The Brothers Rise Up (BRU) program provides mentoring and support to third through 8th grade African American male students across School District U-46. This is a multi-year program that focuseson monitoring and improving the students’ academic performance, attendance, and behavior and offers a curriculum with character development, social skills, leadership, academic excellence and career development. Jim Cook, a Dean’s Assistant at Kenyon Woods Middle School, founded Brothers Rise Up in 2019 as a program of the non-profit Midwest Sports Academy. Mr. Cook worked with administrators across the District to identify students who might need and be open to additional support. The program served 115 students in 11 schools across the District during its first year with weekly groups which extended through the summer . In 2020-21, the program is serving 130 boys from 3rd-8th grade in 17 schools on a weekly basis while also continuing to provide mentoring and support to students who have moved on to high school. While the program focuses on boys in 3rd through 8th grade, Cook said the program will continue to support participants through their high school years. For more information, please contact Jim Cook, jimcook@u-46.org.
