TU Today

BTU webinar tomorrow: A conversation with Safe Alternative Foundation for Education

Join Van Brooks, Towson University alumnus, Baltimore City native, and founder and executive director of Safe Alternative Foundation for Education, Inc. (SAFE) and Matthew Durington, director of community engagement and partnerships, for a discussion on SAFE’s current work, the development of their new workforce development center, and how community members can create the change needed to end racism, discrimination, and injustice.

About Van Brooks

Van Brooks is a resident of West Baltimore City where he was born and raised. His early private school education began at Father Charles Catholic School in Sandtown Winchester. He then attended Loyola Blakefield for middle and high school in Towson, Maryland. While there, Van was a three-sport athlete, but football was going to provide him with an opportunity to play collegiately. In 2004 during his junior year in high-school, Van went in for a routine tackle and crushed his spinal cord in two places. As a result, he was initially paralyzed from the neck down without the ability to talk, eat, or breathe on his own.

Despite his injury, Van graduated on time from high school and later earned a degree from Towson University. Additionally, in 2012 Van founded Safe Alternative Foundation for Education (SAFE) and in 2015 the SAFE Center in West Baltimore.

His work there has led to him receiving many local and national accolades including the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the Barack Obama administration. In 2017 Van was also appointed by Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan to serve as the Director of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. Van serves on multiple boards ranging from his alma maters Loyola Blakefield and Towson University, as well as St. Elizabeth School, the University of Maryland Medical System Community Advisory Council, and more.

Categorised in: General

This post was written by Smith, Arthur B.