Brittany Young is a retired engineer from West Baltimore, a STEM educator, and a social entrepreneur.
As the CEO of B-360, her mission is to utilize Baltimore's vibrant dirt bike culture as a platform for STEM education, community engagement, and workforce development while promoting public safety.
She drives B-360's mission and impact by overseeing program development, strategic partnerships, and community outreach aimed at empowering youth and young adults and changing perceptions of dirt bike riders.
Growing up in Baltimore, Brittany recognized a significant issue: the need for more culturally relevant STEM education. She founded B-360 after her younger brother was incarcerated as an adult, motivated by a desire to uplift and educate the community.
B-360 was established to transform dirt bike culture into a gateway for STEM learning and career opportunities.
The organization addresses the lack of culturally relevant STEM education, preparing youth and young adults for in-demand STEM careers that do not require a four-year degree.
Additionally, B-360 seeks community-based solutions to enhance public safety and reduce reliance on policing. In Maryland, one-third of all inmates come from Baltimore City, and $300 million is spent annually on policing neighborhoods.
However, there has been a recent decline in homicides, violent crimes, and youth offenses, which Mayor Brandon Scott attributes to community organizations like B-360 that provide alternatives.
By integrating dirt bike culture with STEM learning, B-360 equips youth with valuable skills while working to reduce nonviolent crimes and foster a safer, more inclusive community.
B-360's mission is to end the cycle of poverty, disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, and build community bridges by leveraging dirt bike culture.
Through STEM education, community engagement, and career preparation, the organization helps youth and young adults gain the skills necessary to secure educational and career opportunities while changing negative perceptions of dirt bike riders.
They view community members as assets with innate potential that should be harnessed.
When Brittany entered the STEM industry as a 17-year-old from Park Heights, she faced skepticism regarding her abilities. Ready to pursue a career in STEM, she found the industry unprepared for her.
Determined, she became a STEM advocate, striving to create programs that engage young people effectively. Her first students were fifth graders, and they are now 19 years old and working at B-360.
These young adults have traveled the country, riding bikes, teaching STEM classes, and securing paid internships with some of the nation’s biggest tech companies, exemplifying the best of what B-360 offers.
B-360 provides programs that teach STEM concepts through dirt bike mechanics and safety, ensuring participants gain transferable skills and workforce development opportunities. The organization also advocates for legal riding spaces.
Since its inception, B-360 has served over 10,000 youth in Baltimore, DC, and Chicago, while employing more than 30 formerly incarcerated adults.
They estimate that they have saved Baltimore City $4.2 million through their programming and skills training, leading to improved standardized test scores. A notable example is Daron, a fifth-grade student who loved dirt bikes and trusted Brittany.
Daron was one of the first students in B-360's programming,
As Daron grew older, he transitioned from being a participant in the program to a teacher's aide and eventually to a full-time employee at B-360, now pursuing a career in mechanical engineering.
With support from BCYF, B-360 has been able to hire more team members and guide youth into the workforce pipeline. Participants in the workforce program, beginning as early as fifth grade, receive academic support, mentoring, stipends for work, professional development, and career planning.
As a fifth grader, Kamari, Daron's brother, has progressed from being a camper learning to fix dirt bikes to becoming a junior instructor who will teach campers dirt bike mechanics and safe riding techniques this summer.
BCYF is a transformative capacity-building organization that invests in grassroots initiatives and serves as a model for other cities.