Youth United For Community Action

WE LAUNCHED HIGHER LEARNING IN JUNE OF 1997, WHOSE GOAL IS TO CREATE A SAFE SPACE WHERE HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH CAN COME TOGETHER TO EXAMINE AND ACT ON ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITIES. IN 2010 WE RENEWED OUR COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE, AND YOUTH ORGANIZING, RESULTING IN THE LAUNCH OF TWO NEW CAMPAIGNS, A LEADERSHIP AND BASEBUILDING NETWORK IN EAST PALO ALTO, THE REVAMP OF OUR STAFFING STRUCTURE TO BETTER SUPPORT YOUTH-TO-STAFF TRANSITIONS, AND A RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN AIMED TO DIVERSIFY OUR FUNDING SOURCES. CURRENTLY, OUR WORK INVOLVES LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, AND COALITION BUILDING.

THE HIGHER LEARNING PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 1997 TO SERVE THE GROWING NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUTH. THE HIGHER LEARNING PROGRAM (HL) WAS INITIATED BY HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH IN EAST PALO ALTO TO HELP SUPPORT AND DEVELOP YOUNG PEOPLE AS ACTIVE LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY. AS A RESULT, HL EPA BRINGS HIGH SCHOOL AGED YOUTH TOGETHER IN A HEALTHY AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN IDENTIFY AND EXPLORE ISSUES AFFECTING THEM AS YOUNG PEOPLE AND AS MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. ONCE AN ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, THE YOUTH RESEARCH AND EVALUATE THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE SPECIFIC ISSUE AND DEVELOP/IMPLEMENT ACTION PLANS TO PRODUCTIVELY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THIS YEAR THERE WERE TWO CAMPAIGNS, A HOUSING JUSTICE CAMPAIGN AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGN.

DEVELOPING LEADERS: SINCE ITS INCEPTION, YUCA BELIEVES THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST AFFECTED SHOULD BE THE DRIVING FORCE TO DETERMINING AND BRINGING ABOUT THEIR OWN SOLUTION. YUCA WAS FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE YOUTH PROGRAM SHOULD INCLUDE THE INTENSE INVOLVEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION. AS A RESULT, REPRESENTING OUR CONSTITUENCY, YUCA IS LED AND RUN AT ALL LEVELS ENTIRELY BY YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR, MAJORITY LOW-INCOME, MAJORITY WOMEN, THUS PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DEFINE OUR OWN NEEDS, DETERMINE OUR OWN VISION, AND IMPLEMENT IT. THROUGH INTENSE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THAT IS GROUNDED IN REAL-TIME COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, YOUNG PEOPLE AT YUCA PROVE THAT YOUTH ARE NOT JUST THE PROMISE OF THE FUTURE, BUT ALL THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE PRESENT.

ORGANIZING THE COMMUNITY: AS A COMMUNITY, EAST PALO ALTO HAS A RICH HISTORY OF MOVEMENT. IT IS A HISTORY BORNE OUT OF STRUGGLE AND THE SELF-DETERMINED IMAGINATION OF THE BLACK POWER MOVEMENT THAT STRUGGLES LED BY OTHER PEOPLES OF COLOR ARE ALSO DRIVEN BY. BUT THE SPIRIT OF ORGANIZING IS WELL AND ALIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE ARE THE FOOTSTEPS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE FROM YUCA FOLLOW IN ORDER TO CARVE OUR OWN PATHS. YOUNG PEOPLE FROM YUCA ARE PRINCIPLED FIGHTERS AND LEADERS WHO PUT OUR WORDS AND IDEALS TO ACTION. SINCE 1994, YUCA YOUTH HAVE TAKEN ON PRESSING COMMUNITY ISSUES - WHETHER IT IS ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, TENANT RIGHTS, OR JUVENILE JUSTICE.YUCA YOUTH CURRENTLY WORK ON TWO CAMPAIGNS: 1) TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, JUSTICE, AND ANTI-DISPLACEMENT PRINCIPLES IN LAND USE PLANNING POLICIES, AND 2) TO PROMOTE THRIVING SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS AIMING TO INCREASE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES AND PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE OR CAREER.