MY NYC Bridge Program
MY NYC Bridge is a free mentoring program that connects male high school students to positive role models from the broader New York City Muslim community. The Bridge program trains and advises participants in developing leadership skills and participating in civic engagement and dialogue about the issues affecting their community.
Mentors and Mentees
Bridge Mentors come from diverse backgrounds similar to the students and are working in various professional fields and/or dedicate their personal time to advocating for the rights and interests of the Muslim community and its allies. Previous mentors have been engineers, artists, film-makers, community organizers, and public health professionals.
Our Mentees are young Muslim men in New York City in 9th-12th grade. We seek to engage these young men in community service and leadership and professional development. As a group, they will discuss Islamophobia and identify other issues affecting their communities, learn how to establish good habits and manage stress, will be provided opportunities to network with interfaith and intra-faith communities, and much more!
Program Objectives
- To connect students to positive role models who are actively engaged in their communities by establishing relationships that support and expand students’ horizons as they make critical decisions for their futures.
- To expose students to the diversity of fields their Mentors work in, both professionally and personally.
- To encourage students to engage civically by providing community service opportunities for Mentors and Mentees to complete together.
- To expand students’ consciousness by hosting workshops and group discussions about the social justice issues affecting New York City Muslims and providing the tools to affect positive change.
- To provide students with a safe space to discuss issues of personal importance as a group and with a mentor.
Requirements and Expectations
Bridge Mentors and Mentees will meet at least twice a month, one of which is a group meeting held by MCN. Group meetings will be held every second Saturday of the month in the afternoon. Most group meetings will be held at MCN’s office in Manhattan near Washington Square Park. Throughout the year some group meetings will be trips and/or activities at other locations in NYC such as outings to Central Park, community service events off-site, or meeting a City Council member at their legislative office. Group activities will be paid for and provided by MCN.
MY NYC Bridge Mentoring Program serves Muslims and the Muslim Community of NYC but does not provide or promote religious instruction as an element of the program.
Mentors must undergo a background check and mentor-training from MCN before being paired with a Mentee.
Mentor and Mentee pairing is expected to last for the duration of the Mentee’s high school career, so applying mentors should plan or expect to remain in NYC for that length of time (at least the next 3 years for a current freshman or at least one year for a current junior).
Mentors should be a minimum age of 25.
Mentees must be high school students (9th-12th grade) during the 2016-2017 school year.
Are you interested in becoming a Mentor or Mentee? Apply today!
Applications for Bridge Mentors have closed. We are still accepting Mentee (student) applications on a rolling basis.
Click here to apply to be a Mentee.
Click here to apply to be a Mentor.