Calling All Brothers turned 10 years old this week, marking a decade of high-fiving students, staff and parents into the classroom in partnership with Hartford Public Schools.
“This year is special—we’re celebrating 10 years of showing up for our kids,” said Rev. Ashley “AJ” Johnson, founder of Calling All Brothers. “Every year, we see the same spark when students walk into school with brothers cheering them on. Ten years later, the message is the same: You are seen. You are valued. You are never alone.”
This first week of school of the 2025-2026 academic year, Calling All Brothers lined up for high fives and cheers at Dr. Martin Luther King Middle School / Breakthrough Magnet North, Annie Fisher Montessori & STEM, Thirman L. Milner Middle Schools, and SAND Elementary School.
“This 10th anniversary isn’t just a look back,” added Johnson in a press release. “It’s a call to keep building, to expand, and to ensure that every child in Hartford knows they belong to a community of support.”
Rev. A.J. Johnson, founder of Calling All Brothers with his wife, Melinda and sons in the early morning; one a little sleepy!
This year, the group also launched a polo drive “to outfit Hartford students with school polos in all colors and sizes—ensuring children start the year with confidence and the clothing they need to be prepared.”
< CALLING ALL BROTHERS IN THE NEWS>
CTMirror: Hartford students return with high-fives. ‘It’s a beautiful thing’
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Fox 61: Calling All Brothers' welcomes Hartford students back to school
