimed at reengaging young men who have often been overlooked in our communities.
We can't emphasize this enough – we need your support now. Please consider making a recurring donation to our organization. Your support not only helps us keep our doors open but also enables us to continue providing impactful transformational sessions.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these young men and in our community as a whole. Let's move forward, hand in hand, and create a brighter future together. Donate today and be a part of the change!
A Successful Little BRO Summer Camp
This summer we were thrilled to bring back Little BRO Summer Camp after a successful pilot in 2019. This free program provided 15 3rd and 4th graders with wholesome summer activities that boosted their academic progress, broadened their artistic and technological horizons, and taught Cognitive Behavioral and Social Emotional life skills. The camp ran for 6 1/2-weeks, five days a week. Throughout the camp, youth engaged in a diversity of Social Emotional and character development activities, guided by dedicated enrichment educators.
Here’s what Superintendent Mims had to say about it:
“The B.R.O. Experience Foundation is such a strong organization. People say they do social emotional work, but I’ve seen first hand what Barry Cooper and his team create. When he reached out looking for a school partner, my staff and I were excited to partner him with Principal Antoine. The camp was a huge success and we look forward to working with the B.R.O. Experience again for this school year.”
Empowering the Next Generation of Social Service Providers
A key part of what we offer our youth is access to social worker services. Hunter College’s Silberman School for Social Work has equipped us with three Licensed Master’s in Social Work interns for the past year, and we’ve just welcomed another six. We are also excited to announce a new partnership with Fordham University’s social work graduate school that will add additional LMSW specialists.
We’re proud to help nurture these young social service practitioners as they enter the field brimming with optimism, empathy, and a thirst for learning.
“As Quiet As It’s Kept”
As you walk through Bed Stuy you may see some new public art installations. We’re happy to see Barry’s portrait and words included in a series titled As Quiet As It’s Kept, We Thrive: Stories & Portraits from the Heart of Bed Stuy. This multi-year project is curated by Bailey’s Cafe, a vibrant community non-profit space that delivers intergenerational arts initiatives from its home on Malcolm X Blvd.
This project features voices of those who have seen Bed Stuy change and continue to build the community’s vital character. Thank you to the Bailey’s Cafe team for this beautiful series.
Closing Words from Majesty
We want to close with a piece of writing from a very special member of our Rites of Passage group. Majesty White entered high school facing significant challenges. But this year he not only passed all his classes, but he aced his English Regents exam. Entering his 11th grade year he is well on his way to graduating on time. He recently penned a class essay reflecting on the Rites of Passage program and an opportunity to meet the mayor.
“The BRO Experience is a place where I learned a lot about myself. I hold it at a high value because it has helped me with so many personal things. Things like emotions and how to react to them. When I’m at The BRO Experience I feel challenged to be my best self.”
One more thing. Please save the date, November 15th, 10:30 am, for a legislative breakfast here at The BRO Space. We’ll be discussing policy and practices for best supporting our young men. RSVP here.