National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities (NAESM) announced an extended deadline for applicants in the third annual Build-a-Brother Youth Scholars Institute (BABI). BABI starts with a four-day peer-led training institute for young black gay and bisexual men at the National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities, the 15th annual conference, held January 18-21, 2018, at the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Hotel.
Selected cohorts will also attend a second round of trainings to further develop their skills and knowledge. Between both conferences, each participant will work side-by-side with a mentor to design and implement a community project. On the final day of the track, Youth Scholars will present their work and ideas to their peers.
The application deadline for the third Youth Scholars cohort is Nov. 17 at 11:59 PM EST. Applicants must be age 18 to 29, live in the southern United States (Delaware, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.) and have community-service experience.
“I am excited to again provide this great opportunity. BABI will allow us to sharpen the next generation of young black gay and bisexual men,” said Darwin Thompson, executive director of NAESM, Inc. “NAESM hopes to continue this fight within the HIV epidemic by building new leaders and creating a new opportunity for work that focuses specifically on young black men who have sex with men.”
Twenty scholarships are available that will cover accommodations and transportation for both training periods. The institute aims to develop participants’ professional growth, leadership skills, grant writing, biomedical interventions (PrEP, PEP and Treatment as Prevention), social marketing, current epidemiology and personal branding. In addition to these training sessions, scholars will attend special presentations from speakers from the conference to discuss how their work relates to the lives of young black men who have sex wiith men.
To apply for the program, visit naesm.wufoo.com/forms/z8s5hrm120k7aa