Workforce Justice Starts Here: CYCP empowers justice-impacted youth with career pathways that build power, purpose, and paychecks—changing Compton’s future from the inside out.

Youth economic advancement

South LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

In Compton, too many youth face systemic barriers to economic mobility—high poverty rates, underfunded schools, limited access to career pathways, and a lack of paid early work experiences. Many students are one to three grade levels behind, yet brimming with untapped potential, creativity, and resilience. Compton Youth Career Pathways (CYCP) directly addresses this inequity by providing youth ages 13–25 with comprehensive workforce literacy training and paid internships that offer not just a paycheck, but a pathway—to purpose, to power, and to a future where they are seen, skilled, and supported. 

This grant would support our CYCP program, a workforce readiness initiative that prepares youth ages 13–25 for employment, entrepreneurship, and higher education. With this funding, we will triple the number of youth served. Fifty participants will complete 100 hours of training in digital literacy, career exploration, resume writing, and interview skills, followed by 100 hours of paid internships with local businesses such as the Compton Art Museum, The Variety Group (a Compton-based multimedia production company), and World Financial Group (a national firm under Transamerica).
CYCP offers a vital bridge from under-resourced schools to real-world opportunities, addressing systemic inequities by equipping youth with the skills, experience, and mentorship needed to thrive. Last year, 20% of our participants identified as justice-impacted—youth with direct or family involvement in the justice system. For them, CYCP provides a safe, affirming space to express themselves, build confidence, and access the tools and guidance needed for long-term success.
We are also developing a formal partnership with the Los Angeles County Probation Department to provide consistent programming for more justice-impacted youth, particularly those referred through diversion, reentry, and family support programs. Our goal is to continue breaking down barriers and offering pathways to healing, education, and future employment. An LA2050 grant would help make this future growth possible.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will be home to a new generation of youth—especially from Compton—who are equipped, employed, and empowered to lead in their communities. Young people who once faced academic gaps and economic barriers will enter adulthood with real work experience, career confidence, and a vision for their future. Existing cycles of poverty and incarceration would be broken. Justice-impacted youth would find viable alternatives to the streets, supported by training, paid internships, and caring adults. High school graduation wouldn’t be a stopping point but rather a springboard to opportunity. By 2050, Los Angeles would boast lower unemployment rates, stronger local businesses, and a more just and equitable economy driven by homegrown talent.