Brilliance & Excellence-MBK Chicago
Our Work

Programs that move the collective table.

From certification and backbone coordination to neighborhood activations and citywide mobilizations, every BE program is designed to bring together, empower, and mobilize Boys and Young Men of Color across Chicago.

Certification

BRIDGE Certification Program

A capacity-building certification built for organizations serving Boys and Young Men of Color. BRIDGE has two tracks: Early-Stage Empowerment for emerging nonprofits and Growth & Impact for established organizations. Each track moves through modules covering legal compliance, board development, program design, fundraising, data and evaluation, and sustainability-ending with BE verification and entry into the MBK Chicago partner network.

  • Two tracks tailored to organizational maturity
  • Synthesia-powered video modules + knowledge checks
  • Placement assessment places established orgs at the right starting module
  • Graduates become BE verified partners on the map and directory
Start BRIDGE
MBK partners collaborating at a certification meeting
MBK Chicago Backbone

MBK Chicago Backbone

Brilliance & Excellence serves as the citywide backbone for MBK Chicago, President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative. We coordinate the collective table across 17 priority neighborhoods, align partner organizations, share data, pool resources, and make sure every neighborhood has a coherent strategy for supporting its young people.

  • Coordinates 17 priority neighborhoods across Chicago
  • Aligns partners around shared goals and metrics
  • Convenes leaders, funders, and frontline workers
  • Advocates for policy and investment in BYMOC
Explore the map
MBK Chicago zone meeting with community leaders
Neighborhood Activation

Play Streets

Play Streets turn blocks, parks, and schoolyards into safe, high-energy spaces for young people and families. With music, games, sports, resource tables, and local performers, each activation is designed to bring the community out, build positive relationships, and connect youth to nearby programs and services.

  • Free, family-friendly block activations
  • Sports, dance, music, and resource connections
  • Partnerships with local orgs and safe-passage teams
  • Recurring presence in priority neighborhoods
Find an activation
Youth dancing in a circle at a community event
Youth Mobilization

MBK March

MBK March is a citywide call to action. Young people, mentors, organizers, and community members come together to demand investment in Boys and Young Men of Color, celebrate progress, and show decision-makers what collective power looks like. It is part rally, part parade, and part organizing meeting.

  • Citywide youth-led mobilization
  • Elevates voices of Boys and Young Men of Color
  • Connects advocacy to local services
  • Builds pride, belonging, and civic power
Join the next march
Crowd gathered for an MBK Chicago rally
Sports & Mentoring

MBK Hoopfest

MBK Hoopfest brings together basketball, mentoring, and community resources. More than a tournament, it is a pipeline: young people compete, connect with coaches and mentors, visit resource tables, and learn about year-round programs in their neighborhood. Hoopfest meets youth where they are and keeps them engaged long after the final buzzer.

  • Basketball tournament + mentoring pipeline
  • Resource tables and on-site program sign-ups
  • Inter-neighborhood unity and friendly competition
  • Pathway to ongoing BRIDGE partner programming
See Hoopfest dates
Youth basketball clinic in the gym
The Model

Everything connects back to the neighborhood.

BRIDGE builds strong organizations. The backbone aligns them across the city. Play Streets, MBK March, and MBK Hoopfest bring young people and partners together in public space. The result is a connected ecosystem where every program, partner, and neighborhood reinforces the others.

01

Build capacity

Organizations complete BRIDGE and earn BE verification.

02

Align the table

The backbone connects verified partners across 17 neighborhoods.

03

Activate the city

Play Streets, Hoopfest, and MBK March turn alignment into action.

Want to bring a program to your neighborhood?

Whether you are an organization ready for BRIDGE certification, a funder looking to sponsor a Play Street or Hoopfest, or a community member who wants to volunteer, we will find the right fit.

Become a Certified PartnerDonate