The Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance has announced a new initiative that will expand the implementation of evidence-based practices and impact for communities across the country. 

The MBK Model Communities initiative has identified four cities from a network of hundreds that have an evidence-based track record of success in shifting outcomes positively for boys and young men of color and will provide each of them a two-year, $800,000 grant as well as access to direct coaching, evaluation support, peer-to-peer learning, and ongoing technical assistance. The four communities are Newark, New Jersey; Omaha, Nebraska; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Yonkers, New York, all of which have achieved significant impact in at least one of the six MBK Milestones by instituting programs and initiatives that have positively shifted outcomes in the educational or violence-reduction ecosystems across their municipal areas.

“Today, I’m proud to see the incredible impact My Brother’s Keeper Alliance communities are having—helping hundreds of community leaders across the country solve problems for the next generation,” said former president Barack Obama. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of MBK communities, cities like Newark, Omaha, Tulsa, and Yonkers have changed the odds—creating opportunities for our young people to achieve their full potential. The MBK Model Communities initiative represents the next phase of the MBK Alliance’s work to help communities take on their biggest challenges—and I look forward to continuing this work alongside them for years to come.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/digital skillet)