Black, Educated, Successful, Thriving - Young Male Enrichment Program

10/09/2026

It’s always a joy to watch our scholars bloom & rise through new opportunities! 🎉

The B.E.S.T. team & scholars attended the Project for Pride in Living movie premiere of ‘Opportunity Crossing’, a documentary film highlighting what community was able to collectively imagine and build on Lake Street following the civil unrest of 2020.

The evening also highlighted youth voices via a panel where college scholar Laken Kennedy’s wisdom and insight was featured. A special shout out to Laken for taking the stage in an incredible way and being a voice of his generation. ✨

Thank you Faith Jackson, Karla Henderson, and the exceptional team at Project for Pride in Living for the partnership and opportunity to inspire youth in community!

10/08/2026

“A thriving STEAM ecosystem already lives in North Minneapolis. Our role is to help cultivate the conditions for it to keep growing, and organizations like B.E.S.T. are showing us how.” -AALF

Tune in as our amazing leader James Cooper talks about Black-centered design & creating space and opportunity for young, Black men to thrive in a STEAM fueled world and beyond!

10/02/2026

Excited for the opportunity to partner with the African American Leadership Forum through the STEAM Forward grant to empower our young Black men through intentional career exploration and pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM).

More details coming soon!

10/02/2026

We're so proud of our fearless leader for his Community Leader Award nomination from the Black Business Enterprises!

A vote for James is a vote for B.E.S.T.! ✨

👉🏾 4 cohorts across high school and college
👉🏾 100% high school graduation rate
👉🏾 100% college enrollment rates
👉🏾 Hundreds of hours of academic tutoring, career support, wealth development, exploration activities, mentorship, & more
👉🏾 Millions of dollars in scholarship dollars earned
👉🏾 30+ young Black men being nourished on the pathway of success in the classroom and in life

And that's only 2 years into James Cooper founding and leading B.E.S.T. 😎

The Black Business Ball is this fall — cast your vote for an impactful leader who truly cares for youth, the community, and the city at large! Visit

Every vote does more than support your favorite nominee — proceeds from voting help fund grants that will be awarded to Black Business Ball winners.

10/01/2026

Over the summer of ’26 our high school B.E.S.T. scholars spent their time as youth researchers with Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities' Vibe Check & Voices Internship.

👉🏾 The goal? Exploring questions, patterns, and their lived experience to better shape programs & inform funding that impacts young people.

Last week, all of the hard work, creativity, and dedication displayed over the summer was brought to life during an open house that honored their final project and insights. 🎉

We’re proud of our scholars for boldly taking on this opportunity to learn, grow, and provide tangible impact on the world around them! ✨✨✨

09/28/2026

8 lives. 8 dreams. Our 3rd college cohort is incredible and on the move! ✨

The B.E.S.T. part about this success? It can also be YOU! 😎

B.E.S.T. is currently accepting applications for its next 10th grade cohort and invite you to apply or share our information with someone who should be a part of our program! Please click the application link to explore our requirements and let’s connect: https://www.bestymep.org/apply

09/24/2026

“As we rise, we must bring others with us” ✨

👉🏾 It’s the motto that our fearless leader, James Cooper, lives by. It’s the motto that guides his dedication to the young Black men that B.E.S.T. is nourishing and empowering.

👉🏾 And it’s through living that motto out loud, genuinely, fully, and with a caring heart that James is nominated for the Community Leader Award with Black Business Enterprises and the Black Business Ball

We invite you to cast your vote for a wonderful person and insightful leader who’s positively shaping the lives of Black youth, their families, and ultimately our city as a whole! Click the link in our bio or visit https://blackbusinessball.com/vote/

09/23/2026

Beautifully and brilliantly, over the course of a school year & six weeks of college prep programming in the summer, 8 young Black men from across our city dedicated themselves to excelling in the classroom and beyond. The result? 63+ college acceptances and over 1 million dollars in scholarship dollars earned! 🎉🎓🎉

With fall in motion, Cordae, Charlie, Kaiden, Laken, Maalik, Daniel, Darion, & Isiah have started new adventures on college campuses across Minnesota and Maryland. And as the 3rd college cohort from B.E.S.T., they join our two other college cohorts in reaching an incredible milestone and also serve as inspiration for our high school scholars. 😎

This is only the beginning of more successes to surely come their way. ✨

09/18/2026

He’s been nominated and it’s deserved! 🎉✨🎉

Shout out to our amazing leader, James Cooper, for his Community Leader Award nomination with Black Business Enterprises! Winners will be announced at the organization's 6th Annual Black Business Ball this November.

Voting is officially open and we invite you to share in this special moment by casting your vote for James at https://blackbusinessball.com/vote/

09/16/2026

Back to School season at B.E.S.T. doesn’t begin without some fun in the sun as a community! 😎

Uno, football, and track sprints were all the rage on this day. Who won? Who rules? There’s a different answer you’ll hear from everyone present. But at the end of the day, they’re all the B.E.S.T! 🥇

Thank you to Be the Change, our sponsoring partner, for provided food to keep us nourished and happy throughout the evening!