Brotherhood Summit Aims To Get 2.0 GPA Students College Ready

While many academic programs focus on students already at the top of their class, a local initiative is intentionally taking a different approach — targeting young men with a 2.0 GPA or lower to ensure they aren’t left behind.

The nonprofit Improve Your Tomorrow recently hosted a Brotherhood Summit at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park. The event brought together more than 200 students from six local schools, offering them a unique opportunity to connect with mentors and prepare for life after graduation.

Investing in Potential, Not Just Grades

According to organizers, the program’s core mission is to rebuild the foundational support system for young men of color, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students’ social development and academic momentum.

“Our organization is really here to serve young males of color to ensure that they attend and graduate from colleges and universities,” said Arthur Turner, executive director of Improve Your Tomorrow Minnesota. “We work with secondary schools, grades 6-12, and really focus on young males of color.”

More than 200 students packed into an auditorium at North Hennepin Community College for the first Improve Your Tomorrow Brotherhood Summit.

For the students involved, the initiative is a vital reminder that their academic worth isn’t solely defined by a report card.

“I think we need to commit to those 2.0 GPAs, allowing them to know that we will commit with you and we’re here for you for the whole steps,” said Victor Penaloza, a junior at Hopkins High School. “Not just because your GPA dictates who you are as a person. I think there’s multiple opportunities for any age, for any GPA, for anybody who you are as a person.”

Improve Your Tomorrow currently provides hands-on mentorship to nearly 300 students across local school districts, including Osseo and Hopkins. However, the organization’s leaders aren’t stopping there.

Over the next two years, the nonprofit aims to double its impact, expanding its reach to guide even more young men toward higher education and future success.

Related: Brooklyn Park’s New Teen Center Celebrates ‘Massive’ Investment in Youth

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