YES Prep will be celebrating Black History Month throughout the month of February. Stay tuned to our social media as we share amazing stories from YES Prep’s Black/African American staff members, historical events, the origins of Black History Month, scholarship opportunities for our Black and African American students, and more.  

Each week we will be sharing content on the following topics: 

We will be spotlighting members of the YES Prep family. Join us in celebrating Black History Month as we learn more about their identities and how it has shaped their experiences.

• Refusing to lay down our hammer, our voice, our conviction towards equity for all ​​- Jeremy Beard, Head of Schools - Beard shares about his childhood and how it led him to be a champion for all students. 
• Bobbi Beck-Lee shares why education starts with diversity - Beck-Lee has been all about meaningful work. Read more about how she brings purpose to her work every day at Northbrook Middle School.
• Jordan and Chela reflect on what Black History means to them - Chela Green (Resident Principal at Brays Oaks) and Jordan Coleman (eighth grade student at Northbrook Middle School) shed light on what Black History Month means to them.

The YES Prep Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team, as well as the Brotherhood & Sisterhood Summit co-leads, will be sharing spotlights on Black History Month. From the origins of Black History Month to featuring Black Greek organizations and Black inventors. Click on the links below for each story and make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to view them as soon as they are live! 

• Origins of Black History Month
• Celebrating Black History Month through the Atlas
• The Divine Nine: The Legacy of Black Sororities and Fraternities
• Civil Rights leaders spotlights presented by YES Prep's sixth grade class
• YES Prep Gulfton presents: Black to the Future, a virtual assembly 

We will be sharing scholarship alerts specifically for our Black/African American students/alumni on our social media channels. Make sure to tag families and friends who could benefit from the scholarship alerts in the comment sections.

• Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) - Founded in 1998 to support the growth and development of black employees and to encourage students to pursue a career in technology, this year BAM will award 27 scholarships totaling $175,000! Here's how they will be broken up: four (4) $20,000 scholarships, eight (8) $10,000 scholarships, fifteen (15) $1,000 scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded to eligible Black/African American high school seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in technology. One of their requirements includes writing one 500-word essay and one 250-word essay on how you plan to engage in the technology industry and on your financial need. The deadline to apply is March 31. To apply and learn more, click here.

• Amazon Black Employee Network Scholarship - This year Amazon will award 10 students with scholarships in the amount of $5,000 per year, for four years. Students must pursue a career in a computer science or supply chain-related field, be high school seniors and have at least a 3.0 GPA. The deadline to apply is March 4. To apply and learn more, click here.

• Boule' Foundation Scholarship -  This year The United Negro College Fund will award annual scholarships in the amount of $4,000 to students attending a four year university! Students must be graduating in Spring 2021 and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. The deadline to apply is March 29. To apply and learn more, click here.

• The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation Scholarships -  This year they will be awarding scholarships to students preparing to pursue a degree in the Performing Arts or Visual Arts. Students must be active leaders in their community and have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible. The deadline to apply is April 30. To learn more about each scholarship and apply, click the links below.

  • CBC Spouses Performing Arts Scholarship - cbcfinc.academicworks.com/opportunities/731

  • CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship - https://cbcfinc.academicworks.com/opportunities/729

We hope you will join us in celebrating Black History Month!