PICO YOUTH & FAMILY CENTER

PICO YOUTH & FAMILY CENTER (PYFC) STARTED AS A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT ADDRESSING GANG VIOLENCE AND SYSTEMIC RACISM AGAINST BLACK AND LATINO YOUTH IN THE BEACHSIDE CITY OF SANTA MONICA. NEIGHBORING THE INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS VENICE BEACH BOARDWALK AND MALIBU COMMUNITIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, SANTA MONICA IS A YEAR-ROUND TOURIST ATTRACTION BOASTING SOME OF THE BEST BEACHES IN THE WORLD. MOST VISITORS, HOWEVER, ARE UNAWARE OF THE HISTORY OF SYSTEMIC RACISM AND VIOLENCE IN LOS ANGELES' "WESTSIDE" BEACH COMMUNITIES. IT WAS IN THE MIDST OF 1990S WHEN STREET VIOLENCE IN MOST U.S. CITIES SKYROCKETED, THAT PYFC WAS FORMED, AS A RESPONSE AND COMMUNITY OUTCRY AGAINST 64 GANG-RELATED YOUTH HOMICIDES IN THE PICO NEIGHBORHOOD AND HAS SINCE GROWN INTO A PROMINENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SERVING THOUSANDS OF YOUTH FROM ALL OVER LOS ANGELES COUNTY.SINCE 2002, PYFC HAS EMPOWERED YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS AGES 8-26 IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY THROUGHPROFESSIONAL AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING IN MUSIC, FILM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TECHNOLOGY, CREATIVE ARTS,FINANCIAL LITERACY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.PYFC HAS MORE THAN 22 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN YOUTH-LED CAMPAIGNS THAT BRING POSITIVE CHANGE. OUR MODEL OF DIRECT SERVICES ANDORGANIZING HAS RESULTED IN CHANGES TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, INCREASED FUNDING TO AFTER-SCHOOLPROGRAMMING AND REFORM TO RACIST STUDENT DISCIPLINE POLICIES. YOUTH-LED INITIATIVES HAVE ALSO LED TOIMPROVED CROSSWALKS CLOSE TO SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL. IN ADDITION, PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONALORGANIZATIONS HAS LED TO INCREASED ADVOCACY FOR ETHNIC STUDIES STATEWIDE.THE TRAINING, CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND SUPPORT YOUTH FIND AT PYFC, INSPIRE A HOPEFUL VISION FORMARGINALIZED YOUTH THAT CONFRONT GANGS, VIOLENCE AND SELF-DESTRUCTION ON A DAILY BASIS. YOUTH VISIT PYFCFROM ALL PARTS OF LOS ANGELES AND WE ARE PROUD TO PROVIDE A WELCOMING AND SAFE SPACE FOR ALL YOUTH TOLEARN CRITICAL THINKING THROUGH WORKSHOPS THAT DISCUSS HISTORY, SOCIAL CONDITIONS AND IDENTITY. OURCOMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE ENSURES INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GROUPS.WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT DIVERSITY IN OUR WALKS IN LIFE MAKES US STRONGER. OUR STRIDES IN GANG PREVENTIONAND VOCATIONAL PLACEMENT ALLOW US TO ENGAGE AT-RISK COMMUNITIES WITH TANGIBLE PATHS TO IMPROVE THEIRCIRCUMSTANCES, WHILE OUR EFFORTS IN MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION AND ARTS EXPOSURE FURTHER ENRICH THE PROSPECTS OF OUR YOUTH'S LIVES.OUR LOCATION PUTS US IN THE VICINITY OF A NUMBER OF LGBTQIA+ ALLIES IN THE FORM OF BUSINESS OWNERS,COMMUNITY CENTERS, AND PARTICIPATING STAKEHOLDERS WHO WE HOPE TO SERVE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS THEY VOICE. THE DIVERSITY OF PYFC RESTS CENTRAL TO OUR MISSION OF EXPOSING COMMUNITIES TO THE BEST PARTS OF SANTA MONICA AND CELEBRATING THE AUTHENTICITY OF GREATER LOS ANGELES BY PROVIDING VENUES FOR FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS WHERE RESIDENTS CAN ALL LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING, INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY, FILM & MUSIC TRAINING, DIALOGUE CIRCLES, FIELD TRIPS, WELLNESS AND MINDFULNESS TRAINING, WE PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE TOOLS TO BE MINDFUL OF THEIR POWER AS CREATORS AND AS CHANGE AGENTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. STUDENTS WILL FIND THEIR VOICE AS LEADERS AND DEVELOP THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS NECESSARY TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD.