Shifting Attitudes. Transforming Lives.

The Y’s founding purpose is to see and unlock the full potential that lies within us all. Joining the Y of the USA and more than 100 Y associations across the country, the Y in Central Maryland is proud to be actively engaged in the Young Men Thriving national initiative. 

The Young Men Thriving initiative focuses on young men of color during critical transition points in their lives, between the ages of 11 and 17, who are often seen and treated differently, resulting in a unique set of barriers to reaching their full potential. This initiative is an intentional effort to shift attitudes and outcomes for the people, environments, and systems that influence these young men’s lives. The support and championship of caring, reliable adults, coupled with purposeful strategies, inspire and transform participants, equipping them with the tools they need to overcome obstacles. We are working to create a culture of care that believes in these young men and expects great things from them.

Laying the Foundation

The initiative is based on research findings from Harvard economist and Opportunity Insights founder, Dr. Raj Chetty, whose longitudinal study on economic opportunity showed that neighborhoods where young men of color do well have shared commonalities such as less intolerance and lower poverty rates. The Young Men Thriving initiative seeks to recreate these communities and the characteristics and conditions present in them. 

The Y’s commitment to this work launched alongside efforts by the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, the National League of Cities, and Cities United, to move from transactional to transformational leadership in all aspects of thinking to impact Young Men Thriving across the nation.

The Young Men Thriving initiative strives to create fair and just communities through: 

• Case-management services, youth development programming, and support services to help remove barriers
• Organizational capacity building to create supportive environments, and 
• Community coalitions to create stable and accessible community support systems, facilitate community-led solutions, and advocate for policy change. 

The Y will improve the well-being (academic, social-emotional, financial, and health) of young men ages 11 to 17 and will be a proven contributor to their success.

The Y will help promote clear pathways to skill building and improve outcomes in numerous areas such as: 

• academic achievement
• positive identity
• personal and professional agency
• social-emotional health and wellbeing
• career readiness
• financial stability
• civic engagement

Additionally, the initiative will establish rigorous partnerships at the local and national levels to address and embrace systems change.

Four Key Objectives

70% of participants will access high-quality, nurturing, and more culturally responsive neighborhood environments.

75% of participants will have stabilized and improved grades by reducing suspensions and improving school attendance.

100% of participants will have completed pre- and post-assessment for social-emotional learning.

75% of participants will increase access to high-quality post-secondary and career-ready pathways.

The Young Men Thriving initiative is advanced through multiple program touchpoints.

New Horizons II

New Horizons II is a workforce development program serving youth who are experiencing housing insecurity. The program is designed to give youth a safe and supportive place to be year-round; prevent summer learning loss, increase graduation rates, equip youth with tools to obtain employment, build character, and provide employment opportunities.

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Next Generation Scholars

The Next Generation Scholars of Maryland Program is a college and career readiness access program established by the Maryland General Assembly in 2016. It supports low-income students in high-poverty school systems by providing access to postsecondary educational opportunities.

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Youth & Government

Y Youth & Government is a nationwide program, active in nearly 40 states. Led by the Y in Central Maryland, the Maryland Youth & Government program engages more than 230 high school students yearly. The program gives high school students hands-on experience in government leadership, focused on training great servant leaders and providing an opportunity for young adults to make their voices heard.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters at the Y

Mentoring is a purposeful, effective, and rewarding way to have a direct and lasting impact on a child’s life. The Big Brothers Big Sisters at the Y mentoring programs serve youth who have been identified by parents/guardians, school counselors, and other adults as needing the steady, predictable presence of a caring, responsible adult mentor in their lives.

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Annual Young Men Thriving Retreat

The Annual Young Men Thriving retreat was developed in response to young men who revealed a strong desire to engage with positive male role models and the opportunity to connect with trusted mentors in a new, supportive environment outside of their everyday experiences.

The structure of the retreat focuses on four primary areas that were identified as critical to growth and success:

• community safety
• employment
• positive role models
• leadership development

The theme of the retreat, "We is Greater than Me: Breaking Barriers and Creating Bonds,” emphasizes the collective strength and unity created through these shared experiences.

Retreats have also featured sessions on mental health, gun violence, self-expression, career pathways, mentorship, and team-building. These discussions create space for the youth to engage in honest, meaningful conversations, often during family-style meals or around a campfire.

As a direct result of this retreat, young men have been hired for Y Camp programs, reflecting one of the retreat’s key goals: to provide tangible pathways to success.