About Proyecto Avanza

LA CAUSA YouthBuild Proyecto Avanza (https://www.lacausainc.org/project-avanza) serves youth and young adults ages 16-24, from East Los Angeles low-income communities. Currently, LA CAUSA YB has successfully enrolled 60 students, with a daily attendance rate of 85-90 percent. Our education training is provided through YouthBuild Charter School of California (https://www.youthbuildcharter.org/), an accredited public charter school that provides a responsive and individualized program resulting in a high school diploma. The education program provides instruction differentiated for multiple intelligences and participants’ varied learning needs. This approach to learning caters to supporting students who struggled in school and/or were pushed out of traditional settings or continuation programs without earning a high school diploma. Proven Results: It's Not Too Late to Graduate: 100% of senior level students that commit to LA CAUSA YB graduate and  launch a successful transition to post-secondary education, vocational training, and/or the workforce. We provide youth-focused resources and opportunities that inspire and empower young people to make a difference in their lives and in their communities.

Students went on a field trip to the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), which was  presenting an exhibition on Japanese internment camps. For students currently taking U.S. History, their English class covered the  novel “Night by Elie Wiesel,'' its themes related to both the JANM and Executive Order 9066 for Japanese Internment. The field trip reflected the students’ learning objectives; the current exhibition at the JANM connected students to the stories of their community’s members through better understanding the different mediums that can be used to tell a story.

Senior Portfolio class, prepares students to effectively transition from our program to college and/or careers. This course focuses on engaging students in career exploration, career preparation, job search, and employment. Through the culinary/hospitality occupational course the instructor, Chef Hutcherson plans a curriculum around hands-on training instruction leading to career readiness in this industry which includes safety, knife handling, recipe execution, cooking method demonstration, food preparation, customer service, nutrition, and menu planning.

Guest Speaker: Edwin Cervantes, LA CAUSA YouthBuild Success Story class of 2008

For over a decade, success stories from former graduates inspire youth to achieve greatness and prepare them for success. Through his own story-telling, Edwin was able to connect with our students and share his own struggles from his youth and the journey which led him to be an Assistant Project Manager for a large construction firm.

Leadership Development

The Community Action Project (CAP) is an annual site-wide project where students identify an issue facing their community and develop a solution. The focus of this year’s CAP is community storytelling. After practicing interview skills amongst themselves, students are asked to identify a member of their community to be interviewed.

Counseling and Supportive Services

On March 8th, the Women’s Group gathered and celebrated International Women’s Day. This group meets to engage in restorative justice circles, particularly focusing on issues related to women and femme-identifying individuals. They completed an activity focused on identifying the qualities which make them unique and the ones they all shared. They discussed themes of women’s empowerment and provided an opportunity to self-reflect on their goals for the rest of the semester.

Overcoming Barriers to Success

Some of the challenges students in our program face include:

• Mental health related challenges
• Gang violence and peer pressure
• Drug and alcohol dependency
• External financial pressures that influence placing priority on transitioning into jobs versus education

As a youth development program, LA CAUSA YB holds a unique space where youth and young adults form a unique culture through the many activities that promote youth engagement and intergenerational learning where they share their own life experiences. During this reporting period a student created a short-film about personal challenges and her experience at LA CAUSA YB.

SI SE PUEDE!

We are excited to share the upcoming goals and objectives for for everyone involved in the LA2050 Project Avanza are as follows:

• LA CAUSA YouthBuild Graduation Class of 2023, which includes 25+ Senior level students expected to graduate with a High School Diploma in June 2023.
• CAP Project, in which students will conduct interviews with community members to capture community stories through story-telling.
• A student field trip to University of California, Santa Barbara
• Senior graduates’ testimonials detailing their experience and success stories