In August 2024, Jaylen Brown’s foundation, the 7uice Foundation, sent five highschool students to take part in the MIT Media Lab robotics competition created by Zero Robotics.

According to highschool students like 17-year-old Jesse Gives, they noticed the muse’s efforts to engage students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“I think the number of people the 7uice Foundation has connected us with who look like us and fill the spaces we want to fill is truly inspiring,” Gives said.

The Brown Foundation describes itself as a company dedicated to removing “entrenched barriers to educational opportunity, socioeconomic mobility, and access to health and wellness for marginalized Black and Brown communities.” On its website and in a recent interview with Stephen A. Smith of ESPNbriefly discussed his work with the muse.

“I developed curriculum at MIT almost every summer…I take kids from Dorchester, Roxbury, and underrepresented communities and build a bridge for them to MIT,” Brown explained to Smith.

Brown continued, “I think it’s important because they gain knowledge through STEM and STEAM-based curricula, which can also help shape their social mobility, so just creating that environment, allowing them to have internships, allowing them to enroll in different programs, allowing them to be in a space where they see themselves succeeding rather than being in a place where, you know, there’s not a lot of opportunity. I think that’s what the Bridge Program is all about and that’s what the 7uice Foundation has funded.”

The Bridge program, with which Gives is associated, is a flagship of the Brown Foundation, as described on its website.

“The 7uice Foundation Bridge Program is a multi-day educational and leadership initiative for Black and Brown youth in grades 8-12,” the web site explains.

The website also explains that every program is tailored to the needs of a particular community and is just not a one-size-fits-all approach.

“Bridge programs are offered in various cities and are tailored to the needs of every community we impact. Our goal is to connect those that have historically been denied access to critical resources,” the web site reads.

The Bridge program relies on three areas that the 7uice Foundation has identified as key to the event of scholars covered by this system.

These areas are: Leadership and Activism, Health and Wellness, and Sustainability, Innovation and Technology.

To ensure students’ maximum development in these areas, they’re connected with leaders in various areas of social change and offer programs that integrate workshops in yoga, meditation, empathy and literacy, in addition to workshops led by leaders in artificial intelligence, aeronautics, clean science technology, robotics and sustainable food systems.

In 2023, the Brown Foundation has partnered with Boston Public Schools and the MIT Media Lab and registered 100 students to take part in the Bridge Program.

According to Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper, “We are excited to join forces with the 7uice Foundation’s Bridge Program to provide our Black and Brown students with invaluable opportunities and experiences,” Skipper said.

Skipper continued: “The 7uice Foundation Bridge Program is a wonderful and powerful example of true collaboration that aligns with our vision of educational equity at BPS. We are very grateful to Jaylen Brown and his foundation for helping prepare our students to be full contributors and leaders in an increasingly diverse and technologically advanced world.”

Brown also emphasized within the press release the impact he wanted to make: “I am grateful to join forces with Boston Public Schools and the MIT Media Lab to host our third year of the Bridge program,” Brown said.

Brown concluded: “All children, no matter their zip code, should have access to these resources, and I am committed to creating equal opportunity educational programs that benefit traditionally underserved communities. I see myself in a lot of these kids and I want to give them every chance to succeed and be their best selves.”

If ever there was a likelihood to return to the nation’s capital for Howard University’s Homecoming Dance, this could be it.

This yr’s festivities will likely be held not only to have fun the candidacy of considered one of the varsity’s distinguished graduates for the President of the United States, but in addition Forbes Magazine named the varsity one of the best amongst historically black colleges and universities.

Six HBCUs, including Howard, made the annual list of the five hundred, which is compiled from greater than 5,000 colleges and universities within the United States. The list recognizes the highest 500 schools that consistently “produce successful, high-earning, and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt.”

Howard was ranked 273rd, ahead of Spelman and sister school Morehouse in Atlanta, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (also referred to as FAMU), North Carolina A&T and Hampton University in Virginia.

“Howard University’s high standing among HBCUs adds momentum to our march toward higher standing as a national research institution,” he said in (*1*)release responding to the rating. “Howard’s singular impact on the intersection of intellectual discovery and global culture cannot be overstated, and we will continue to push the frontiers of knowledge to help the world solve its most pressing challenges.”

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Interestingly, the variety of HBCUs doubled from three last yr. The list also comes as highschool seniors begin preparing college applications in the brand new reality of an admissions process without affirmative motion. As a result, a growing variety of predominantly white institutions, including Harvard, are reporting significant declines in black enrollment. At least this yr’s list was intended to focus on schools with less exclusive admissions rates.

“While we don’t factor in acceptance rates in our rankings, this year we decided to ease some high school admissions anxiety by highlighting excellent schools that don’t have admissions rates below 10 percent, like Princeton, Stanford, and MIT,” the list’s authors wrote. “Thirty-eight of our top 100 schools accept more than 30 percent of applicants, and 16 of those accept 50 percent or more—in other words, great schools with less admissions stress.”