The Beautiful Fig: Figueroa's Future, Created Now.

Youth economic advancement

South LA

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

The Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles, particularly within Council District 8, faces deep systemic challenges impacting youth. It is a known hotspot for human trafficking, with over 80 underage victims rescued in a recent LAPD operation. Youth unemployment in South LA averages 13.85%, exceeding the city’s 10% average, and the district has a high school dropout rate of 14%. These issues, combined with generational poverty, gang violence, and limited access to creative or tech industries, make young people especially vulnerable.
Our work directly engages Opportunity Youth ages 16 to 24—many disconnected from school and employment—through leadership development, outreach, and connections to local businesses, training programs, and creative industry resources. We’ve seen firsthand how investment in youth voice and economic opportunity can shift community culture, restore hope, and reduce harm.

The Beautiful Fig: Figueroa’s Future, Created Now is a youth activation and neighborhood transformation initiative designed to engage Opportunity Youth (ages 16–24) along the Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles. Inspired by the fig—a symbol of growth, sweetness, and renewal—this program embraces a redemptive narrative to reclaim and beautify our streets, transforming hardship into hope. Through community-centered leadership development, creative problem-solving, and access to emerging career pathways, this initiative empowers young people to confront the very challenges they face—youth unemployment, human trafficking, gang violence, and educational disconnection—by becoming part of the solution.
Participants will engage in a 10-month cohort experience that includes leadership workshops, community research, project design labs, and neighborhood beautification efforts. They will also receive guided exposure to the creative economy and tech industry through mentorship, site visits, and skills training provided in partnership with local businesses and organizations.
The program connects youth to real-world opportunities, internships, and career prep resources. Youth co-create every stage of the program—from problem identification to public presentation—ensuring the initiative is community-rooted and youth-driven. In doing so, The Beautiful Fig activates a new generation of leaders committed to building a safer, more equitable Figueroa Corridor where families can thrive.

If successful, The Beautiful Fig will transform the Figueroa Corridor from a hotspot of violence, trafficking, and disinvestment into a model of youth-led revitalization and redemption in Los Angeles County. Like the fig tree—known for its growth, sweetness, and deep roots—this initiative symbolizes the power of renewal and healing. Opportunity Youth will no longer be overlooked but empowered as change makers—equipped with skills, mentorship, and pathways into creative and tech industries. Families will feel safer, streets will reflect the creativity and pride of their residents, and local businesses will benefit from increased engagement and innovation. South LA will gain not only a more vibrant and inclusive economy but also a new generation of civic leaders ready to build a more equitable future for all of Los Angeles. This initiative will show what’s possible when community transformation is nurtured by the people who know it best—its youth.