the boys initiative

Achievement is declining among all young males, regardless of race or ethnicity.  With that said, the risk factors for underachievement are most pronounced among minority males.  By 2020 the combined minority population in grades K-12 will exceed the white population.¹ By 2050 non-whites will comprise will comprise a majority of the US population.²  Yet today among males, only 28% of African Americans, 24% of Native Americans and Pacific Islanders and 16% of Hispanic Americans have at least an associate degree.³

In response to these trends, The Boys Initiative launched Minority Male Youth 2050 in the fall of 2011. The mission of the project is to facilitate a cooperative endeavor among organizations and stakeholders in male minority youth. The purpose of the endeavor is to 1) exchange and collect information on solution-focused research and demonstration projects that enhance minority male achievement; 2) develop and support recommendations for research, best practices and "what works"; and 3) facilitate pilot projects and advocacy efforts based on 2).

The goals of the project will be met through collaboration with other organizations that have an interest in minority issues, either directly or through their work in other areas.  To that end, the project has assembled an initial working group, or coalition,of organizations that will be expanded over time. These organizations are:

Advocates for Youth

Association of Reproductive Health Professionals

Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, George Washington University

Coalition for Community Schools

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Harvard Children’s Hospital Boston, Division of Adolescent /Young Adult Medicine

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Voices for America's Children

• Project Mission, Core Principles, Goals and Year One Action Plan (PDF)

• Project Statement of Need (PDF)

• Project Steering Committee

• Recent Reports and Studies on Minority Males

• Web-based Resources

• Other Minority Male Initiatives

• Funding Opportunities

1. The Educational Experience of Young Men of Color, A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress, The College Board, June 2011

2. Issues Brief: Health Reform and Communities of Color: Implications for Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010.

3. The Educational Experience of Young Men of Color, A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress, The College Board, June 2011, page 12