My Brother's Keeper Alliance

Collaboration: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together

MBK Framework - Collaboration: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together

MBK Communities intentionally include diverse voices with various levels of influence to build community ownership around conditions for boys and young men of color. Cross sector groups share decision-making with boys and young men of color, corporations, small businesses, non-profits, community leaders, government agencies, elected officials and school districts. These groups commit to share resources and influence to improve the lives of boys and young men of color.

Local System Leader Commitment

Local system leaders identify a process for sustaining the Local Action Plan across milestones.

Boys and Young Men of Color

Boys and young men of color representatives, youth voices and community leaders have decision-making power in the MBK work.

Engagement with Local Partners

Several entities (school districts, non-profits, corporations, clergy, system leaders, philanthropy) make public efforts and declarations to collaborate toward boys and young men of color equity and commit to an action plan.

Community Spotlight Las Vegas

MBK Las Vegas was originally formed in 2014, restructured in 2017 and is housed within city government, largely staffed and resourced by the Mayor’s Office. MBK Las Vegas hosted their first Eliminating School Pathways to the Juvenile Justice System Conference in 2017, bringing together over 200 stakeholders and subject matter experts from the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada to determine how MBK Las Vegas can help facilitate impactful solutions with this cross-sector group. MBK Las Vegas’ conference has since scaled to engage over 1,000 diverse stakeholders annually, with new ideas and relevant focus areas each year.

The data review conducted at the inaugural 2017 conference led to the development of three central task forces, which make up the MBK Leadership Team. Each of these working groups include experts and influential leaders in their respective areas, and they have determined a meeting, communication, and knowledge sharing cadence between partners and community members to maintain engagement. The group now has three task forces: law enforcement, community engagement to increase schools, nonprofit and community members, and educational equity with a primary focus on implicit bias identification, cultural competency training, and juvenile diversion and increasing coordinations between schools, nonprofits and community members.

Steps to Improvement

  • Receive a letter of support from local elected official.

  • Issue a public statement to show commitment.

  • Obtain city council, town or tribal nation resolution.

  • Became the designated contact in the city, town or Tribal nation.

  • Issue outreach to other city agencies to engage in the initiative.

  • Convene a small group of boys and young men of color to document their issues.

  • Assess the current level of boys and young men of color engagement.

  • Assign boys and young men of color a decision-making leadership role within working groups, advisory boards and committees.

  • Include boys and young men of color in existing leadership within city and or community-based structures.

  • Create a formalized body (youth council/neighborhood advisory) of boys and young men of color.

  • Secure funding commitment and or decision-making authority for the formalized youth body or youth representative.

  • Engage organizations beyond local government – community-based organizations, corporations, youth service organizations, civic groups (Rotary), school districts and philanthropy efforts.

  • Convene partners to affirm commitment.

  • Develop agreement and acquire commitment from external partners.

Related Resources