By: Chloe Bradford
HOUSTON – Milestone chairs, co-chairs and leaders of My Brother’s Keeper Houston (MBK
Hou) convened at Houston Community College on November 13 for a pivotal planning and
workshop meeting. The focus was to review preliminary data reports and the 2015 data
deliverables recommendations. The outcome identified significant opportunities for growth and left leaders feeling inspired and motivated for the future.
Under the guidance of Executive Director, Chazz Bailey, Management Analyst, Juan Barrera
and Community Outreach Coordinator, Christopher Jones, the sessions delved into the
organization’s 2015 Local Action Plan, assessing the growth and opportunities for the
development of MBK Hou over the years. Discussions centered around all six milestones and
focused on what’s improved and what still needs to be tweaked. Some critical factors mentioned included identifying early childhood learners who have not enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten. The most recent Local Action Plan, used to observe trends and data regarding those impacted by My Brother’s Keeper, was implemented in 2015. Since then, there’s been tremendous growth in the need for the organizations’ services. Participants noticed how quickly things can change over time. Instead of reassessing data over a 15-to 10-year or 5-year period, the organization is looking forward to reexamining its progress over a 3-year period.
More than 50 community leaders, school board members and non-profit directors reviewed the proposed Local Action Plan for 2025. Looking at Houston’s demographics of males ages 0-25, within the most popular service areas near Wheatley, Scarborough and Kashmere High
Schools, leaders discovered previous year’s gaps and discussed how to bridge them. Members strategized new approaches to serve young men of color in Houston better.
“The learning gaps stood out to me. To know that there was a decrease in children of color
enrolling in Pre-K [is] truly saddening,” Co-Chair, Eric C. pointed out. “I truly believe that when
children enroll in early childhood, it prepares them for future grade levels and enhances their
IQ.”
During break-out rooms sectioned by each milestone, members used their expertise and unique perspectives to create SMART Goals for each recommendation. The atmosphere was not just collaborative and optimistic, but also inclusive, with all attendees feeling part of the collective effort to advance MBK Houston mission.