Shawn Brown
Shawn Brown knows the power of a caring adult in a young person's life as someone who has been positively impacted after an encounter with a strong role model. Today, as the Executive Director of Youth Guidance Boston, a leading provider of outcomes-driven programs and capacity-building initiatives, he directly serves about 14,000 youth while touching the lives of hundreds more parents, schools, and local communities.
Brown uses his platform to advocate for the need of culturally competent mental health support to empower the success of young people across Massachusetts and the country. He has a strong passion for mentoring high-risk youth populations and possesses more than 20 years of experience in the fields of youth development, violence prevention, and nonprofit leadership in Massachusetts.
Since being named the founding Executive Director for Youth Guidance Boston, Brown has successfully launched two and expanded Becoming A Man and Working On Womanhood, two evidence-based programs social-emotional learning programs, to three school districts. The impact of these programs is extraordinary.
Students enrolled in Becoming a Man are:
50% less likely to be arrested for a violent crime
25% more engaged in school
19% more likely to graduate high school on time
Generating $30 in societal gains for every $1 invested in BAM
Of the participants in Working on Womanhood:
62% experienced fewer PTSD symptoms
71% experienced fewer depression symptoms
96% reported that the program has helped them make better decisions for themselves
Brown previously served as the Executive Director of Diamond Educators Mentoring, an organization dedicated to improving academic performance of low-income and at-risk youth. He has established effective partnerships with Boston Public Schools, My Brother's Keeper organization, the Obama Foundation, government leaders, and community providers. He also held leadership roles at the Justice Resource Institute and the Boston Private Industry Council.
Brown is a national leader in gun violence prevention and youth development and has made speaking appearances on events and panels such as the Northwell Health National Forum on Gun Violence Prevention, WGBH Basic Black, and CNN's United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell.