During our Mindful May event, students from Eagle Academy wrote letters to their future selves, as a reminder that where they are today is not where they have to stay.
Some wrote about fear. Some wrote about purpose. Through every letter was the same message: keep going, keep growing, and don’t give up on yourself.
Read more about what our students had to say.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we partnered with Eagle Academy for Young Men in Brooklyn and Queens for another impactful edition of Mindful May, powered by New Balance. This year’s gathering carried even more weight following the heartbreaking passing of Jaden Pierre, a student from the Eagle Academy Queens community, reminding all of us how urgent and necessary conversations around mental health truly are.
Mental health among young Black men is still too often overlooked, despite the pressures and expectations many carry every day. Through Mindful May, the Kinnect team intentionally created space for these students to step outside of their usual environment to openly engage in conversations around emotional wellbeing, self-awareness, and community support.
To guide the experience, we welcomed mental health advocates Ian Davis and Jordan Pierre, who led the students through a series of wellness-centered exercises and honest conversations designed to encourage vulnerability, reflection, and empowerment. From movement and mindfulness activities, to deeper discussions around protecting your peace and checking in with yourself and others, the day centered on giving these young men tools they can carry with them long after the event ended.
We’re incredibly grateful to New Balance for providing gear for the students, as well as to Koia, Jacob Bar, and Bklyn Blend for helping keep everyone fueled throughout the day.
Some of the most important conversations today are being led by young people speaking openly about the realities facing their own generation.
Jordan Pierre has built his platform around creating space for young Black men to feel seen and supported in ways that are often missing. Through storytelling, organizing, and mentorship, his work continues to push conversations around mental health and vulnerability forward.
The earlier this happens, the more equipped young people become to navigate pressure, burnout, identity, and growth.
We are excited to introduce Jordan as one of our Mindful May hosts to speak to our youth.
Mental health conversations often focus on productivity and pushing through, but not enough attention is given to the toll that constant pressure and burnout can take on creatives and young leaders.
Ian Davis challenges the idea that burnout should be normalized and creates space for more honest conversations around mental wellbeing and sustainable growth.
This year, we’re excited to have him back to speak to our youth and share tools that support both personal wellness and professional growth.
Mental health conversations don’t always center young men and that’s something Kinnect is intentional about changing.
Mental wellbeing plays a critical role in how young men navigate pressure, build relationships, and show up in every space they enter. Creating early access to the right tools, language, and support reinforces the importance of mental health and helps young people build habits they can carry with them long term.
As Mental Health Awareness Month begins, this is a reminder that taking care of yourself is essential and it should always be a priority.
College Decision Day is the deadline for high school seniors to select the universities they’ll be attending in the fall. It’s seen as a milestone in the educational journey, marking the official end of the application process and the first commitment students make to their new schools.
100% of our Cohort 3 scholars will be attending college in the fall. We’re proud of them, and of all the students who worked through the big questions and moments of uncertainty to arrive at their decisions.
In addition to one-on-one time with their mentors, our scholars participate in financial literacy workshops where they learn about investing, budgeting, saving, managing debt and understanding credit, which is not covered in traditional school curriculums. These topics give them a practical edge and help prepare them to make informed financial decisions.
We recently turned a simple jellybean game into a lesson about spending and prioritization, teaching them to money management skills that they’ll carry into adulthood.
The New York leg of our Earth Day initiative was a trip to urban farming nonprofit Harlem Grown, where we helped restore and revitalize their urban gardens, breathing new life into spaces that continue to support and feed the community. Putting the “second life” theme of our program into action, we learned how to turn food waste into nutrient-rich compost, prepare garden beds, and plant for the season ahead.
In partnership with @thenorthface our global teams came together to lean into what it really means to give things a second life in observance of Earth Day. From city to city, employees in each of our Kith stores interpreted the theme in its own way, through restoration, reuse, and small actions that make a lasting impact.
This Earth Day, Kinnect gave the observance a global stage, leveraging our teams around the world to activate around one shared idea: giving things a second life.
With support from @thenorthface each of our markets brought the theme to life in ways that reflected their local communities, from upcycling and restoration to community cleanups and creative reuse.
As Earth Day approaches, we’re exploring what it truly means to give something a second life. It might look like restoring what’s been worn, reusing what still has value, or simply shifting the way we think about what we already have.
Through small, everyday choices, those shifts can add up reducing waste and creating more thoughtful habits over time. Our Kith/Kinnect communities around the world are bringing this idea to life in meaningful ways.
