Youth United for Community Action

The Higher Learning Program was launched in June 1997 to serve the growing number of high school aged youth involved in the FIRE Fellowship program. 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.

Our education campaign is in a more nascent stage but seeks to implement restorative justice most holistically in local schools and youth programs in East Palo Alto. Youth are tired of seeing their peers punished and disciplined for small infractions and want to see problems addressed at the root rather than exacerbating issues. Youth have been meeting with long time YUCA partner Dr. Casey Wong to enhance our facilitation skills and to begin the process of writing a book on how we implement transformative justice here at YUCA with the hopes to later share with our community members and local school districts.YUCA also works closely in coalition with other local community-based organizations, coalitions, and residents. We intend to continue growing our base of leaders, expanding our coalition, and becoming more active in regional coalitions. YUCA has a leadership pipeline so that youth feel encouraged to continue to grow and develop within the organization. Youth have recently stayed true to the pipeline and have been taking advantage of the opportunities presented through our youth development curriculum.

YUCA has a long history of working on housing issues, specifically advocating for strong anti-displacement policies and affordable housing. Our goal for the housing campaign is to educate and empower low-income East Palo Alto residents by informing them of their housing rights and creating opportunities for community land ownership, while advocating for city policies in East Palo Alto and also bringing tenants together.Our goal is to inform, educate and assist our community to make sure we protect our residents in the fight against climate change by working with diverse organizations advocating for equitable development, and implementing sustainable garden practices/work. We do so by growing and sharing fresh produce with our neighbors.

The higher learning program was launched in june 1997 to serve the growing number of high school aged Youth involved in the fire fellowship program. 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.

Yuca also conducts external leadership development activities in partnership with local schools, Community centers, and Community organizations. Yuca leads educational workshops on Community issues at these locations for their constituents, and also organizes site exchanges with other Community organizing organizations to learn about their work. Yuca also participates in local Youth development networks with an emphasis on leadership development to help coordinate services.

Participation in a local initiative to bring a Youth arts center to east palo alto. A foundation provided the funds to participate as part of a larger grant they gave to a variety of Community foundations.

Di minimis participant contributions to help the agency cover operating expenses.

Workshops are a direct means by which yuca fulfills its mission to empower young people to work on environmental and social change issues to establish positive systemic change through grassroots Community organizing efforts.