Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with The United Way of Central Ohio in support of the Boys and Young Men of Color Collective.
The Boys & Young Men of Color Collective (The Collective) exists to center the stories, genius, and bodies of Columbus and Franklin County boys and young men of color (BYMOC) in the places and spaces that shape their communities, institutions, and systems that serve them. The goal is simple: to co-create communities of belonging where the lived experiences of, and equitable outcomes for, BYMOC rival that of their peers.
The collective is composed of BYMOC and those who support their success. Toward that end, The Collective seeks to become the go-to organization for BYMOC data and policy. The Collective works alongside its youth board to connect with Columbus BYMOC to engage in annual data collection to understand their stories, priorities, and ideas for solution. The Collective is being co-constructed with and by BYMOC as they develop to build consensus amongst themselves as priorities evolve, and collectively implement policy and investment practices that achieve measurable and equitable change for this group and the community-at-large.
The Collective invests heavily in adolescent leadership development and civic engagement through incentivized youth board and in-house career exposure, mentorship, and apprenticeship model. For example, youth board members were trained on how to conduct focus groups through which they collected data for the first round of data collection and analysis in 2023-2024. Youth board members shared their experience and findings with Columbus City Council members at the first community event in May 2024. Additionally, youth board members participated in branding workshops to shape The Collective’s branding kit. As such, The Collective’s work directly supports Columbus City Council’s funding priorities of building safer and stronger neighborhoods and promoting w...
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