New York City Youth Organizing

In 2004, the NYU Community Involvement Program began an initiative o support youth organizing for high school improvement in New York City. This work grew out of our experience with parent organizing, and was informed by a survey of the organizational needs of existing youth groups.

Currently our youth organizing work includes:

  1. Coordinating and providing research to support the Urban Youth Collaborative and UYC Student Union, and

  2. Convening an annual Youth Organizing Institute on Educational Policy for young people involved in high school reform campaigns.

For more information, contact Kavitha Mediratta

Urban Youth Collaborative

The Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC) is comprised of high school youth, and unites five youth organizations:

  • Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM)
  • Future of Tomorrow
  • Make the Road by Walking
  • Sistas and Brothas United
  • Youth On the Move/Mothers On the Move

The mission of UYC is to hold the New York City Department of Education accountable for ensuring that all New York City high schools prepare young people to go to college, find meaningful employment, and work for justice in society. UYC works for expanded youth power in systemic educational policy decisions, and increased equity and quality in high school education in New York City.

The UYC Agenda for High School Reform calls for:

  1. Opportunities for student involvement in planning the transition
    from large to small high schools;

  2. Academic support and counseling to ensure that all students
    are on the path to college;

  3. Safe, secure and non-threatening learning environments; and

  4. Facilities that support student learning

For more information, contact Marisol Zacarias or visit our website: www.urbanyouthcollaborative.org

Urban Youth Collaborative Student Union

In 2006, the Urban Youth Collaborative invited the following New York City youth organizations to form a network.

  • The Brotherhood-Sister Sol
  • Citizens Committee for Children
  • Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM)
  • Each One Teach One of the Correctional Association
  • Esperanza del Barrio
  • Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE)
  • Future of Tomorrow
  • Global Kids
  • Make the Road by Walking
  • New York Collective of Radical Educators (NYCORE)
  • Prison Moratorium Project
  • Radio Rootz
  • Sistas and Brothas United
  • YaYa Network
  • Youth on the Move
  • YouthCAHN of the City AIDS Housing Network

The purpose of the network is to improve high school quality and increase youth leadership.

For more information, contact Marisol Zacarias

Youth Organizing Institute

In 2005, we initiated an annual, two-week Education Policy Institute for young people involved in high school improvement campaigns. The Youth Organizing Institute (YOI) offers an intensive training in education policy for 25 young people from youth organizations in New York City. YOI teaches youth about the history, structure, resources and outcomes of the New York City schools, assists youth in researching school problems and reform strategies, links youth to education policy experts, and provides youth with networking opportunities to support cross-organizational campaign development.

YOI also addresses the individual academic needs of young people, by linking them to academic advisors who work with them to improve their research, writing and analytic skills. YOI graduates receive $1000 college scholarships, with funding from Time Warner Inc.

For more information, contact Kavitha Mediratta