Young Man with a Plan
serves young men in the middle.

We deliver holistic mentoring sustained over 5+ years that helps 375+ young Black and Latino men in Boston build brotherhood, make academic and social emotional gains, and access sustainable futures.

We work with young men in the middle: youth often overlooked because they’re neither the highflyers nor the acutely at-risk. They lack a place to belong and benefit greatly from sustained guidance and mentorship.

“Being in YMWAP has brightened my horizon. It has really made me think of my future and what I want to do with my life.”

WHAT WE DO

Through year-round multi-level mentoring, our young men make academic and social emotional gains and create success plans for sustainable futures.

In addition to school-year programming, where young men receive 3 hours of weekly mentoring from staff and a team of school-based and near-peer mentors, YMWAP offers holistic mentoring during the summer to help our young men continue to grow, feel connected, and be held accountable.

We use research-informed strategies of:

Creating a Protective Community

Connecting Youth to Caring Adults

Strengthening Academic, Social Emotional, Critical Thinking, and Financial Literacy

Encouraging Wellness Practices

Individualized Success Planning

Quality Partnerships

WHY WE’RE NEEDED

Only 24% of Black males have a
Bachelor’s degree, compared to 51% of all Boston residents.

From The State of Black Males in Boston

23 year difference in life expectancy between people living in Roxbury and people living in Back Bay

From WBUR

The median wealth of white households is $247,000, compared to up to $8 for Black households.

From The Color of Wealth In Boston

YMWAP is dedicated to closing these gaps.
Read more about our strategic goals.

“I’ve come to believe that this program holds the key to improving and uplifting the current generation of men.” – Chris A., Class of 2020

IMPACT

375

Young Men Served Annually

75%

Of Students Make Academic Progress In a Typical Year

90%

Retention Rate over 5 Years

96%

Of Students Report Social Emotional Gains

100%

Graduate High School; Avoid Teen Parenthood and the Criminal Justice System

82%

Pursue Higher Education

Read more about our Theory of Change, Evaluation Strategies, and Testimonials! View our Annual Reports!

“If I get a haircut they are the first ones to notice, the first ones to make my mental health a priority, not just something to check off the list.” – Adrian B. Class of 2026

WHO WE SERVE

78%

Of Students are Black

20%

Of Students are Latino

71%

Of Students are from Immigrant Families

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

YMWAP leaders are often called upon by school leaders, educators, other school systems, METCO, and funders to consult on the needs of young men of color.

Executive Director Dr. Jay Simpson is increasingly recognized as a Boston thought leader. He was a 2022-23 member of EdVestor’s Racial Equity Task Force, where he led a Teacher Dialog Series on effectively engaging young men of color in the classroom, a 2022 Institute for Nonprofit Practice Changemaker and SIF Innovator, and he was named to the 2023-24 Nellie Mae Educational Foundation’s Speakers Bureau.

In May 2023, YMWAP was the nonprofit selected from 60 grantees of Boston Children’s Hospital Community Fund to speak on a panel. Read more.

In 2023-24, New Commonwealth Fund recognized YMWAP’s deep community impact by inviting us to participate as a trusted partner in a state-funded maternal health equity public health initiative.

In December 2024, we launched the Young Man Institute for learning and convening, with a first Fireside Chat with Boston’s Chief Behavioral Health Officer Dr. Kevin Simon in dialogue with Dr. Jay Simpson.