My Why: I am creating a legacy of positive community impact and disruption of the school-to-prison pipeline. My community invested in me, and in return, I want to help young men of color overcome the societal barriers designed to keep them impoverished and uneducated. Due to the support I received, I was able to overcome those same barriers.
Funder Spotlight
On June 10, 2025, IYT had the privilege of being part of Contra Costa County history. IYT Executive Director Dr. Erica Conners was invited to read the resolution at the Board of Supervisors meeting. On this day, Contra Costa County proclaimed that June 19th would be observed as an official holiday. This marked the first time that Contra Costa County proclaimed Juneteenth as a holiday.
East Bay Community Foundation Graduation Spotlight
Photos from the East Bay Community Foundation Graduation event.
We had the pleasure of having our Contra Costa African American Holistic Services Grantmanager, Jasmine Jones (of East Bay Community Foundation), attend our graduation ceremony at Liberty Union High School. She shared in the celebration of our high school graduates. She got to witness the brotherhood rituals and the draping of our brothers with their IYT graduation stoles. It was a joyous occasion, and we were happy to have her present.
Brother of the Month
Khardiae Rhodes
8th Grade
The Oscar Wright Academic Excellence Award is sponsored by the Oakland Unified School District. Khardiae Rhodes was one of three of our Madison Park Academy brothers who were honored for their scholarship at the middle school level. We were able to capture a photo of Khardiae and his mother. We were happy to share this moment of celebrating academic achievement with them.
Khardiae Rhodes showing off his Oscar Wright Academic Excellence Award.
Grant Announcements
CrankStart: We would like to highlight the continued generosity of CrankStart, which provided an additional $50K grant to support the mission of IYT. In addition to that, the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department awarded IYT with a new multi-year grant to support brothers in districts 3 and 5.
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
Join Our Board of Advisors
Want to join our Board of Advisors? IYT is embarking on exciting times. We are building the Bay Area Region Advisory and are looking for talent dedicated to forwarding our mission.
Send an email to our Bay Area Executive Director, Dr. Erica Conners, at
Know a Business That Belongs in the Community Champions Circle?
We’re looking for local businesses to sponsor IYT programs at Bay Area schools through our Community Champions initiative. If you know a business that’s passionate about education and equity, we’d love an introduction!
At Improve Your Tomorrow, we are deeply grateful for the generous support of funders from across the nation who make our work possible. Your contributions fuel life-changing programs that empower young men of color to achieve their full potential in education, career, and community leadership. Together, we are building brighter futures and stronger communities. Thank you for believing in our mission!
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