City and state officials got a look at how a Queens Village school is helping young men of color stay on track Wednesday morning.
City schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña and State Board of Regents Member Lester Young visited the "My Brother's Keeper" program at Martin Van Buren High School.
The program pairs seniors and freshman of color to help them prepare for life beyond high school. It's also supposed to encourage them to stop skipping classes.
Fariña said the program at Van Buren is making a big difference.
"Encouraging students to take pride in their school and be responsible for each other is really a big step forward,” she said. “Every student we saw this morning was confident."
"This program has really been, kind of like, an extra push that I needed that I really couldn't get there on my own,” Dimitry Alexander, a mentee, said.
Former President Barack Obama established the program back in 20 14.