(BPRW) JPMorgan Chase’s The Fellowship Initiative Launches in Washington D.C. to Help More Young Men of Color Access Economic Opportunity

The firm will partner with Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man program to deliver intensive academic, social, emotional and career readiness programming to hundreds of Black, Hispanic and Latino young men in four District of Columbia Public Schools

(Black PR Wire) Washington D.C. – JPMorgan Chase and Youth Guidance today announced an expansion of their respective programs, The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) and Becoming a Man (BAM), to Washington D.C. to help young men of color forge local pathways to graduation and post-secondary success. TFI and BAM will work with District of Columbia Public Schools (DC Public Schools) to improve the economic and social outcomes for hundreds of young men of color from four public schools in Wards 5, 6, 7 and 8.  

In 2019, 43 percent of DC Public Schools students were considered “at-risk” under a local statutory designation covering students who receive certain public benefits, experience homelessness, are in the foster care system, or are over-age in high school, according to D.C. Policy Center research.

Through this intensive, multi-year school-based program hundreds of high school students will receive academic coaching, college and career readiness services, social and mental health support, and leadership development that helps put them on a path toward greater economic mobility. Students will also be matched with mentors and a licensed clinician counselor throughout the program.  

“Young people are our next generation of leaders, yet too many, especially in communities of color, don’t have access to the high-quality education and career experiences they need for a successful future,” said Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase. “The Fellowship Initiative has a proven track record of helping to close the academic opportunity gap and bringing it to Washington D.C. will help put more young men of color on a path toward greater economic mobility.”

JPMorgan Chase’s The Fellowship Initiative launched in 2010 and provides comprehensive and hands-on academic, social and emotional support to young men of color in high school. Over the last decade, TFI has matched more than 350 high school Fellows in New York, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, with JPMorgan Chase mentors. In 2020, TFI committed to expanding the program to 1,000 more Fellows nationally over the next 10 years and has since expanded to Houston and Oakland. The firm’s investment in the DC program is part of its broader $30 billion racial equity commitment and builds on a $350 million, five-year global initiative to prepare people for the future of work.

The BAM program has received national recognition from former President Obama as an evidenced approach to trauma reduction and violence prevention for young men of color who are at-risk for being involved in violent crime or dropping out of high school. Recent research reveals that while around 94 percent of BAM participants have encountered trauma and around 70 percent report symptoms of depression, nearly 60 percent report a substantial decrease in feelings of depression after one year of participation.

This new effort will bring together aspects of both programs to serve DC Public Schools students at four DC Public Schools in SY21-22:

• Dunbar High School (Ward 5)
• Eastern High School (Ward 6)
• D. Woodson High School (Ward 7)
• Ron Brown College Preparatory High School (Ward 8)

“The BAM and TFI programs have an incredible track record of placing black and brown young men on a path of personal and professional growth. For these young men, involvement has been liberating, said Youth Guidance Executive Director Rasheem Rooke.”  And now, BAMFI can continue that tradition in Washington, DC. We can ensure that our young men are not held bondage to the false ideas of low-esteem, hopelessness, and inferiority. Instead, they will be liberated by the limitless possibilities of what tomorrow holds and a brighter future. I am excited that this partnership will allow us to have greater impact among young men of color in DCPS.”

“DC Public Schools is dedicated to promoting equity and creating joyful, student-centered learning experiences that position students furthest away from opportunity with the skills and platform to amplify their voices, deepen their sense of self, and sharpen their leadership skills,” said DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee. “This partnership advances our commitment to closing the opportunity gap and ensuring each of our students have the supports they need to excel in college, career, and life. We are grateful for this investment in our young men of color and the partnership with The Fellowship Initiative.”

Over the past decade, 100 percent of TFI graduates have been accepted into postsecondary opportunities, with more than half of the participants being the first in their family to attend college. Since BAM was founded in 2001, high school graduation rates of participants have increased by nearly 20% in the cities it operates, with 94% of participants graduating from high school, according to University of Chicago research.

“When I enrolled in TFI, I didn’t know where I wanted to go in life,” said Sagid Mohamed, TFI Fellow. “Beyond helping me find a great mentor, build skills and get my first internship, TFI helped me learn what being college-ready meant, both mentally and academically. This helped me achieve a lot of success in my first year at Howard University.”

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About JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.7 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

About Youth Guidance

Youth Guidance creates and implements school-based programs that enable youth to overcome obstacles, focus on their education and, ultimately, to succeed in school and in life. Youth Guidance is a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs and capacity-building initiatives, directly serving more than 13,000 youth across Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, and London. Our strategically developed delivery areas are counseling & prevention, community & afterschool programming, and youth workforce development.