My Brother's Keeper has got traction in DC

BREAKING- Opportunity for All: #MyBrothersKeeper Blueprint for Action http://t.co/aRTrxPjpX3 @whitehouse pic.twitter.com/c3zExKOBYP
— White House Af-Am Ed (@AfAmEducation) June 1, 2014

My Brother's Keeper was launched by President Obama to determine what works to help young people stay on track to reach their full potential.

The District of Columbia is already moving some of the recommendations made by the My Brother's Keeper Task Force: getting a healthy start and entering school ready to learn and graduating from high school ready for college and career. And then there are the One City Youth goals:

• Workforce Development: Young people will gain meaningful work and career exposure, experience, and skills.
• Educational Achievement: Children and youth will increase their academic knowledge and skills and increase their chance of academic advancement.
• Healthy Lifestyles: Children and youth will increasingly adopt healthy lifestyles.
• Safety and Structure:Children and youth will have a safe out-of-school time experience.
• Strengthening Families: Children, youth and families will have opportunities to strengthen their family.

There are plenty of opportunities for DC residents to take up President Obama's call to make a difference. More will become apparent as time goes on, as the My Brother's Keeper DC citywide initiative takes shape. The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation is leading the charge to develop the local response to the president's challenge. Getting involved in MBK DC is easy: join the Greater Washington Alliance for Boys and Men of Color mailing list (go to cyitc.org/research/blackmaleachievement/) and sign up for the mailing list. The Trust will soon send out info on upcoming strategy meetings.

BACKGROUND: The MBK task force was created to

develop a coordinated Federal effort to improve significantly the expected life outcomes for boys and young men of color (including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans) and their contributions to U.S. prosperity, so that all youth have an equal opportunity at the American dream. It is important to note that there is significant diversity within and among these groups of the population. Differences of language status, income, disability, sexual orientation and many other factors influence the identity and experience of these young people, just as any other population. In addition, challenges facing boys and young men of color affect others as well. It is important to break down barriers wherever they exist and identify means of creating ladders of opportunity for all.