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Brooklyn Bridge Alliance summarizes youth survey, mental-health and summer hiring partnership with Robbinsdale schools
Summary
At the June 15 Robbinsdale Public School District board meeting, Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth outlined youth-led surveys and programs that prioritize employment opportunities, mental health and safe online use; the group said 66% of surveyed youth named financial stability as a top goal and highlighted summer hiring of student staff.
Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth (BBEAY) told the Robbinsdale Public School District board on June 15 that recent youth-driven research and programming have focused on financial stability, mental health and employment pathways for local teens. Anthony Williams, the district’s executive director who introduced the presentation, said the partnership aims to expand opportunities for young people in the region.
BBEAY Executive Director Becca Gilgan said the alliance trains young people as community researchers and runs a statistically significant survey of local youth; about 411 young people in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park responded. “In the last survey the number one goals and dreams 66% of all the youth participating in this survey said financial stability,” Gilgan said, describing why BBEAY is emphasizing paid work and career pathways for teenagers.
The group highlighted a multisite Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health initiative, which began under a federal grant from the Office of Minority Health and has since continued with five years of state funding. Gilgan said that initiative and related youth summits focus on repairing the ecosystem around youth well-being — addressing digital harm, gun violence in the community and racism in schools — and on connecting youth to culturally responsive supports.
BBEAY also described on-site programs with the district: culturally responsive tutoring, affinity and youth-leadership groups (including Youth on Board trainings), and a summer program that hires dozens of young people. Gilgan said BBEAY currently employs about 33 youth staff and a team of nine adults, and that the organization budgets stipends to ensure young people receive paid experience.
Robbinsdale board members asked how the alliance’s work — which centers youth who live in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park — could be expanded to serve Robbinsdale students. Williams said district leaders have been working to expand access where possible and have adopted BBEAY models such as Youth on Board and localized peer tutoring in multiple district sites.
BBEAY told the board it is preparing a new youth survey this summer and invited feedback on questions the board would like to see asked. The alliance said it will return with results and recommendations the district can use in program design and policy planning.
