• Description
  • Key findings

Since beginning Forward Promise in 2011, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has taken a specific interest in promoting health and opportunity for young men of color (YMOC), ages 12 to 18. The foundation focuses on this population because the experiences and decisions that many of these young men face make their path to adulthood especially difficult and have a profound effect on their health and well-being throughout their lives. Through research that spanned the course of nearly two years, the foundation researched and developed messaging strategies that can raise awareness and support for investing in YMOC. The success of this research will help yield more support for solutions that remove barriers and create the opportunities these vulnerable young men need to succeed. The findings and analysis are summarized in this toolkit with recommendations for how to apply them to your work.