My Brothers and Sisters Keeper of Orange County

Our Mission

Movement of Youth prepares diverse youth to lead and succeed in the 21st Century through mentoring and targeted enrichment activities led by college students.

Our Vision

Movement of Youth aspires to be the nation’s leading movement for young people to disrupt the status quo and build a safer, smarter, more socially conscious world.

Our Guiding Principles

1. Engage: Everyone is valuable. How we engage, collaborate, and build relationships fosters growth. We are committed to taking an active role in contributing to the success of our youth so they, in turn, become influential leaders.

2. Enrich: We will always strive for excellence and encourage others to reach their fullest potential. There is always more we can do to enrich ourselves and the lives of others.

3. Empower: We believe that everyone is born with what it takes to make a difference in this world. To that end, we work to empower youth to discover their unique gifts, helping them achieve and advance towards a successful life.

Our History

Seeing such a need to address the educational and social needs of underrepresented populations, Atrayus Goode founded Movement of Youth (MOY) in 2006 as a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill. MOY prepares diverse youth to lead and succeed in the 21st Century through mentoring and targeted enrichment activities led by college students. MOY is based off a similar program that Atrayus completed during middle- and high-school sponsored by the Greater Charlotte Chapter of the 100 Black Men of America. Upon Atrayus' graduation from high-school, the 100 awarded him a merit scholarship to attend college. While attending UNC, Atrayus formed MOY as a way to give back to those that helped him be successful. MOY began working with 11 young men of color from Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina. Students from Hillside High School represented a critical group because it was a school that had not performed as well as other schools in the district, although it was receiving a great deal of attention and support from the district, including Durham Public Schools bringing in instructors from North Carolina Central University to teach. At the time, Hillside was under state court supervision for mandated improvement.

Team Mentoring

Team mentoring features several mentors working with small groups of mentees, in which the mentor-to-mentee ratio is not greater than 1:4. Through this setup, we believe that mentors have the opportunity to develop and foster a unique and lasting relationship with multiple mentees. By sharing the knowledge they have regarding the college application process and by providing academic guidance, our mentors serve as models of academic success for the youth we serve. We rely on the commitment of our mentors to make a dramatic difference in the lives of their individual students.

Leadership Academy

Leadership Academy is held twice a month and features a variety of sessions built to challenge participants in different ways intellectually, physically, and socially. Sessions are tailored to address the complex and unique issues that diverse youth face daily while also providing opportunities for individual growth and professional development. Leadership Academy’s focus is to help students master 21st Century Skills (also referred to as the New Basic Skills). In Teaching the New Basic Skills, authors Richard Murnane (Harvard University) and Frank Levy (MIT) researched the skills required for entry-level jobs at most American companies and found that they go beyond what the SAT tests for. These skills include:

1. Oral Presentation: The ability to speak to an audience with confidence using eye contact and body language, developing coherent and well-organized content.

2. Teamwork: The ability to work effectively and solve problems in a diverse team by working in groups, encouraging others, and giving and receiving feedback.

3. Leadership: The ability to make decisions, establish goals, volunteer to help others, and be a role model.

4. Data Analysis: The ability to solve problems using data (qualitative and quantitative), test hypotheses, draw conclusions and interpret and communicate data.

5. Advanced Literacy: The ability to use new vocabulary, communicate effectively in writing, use critical reading skills, and make inferences from what is read.

6. Technology: The ability to identify and use technology as a tool. By attending these sessions, students will gain the tools necessary to excel in a variety of different situations.

College Tours

Movement of Youth in collaboration with other community organizations hosts the Spring Break College Tour annually where students visit colleges and universities across the country to get to know the students and faculty who bring these institutions to life.

J.U.S.T. Global Fellowship

The J.U.S.T (Journeys to Uncover Social Truth) Global Fellowship is a global youth initiative that partners with community organizations to send high school and college students of color to engage in international work and volunteerism abroad during the summer. These international experiences are designed to empower these future global leaders to be more effective, respectful of other cultures and political and economic systems, and willing to take a stand for the world's welfare.