My Brother's Keeper (MBK) is a national cradle to career initiative, launched in 2014 by President Obama to address and recognize the persistent opportunity gaps in employment and education faced by boys and young black men. In 2016, Mayor Weinberger answered President Obama's call to action and the City of Burlington became an MBK community, adding on in addition a female oriented version of the program called My Sister's Keeper (MSK). Since then, the City and CEDO have developed programming and hosted numerous events to improve the delivery of resources between City departments, businesses, schools and youth organizations for the youth of color in the Burlington community. Through the pandemic, the MBK/MSK initiative has adjusted their programming to continue to serve youth of color in the local community.
With MBK/MSK of Burlington, the City adopted two of the six "cradles to career" milestones to focus on:
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Graduating from high school, college preparation, job/career training
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Staying on track, safe from violence, and provided with second chances
City of Burlington Internships:
The Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) and the City of Burlington seek motivated candidates for internships. Internships offers the first steps towards building a successful career in public service through exposure to local government and municipal policy. By tackling meaningful responsibilities, interns will gain invaluable educational experience, foster professional development, and build lasting relationships with their community. To view internship and how to apply visit: https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/HR/career-and-internship-openings
My Brother's and Sister's Keeper Affinity Groups:
Affinity groups are used in both professional and academic settings to encourage diverse groups to come together to obtain a common goal. The CEDO MBK/MSK Program works with Burlington high schoolers under "affinity groups," which motivate participants to improve academic performance, career development, cultural understanding, and effective engagement. MBK supports outstanding participants with a stipend (particularly upperclassmen involved with the program) and provides a pathway to summer internships.
The Jobs for Youth Fair & The College and Career Fair - 2019
The CEDO MBK/MSK Program and The Burlington School District designed these Fairs to expose Vermont students who are low income and youth of color to the various college and career resources available to help them earn a degree or a credential of value. Many underserved, under-resourced, and underrepresented youth face barriers securing a pathway to higher education as school outcomes depict a reality in which these students face opportunity gaps in school, college, and career success.
