Latest News

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 This weekend, our young men had the opportunity to give back to the community by participating in a food drive hosted by Music Changing Lives (@musicchanginglives) at Metropolitan Baptist Church! 🙌🏽💙🥫 Our students worked alongside volunteers to help organize and distribute food to individuals and families in need. 🤝🏽🍎🥖 Through this meaningful service experience, they learned the importance of compassion, teamwork, and supporting tho

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were excited to welcome Jewel Theus, who shared her experiences working at the courthouse ⚖️ as well as her work in the entertainment industry as a rigging professional. 🎬🎥 Jewel gave our young men insight into two different career paths and emphasized the importance of hard work, building connections, learning new skills, and taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. 💼🔑 We are truly grateful to Jewel for taking the time to

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were honored to welcome an incredible guest speaker to MPYD this week, our Founder & CEO, Mr. Tecumseh “Shack” Shackelford. Mr. Shackelford spoke with our young men about his journey, the experiences that have shaped him, and the importance of continuing to push forward even when things don’t go as planned. 💯🚀 As the founder of MPYD, he shared how he began the program in response to a growing need for young men in the community to have

Greetings Family and Friends! ⭐🎉 The MPYD 2026 Leadership Camp was a powerful, multi‑day experience designed to help our young men grow as leaders, teammates, and community members. This year’s camp brought together mentorship, outdoor challenges, group discussions, and hands‑on workshops focused on communication, responsibility, and personal development. Students stepped outside their comfort zones, built stronger bonds with one another, and learned what it means to lead wi

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We welcomed Aaron Hooyboer from Outward Bound Adventures, who gave our young men a look into the incredible camping and outdoor leadership experiences available to them through OBA. He talked about the transformative impact of spending time in nature, building confidence, and learning new skills through adventure. Our students were excited to hear about the future trips they’ll have access to and the opportunities waiting for them beyond th

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 This week, we were grateful to welcome an inspiring guest who brought creativity and passion to our young men in MPYD! Mr. Goodwell, one of John Muir’s dedicated art teachers, shared his journey of discovering his love for art and how that passion ultimately led him into the classroom. He spoke about the importance of following what excites you, staying curious, and allowing your interests to guide your path. His story showed our young men

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were grateful to welcome an amazing voice in the John Muir High School Community, Mr. Shakoor, one of John Muir’s teachers, to speak with our young men! Mr. Shakoor spoke with our young men about the importance of simply being willing to try even when there is a possibility of failing. 💯 He shared how that mindset has pushed him throughout his entire life and encouraged our students not to let the fear of failure stop them from pursuing

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were grateful to welcome an incredible voice from the John Muir community, Dr. Robles, Assistant Principal, to speak with our young men! Dr. Robles took our young men through his journey growing up right here in Pasadena and shared some of the experiences that helped shape the person and leader he is today. He spoke about his time in the community, the challenges and lessons he encountered along the way, and how his experiences ultimatel

We were excited to welcome an outstanding member of the John Muir High School community to speak with our young men! 💙✨ First, we had the pleasure of hearing from our Principal, Dr. Gray, who spoke to our young men about the importance of high school and the difference that their education and the decisions they make during these years can have on their future. He encouraged our students to take their education seriously and reminded them of the many opportunities that can c

This week, we were excited to welcome an amazing member of the John Muir High School community to speak with our young men! 💙✨ We had the opportunity to hear from Mr. Silk, our Graphic Media Teacher at John Muir High School. Mr. Silk shared stories about his time as a photographer when he was younger and how his career gave him the opportunity to travel all over the world. 📸🌎 He spoke to our young men about the importance of taking risks, stepping outside of their comfort

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We had a great time welcoming our young men back for another school year! 💙 It was great to see everyone, go over our MPYD expectations and rules, and get everyone ready for another successful year. We also put their knowledge to the test with a fun Kahoot! 🎮🧠 covering our program rules, expectations, and everything they need to know moving forward. With our guest speakers starting next week, our young men are ready to learn, ask questio

The first week of school is officially in the books! 📚🎒 We are so glad to see all of our returning students back and excited to welcome so many new faces to MPYD! 💙 It has been great reconnecting with our students, meeting new students, and getting new sign-ups throughout the week. We’re looking forward to another year filled with mentorship, leadership, learning, growth, and new opportunities. 🙌🏽✨ Here’s to a great school year! We can’t wait to see what this year has in

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐🎉 We are excited to recognize our MPYD students attending Pasadena City College who have been accepted into the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) Scholars program. 🎓 Throughout their time with MPYD, these young men have demonstrated leadership, dedication, and a strong drive for personal growth. Being selected for the PCF Scholars program is a well-deserved recognition of their hard work and commitment to their academic goals. We are extrem

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were excited to see our young men come through for registration as we prepare for another exciting school year! 📚🎓 It was great reconnecting with our returning students and meeting some of our new participants. With the new school year right around the corner, we’re looking forward to another year filled with growth, success, mentorship, and new opportunities. We are truly grateful to everyone who continues to make these opportunities

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We were honored to welcome back the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for another engaging and impactful financial literacy workshop. Our young men had the opportunity to learn about the importance of managing their money wisely, building healthy financial habits, and making smart financial decisions that will benefit them in the future. 💰📚 Our students were highly engaged throughout the presentation, asking thoughtful question

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 This week, we had the opportunity to celebrate one of our graduating seniors, Andrew Arnold, as he begins an exciting new chapter at Morehouse College. 🎓 Andrew has been an outstanding young man throughout his time at MPYD, consistently demonstrating leadership, dedication, and a commitment to personal growth. We are incredibly proud of everything he has accomplished, both within our program and beyond. While we will certainly miss having

Our young men had the incredible opportunity to attend our annual MPYD Leadership Camp! 💙 Throughout the week, they stepped outside of their comfort zones, built lifelong friendships, strengthened their leadership skills, and created memories that will last a lifetime. Camp is about so much more than just having fun. Our students participated in team-building activities, leadership workshops, outdoor challenges, and meaningful discussions that encouraged personal growth, acc

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We had the privilege of celebrating the birthday of our founder, Mr. Tecumseh Shackelford! It was a special day as our summer workers each wrote him a heartfelt birthday card and surprised him with two of his favorite cakes. Mr. Shackelford was incredibly appreciative and grateful for the thoughtful gesture. He shared how rewarding it was to see the character, respect, and kindness we strive to instill in our young men reflected in their ac

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We have officially kicked off our summer work programming, and our young men have been hitting the ground running! 💼☀️ We started by conducting interviews for our participants, setting a professional tone for the weeks ahead. Since then, our young men have been working hard on campus beautification projects, taking pride in improving our community spaces 🌳🧹Alongside their hard work, they have also been participating in enriching activiti

Greetings, Friends and Family! ⭐️🎉 We have some incredible achievements and moments to share from our amazing seniors as we celebrate their hard work and dedication! Two of our outstanding seniors, Ricky Ortiz and Gael Sanchez, proudly stood alongside Pasadena Council Member Tyrone Hampton during their participation in the Fire Explorers program. 💼🚒 We love seeing our young men stepping up, learning vital skills, and engaging directly with our community leaders! We are als