Youth Together Inc

YOUTH TOGETHER, INC. IS A CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION WHICH WAS INCORPORATED ON OCTOBER 1, 2003, TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT MULTI-RACIAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN BAY AREA HIGH SCHOOLS.

YOUTH TOGETHER (YT) EMERGED IN 1996 FOLLOWING INTERRACIAL VIOLENCE AT CASTLEMONT HIGH SCHOOL IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AND RICHMOND HIGH SCHOOL IN RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA. BOTH INCIDENTS RESULTED IN THE TEMPORARY SHUTDOWN OF SCHOOLS, THUS OPENING A DOOR FOR STUDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO IDENTIFY THE CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE UPHEAVAL AND STUDENTS UNREST. RECOGNIZING RACIALIZED EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES AS THE ROOT CAUSE, YOUTH TOGETHER WAS BIRTHED AS AN INTERVENTION, DIRECT ACTION RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY INSPIRED SOLUTION. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, YOUTH TOGETHERS MODEL OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A MODEL PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPING YOUTH LEADERSHIP, EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE, STUDENT ORGANIZING AND PARENT/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. GROUNDED IN OUR COMMITMENT TO PEACE, UNITY, AND JUSTICE, THE MISSION OF YOUTH TOGETHER IS TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES BY DEVELOPING MULTIRACIAL YOUTH LEADERS AND ENGAGING SCHOOL COMMUNITY ALLIES TO PROMOTE POSITIVE SCHOOL CHANGE.YOUTH TOGETHER CURRENTLY OPERATES ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES WHERE 76% OF THE STUDENT POPULATION IS ON THE FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM. OUR STRATEGIC LOCATION IN EAST AND WEST OAKLAND HELPS US REACH OUR TARGET POPULATION OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS OF COLOR AT RISK FOR SCHOOL PUSH-OUT/DROP-OUT: ALL STUDENTS SERVED RECEIVE FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH, OVER 86% OF STUDENTS ARE LATINO OR AFRICAN AMERICAN (12% ASIAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, MULTIRACIAL AND OTHER ETHNICITIES AND 2% CAUCASIAN), 62% OF OUR STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS FEMALE, 32% AS MALE, AND 6% IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER/GENDERQUEER /NON-BINARY. OUR STUDENTS COME FROM COMMUNITIES FACING HOUSING DISPARITIES, MARGINALIZATION DUE TO IMMIGRATION STATUS, AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE.YOUTH TOGETHER PROVIDED YEAR-ROUND VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING AND DIRECT SERVICES FOR YOUTH AND FAMILIES IN OAKLAND, CA FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021. YOUTH PROGRAMS CONSISTED OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AFTER SCHOOL ACADEMIC AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, COORDINATED PARENT SUPPORT SERVICES, WELLNESS CHECKS, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND EXPANDED LEARNING EVENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOL SITES. YOUTH TOGETHER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM (LEO LEAD. EDUCATE. ORGANIZE) SUPPORTED 9 LEAD STUDENT ORGANIZERS AND 40 CORE TEAM MEMBERS. LEAD STUDENT ORGANIZERS DIRECT, IMPLEMENT, COORDINATE, AND FACILITATE WEEKLY VIRTUAL CORE TEAM MEETINGS AND DEVELOP SKILLS IN CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM PLANNING, PUBLIC SPEAKING, OUTREACH, ISSUE ASSESSMENT, ORGANIZING AND CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT.LEAD STUDENT ORGANIZERS (LSO) ARE INTERVIEWED, HIRED AS PART-TIME STAFF, TRAINED, SUPERVISED AND MANAGED BY THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR. LSO ARE CONSIDERED INTERNS TO PROVIDE A HANDS-ON WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE TO PREPARE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR POST-HIGH SCHOOL ADULT LIFE. BELOW ARE THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2020-2021;LSO ACCRUED OVER 50+ HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FACILITATED 30+ HOURS OF SCHOOL SITE MEETINGS WITH CORE TEAM MEMBERSORGANIZED AND COORDINATED VIRTUAL WELLNESS DAYS ORGANIZED AND COORDINATED A VIRTUAL CONFERENCEPARTICIPATED IN CITY GOVERNANCE MEETINGS DURING PUBLIC COMMENTSYOUTH TOGETHERS ONE LAND ONE PEOPLE (OLOP) YOUTH CENTER LOCATED ON SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL PROVIDES DIRECT SERVICE TO YOUTH AND PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR OF 2020-2021. DIRECT SERVICES INCLUDE AFTER-SCHOOL VIRTUAL SERVICES, PARENT EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON NAVIGATING VIRTUAL PLATFORMS AND ACCESSING SCHOOL SITE PORTAL, COVID 19 RELIEF FUNDS, VIRTUAL STUDENT AND PARENT CONFERENCES, COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, AND ACADEMIC CASE MANAGEMENT. OLOP PROVIDES DIRECT SUPPORT SERVICES TO AN ESTIMATED 300 STUDENTS DURING COVID. BELOW ARE THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2020-2021;PROVIDED ACADEMIC CASE MANAGEMENT FOR 60 HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE YEARPROVIDED MENTORSHIP FOR 60 HIGH SCHOOL YOUTHCONDUCTED 60 STUDENT AND PARENT CONFERENCES ON ATTENDANCE AND ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENTCONDUCTED 1 ON 1 PARENT WORKSHOPS ON ACCESSING ONLINE ACADEMIC PORTALS AND NAVIGATING VIRTUAL PLATFORMSSUPERVISED VIRTUAL SPACES FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORTCONDUCTED 2 COLLEGE VIRTUAL TOURS PROVIDED COVID RELIEF SUPPORT SUCH AS PPE SUPPLIES, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND FOOD DROP OFFS