Work / Our Programs
Brother Mike Awards
Investing in mentors who care for Chicago youth.
The Brother Mike Awards are awards to honor outstanding
out-of-school time mentors with $5,000 no-strings-attached
financial support. The award is named after Mike Hawkins, better known
as Brother Mike.
Brother Mike was a loving partner, father, leader at Digital Youth Network (DYN), member of the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX) network, mentor to hundreds of youth, and cornerstone of one of the most innovative and popular teen spaces in Chicago—the YOUmedia Center at Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center.
To honor Brother Mike's impact and support the next generation of mentors, we solicited nominations for the 2024 Brother Mike
Awards from the Chicago youth-development community. The Brother Mike
Award is given to a mentor who demonstrates excellence
in their work with Chicago youth as well as a deep
commitment to social justice and racial equity.
Get your tickets to join us to celebrate the work of amazing Chicago mentors on 9/17/24 at the 2024 Brother Mike Awards!
2023 - Arinique Allen, Maricela Ramírez, l o t I walker