Building better futures for Chicago's boys and young men of color.
475+ organizations. 17 neighborhoods. One collective table. We turn hope into coordinated action-and action into measurable change.
Showcasing the brilliance and excellence of every boy and young man of color in Chicago.
Brilliance & Excellence is the backbone of MBK Chicago-the connective tissue between the organizations, schools, government agencies, faith communities, and neighbors already doing the work. We don't add another program to a crowded field. We align hundreds of them around one plan.
Our charge is to build the infrastructure-data, coaching, shared calendar, common milestones-so that a boy in Auburn Gresham gets the same shot at college, career, and safety as a boy in Lincoln Park. That's the standard. Anything less isn't excellence.
17 neighborhoods.
One collective table.
Click any neighborhood to see the partner organizations, the schools we're in, and how many young men are prioritized there. This is Chicago's network-visible for the first time.
The Obama Foundation's framework. Our operating system.
As community needs emerge, partners coordinate support around six milestones. Brilliance & Excellence builds the infrastructure so that coordination actually happens.
- 01
Enter school ready to learn
Early-childhood readiness so every child starts strong.
- 02
Read at grade level by 3rd grade
Literacy support at the pivotal early-learning window.
- 03
Graduate from high school
Mentorship cuts dropout by 50% and lifts GPA by 85%.
- 04
Complete college or training
College, trade, and workforce pipelines that finish.
- 05
Youth out of school are employed
Career pathways, apprenticeships, and hiring partners.
- 06
Youth remain safe from violent crime
9 of 10 school-age gun-violence victims were chronically absent. We address it upstream.
Four ways the collective moves.
The 17-neighborhood collective table.
President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative, stewarded citywide-connecting the organizations, schools, and families closest to the work.
An accelerator for community organizations.
Orientation, assessment, training, coaching, microgrants, and a graduation moment-turning trusted community partners into a coordinated, measurable system.
Chicago's feedback loop for accountability.
A shared instrument turning real-time youth signals into coordinated action across schools, government, and community organizations.
Become a certified partner organization.
Join the BE Verified network. Get help fundraising, volunteers, event support, and operational backing-plus the BE Stamp of Approval that vets you for corporate partners.
Everyone has a seat.
The collective is intentionally broad. Real change needs every sector.
Together we can build safer communities.
Whether you're an organization, a mentor, a funder, or a neighbor-there's a role for you at the collective table.
