Building Confidence Through Fitness for Systems-Impacted Youth

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

West LA Central LA East LA South LA South Bay

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

In 2023, state data showed that LA County had the highest average daily population in California’s juvenile hall, and Black and Latino youth made up 94% of that population. This disproportionate representation illustrates a problem in itself, but equally challenging is that when these young people return to their communities, the LA County Department of Mental Health says that they are more likely to suffer trauma-related disorders, substance use disorders, and self-injurious behavior. Data also show that more than 55% of youth in LA juvenile halls are age 17 or older. Just before they are to become adults, LA County youth face extremely challenging circumstances with few to no options or systems to help them find an alternative path out of this cycle. 
Using fitness, mentorship, and leadership development that's rooted in trauma-informed programming, DEUCE Community's new pilot program provides young people with opportunities to heal, lead, and transform their lives.

This grant will support DEUCE Community’s dual-track program for systems-impacted youth, combining trauma-informed physical fitness with entrepreneurial training. Our approach addresses both the immediate and long-term needs of young people navigating disconnection, instability, and limited access to opportunity.
The first track is trauma-informed physical fitness, offered in partnership with residential and alternative high school programs. Youth participate in structured strength and conditioning classes designed to promote mental wellness, build discipline, and establish lifelong habits of health. Our coaches, many of whom are formerly incarcerated or justice-impacted themselves, model resilience and accountability—proving what’s possible through lived experience.
The second track centers on entrepreneurial development. We recognize that college isn’t the only path and this program equips youth with practical business skills, mindset training, and real-world opportunities to imagine and build their own ventures. Our trauma-informed approach ensures the content is accessible and empowering, not overwhelming.
Survey and observational data will be collected throughout to assess growth in self-confidence, skill development, and social connection. The program is unique in the way it fuses body and mindset to create a powerful foundation for systems-impacted youth to step into leadership and write their own future.

LA County incarcerates more young people than any county in the state. This over-reliance on incarceration provides few alternatives to help people escape cycles of poverty, trauma, abuse, or neglect. In many cases, the system exacerbates these conditions. 
DEUCE Community is carving a new path for systems-impacted youth, providing tools, resources, and opportunities for young people who have been systematically overlooked, under-valued, and criminalized. In the short-term, our program will provide trauma-informed fitness and entrepreneurial training, building resilience, health, and self-determination. 
Longer-term, the goal is to create a sustainable program in which alumni take on leadership roles so that the cycle of incarceration is replaced with accountability and investment. We aim to scale through expanded school partnerships and a train-the-trainer model so that our program is staffed by the people it serves, and so that new participants feel seen and supported.