YES Prep began hosting the Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit in 2016 in order to give our students an opportunity to celebrate their culture and identity and do so with students and staff from all of YES Prep. Hosted by a dedicated group of YES Prep staff, students meet and hear from community members from different professional backgrounds, and participate in sessions and activities that empower them.
In honor of Black History Month, we invited the Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit co-leads, Te’Ron Simmons and Carnetta Griffin to share their experience hosting this summit together since 2019.
Introducing Te’Ron Simmons, summit co-lead
Te’Ron Simmons joined the YES Prep family in 2016 as a college counselor at YES Prep Northside Secondary. In 2019, he transitioned to YES Prep Southside Secondary where he currently serves as a behavior support specialist. Simmons is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, and received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri in 2014. Come this May, he will also hold a Master of Education in Counseling.
Te’Ron, how did you first learn about the Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit?
I heard about the Brotherhood Summit during my first year working at YES back in 2016. At this time the Brotherhood and Sisterhood Summits were separate, and I was asked to assist in transporting our Black male students. At the time, we only had a handful of Black male staff members and male high school students on campus so I was excited to help connect our students with other Black male students across the district.
Being in a space with so many Black professionals whose purpose is to develop and inspire younger Black minds as they navigated the complexities of their identities is motivating.
When did you realize that you wanted to be involved in the summit?
After I attended the first summit, I knew I wanted to be involved every year moving forward. Seeing all our YES Prep Black male students and Black male staff networking and enjoying each other’s company and conversation filled me with so much joy and purpose! Since then, I have made it a personal goal to involve myself with the summit in whatever way I can. Being in a space with so many Black professionals whose purpose is to develop and inspire younger Black minds as they navigate the complexities of their identities is motivating.
What impact does the summit have on you, the students and the staff?
The Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit provides a space for our students and staff to know they are enough. The summit encourages open dialogue about the impact of systems and privilege on their lives, be it at home and school or in the city and country. Participants engage in these topics through various thought-provoking sessions. The positive experiences and feedback we receive each year after the summit has concluded encourage me to stay committed to this work!
And introducing fellow summit co-lead, Carnetta Griffin
Carnetta joined YES Prep in 2019. Her first four years were at YES Prep Northside Secondary where she served as the ACE (Afterschool Centers on Education) coordinator for the school. In December 2021, she transitioned to Home Office where she is currently the manager of ACE, overseeing the program at 10 campuses. Griffin is from Omaha, Nebraska and she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Psychology with a minor in Education.
Carnetta, how did you first get involved with the Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit?
I heard about the Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit in 2019 when I was at Northside Secondary, I was at the front office getting ready to close up shop wrapping up the day when I was stopped by a Northside staff member. She invited me to attend a committee meeting and learned about this amazing district-wide summit that is intentionally designed for our Black/African American students. Based on that information alone, I joined the committee that same day. I helped spread the word to the Northside students and registered them to attend. I even created materials for one of the sessions. I often wonder where I would be if I hadn’t been in the front office that specific day.
When did you realize that you wanted to be involved?
Going into that committee meeting, I was unsure what to expect. That year was the first time the Brotherhood and Sisterhood Summits were going to be combined into one. On that day of the summit, the feelings of connectedness, joy, impact and intentionality I felt, I knew I wanted to remain involved in some capacity for years to come.
Overall, no matter the summit theme, date or location, everything is centered around our Blackness and celebrating who we are.
What impact does the summit have on you, students and staff?
The Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit is such an important space for not only our Black/African American students but staff as well. It is a space to network and learn, enjoy comradery, and truly be in a safe place. It feels familiar every time. Each year, the summit it allows our students to come together with peers across the district and engage in conversations, share experiences and remind them that they are not alone in their journey. Each year, we have a new theme and the sessions presented to align with that theme, give students variety in what they are learning about their identities from one summit to the next. Overall, no matter the summit theme, date or location, everything is centered around our Blackness and celebrating who we are.
Black, Educated and Triumphant
This year, the summit’s theme is “Black, Educated and Triumphant! The Celebration Will Be Televised.” The Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit will be on Saturday, February 4, at YES Prep Southside Secondary. This will be Carnetta and Te’Ron’s fourth year serving as co-leads.
When not serving our YES Prep students, you will find Carnetta hanging out with friends and loved ones. She enjoys re-watching shows like Criminal Minds and going on occasional Target runs because “who doesn’t love Target?!” As for Te’Ron, he enjoys watching all things related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing video games and traveling to play in competitive volleyball tournaments across the country.
Thank you Carnetta and Te’Ron for going above and beyond for our YES Prep students and staff!
If you would like to learn about the 2023 Brotherhood Sisterhood Summit, click here.
To learn how YES Prep is celebrating Black History Month, click here.