School is out for the summer and kids have more time now.
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Local organizations do their best to keep them busy and out of trouble.
My Brother’s Keeper of Orlando works to address inequality among boys and young men of color through mentorship and will rely on its Summer Support Program in the coming months.
“Ultimately, we don’t want them to sit still,” says Bobby Belton, program manager for My Brother’s Keeper. “To stop that, it’s a question of, how do we engage them, how do we keep them engaged?”
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“Provide a space where they can have someone to talk to, someone to talk to their parents, make sure they’re supported, that their family is supported,” Belton said.
From sports to mental health support, these resources are offered to members through the Summer Support Program.
It’s this kind of support that Jamario Brown and Jourdan O’Faire really needed.
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They are two of the program’s 175 members.
“I got into a lot of trouble in sixth grade,” Brown said. “When they found me in seventh grade, I got into trouble,” O’Faire said.
Orange County Public Schools is identifying students it believes need support. The parents are then referred to MBK.
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“When I found MBK, I could talk to them, say what I had to say, and not feel ashamed,” Brown said. “They’re like big brothers to us, they really help,” O’Faire said.
The two are now preparing to transition from middle school to high school, with constant support from their student advocates.
“I always tell them the sky is the limit. If you have goals, go after them,” said Aaron Thompson, the Lead Student Advocate through MBK at College Park Middle School. “I love getting my boys into high school, in fact, helping them continue to grow and shape great men,” said Timothy Mitchell, a student advocate through MBK at Edgewater Highschool.
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