This program serves 22 high schools in Los Angeles. Approximately 800 YCS participants take a leadership role in identifying needs and planning activities. To deliver the needed services, the YCS students involve an additional 20,000 youth. Adults from the community are important adjuncts to the YCS program. Adult mentors help students find meaningful and productive ways to help others.
Added support comes from program staff who develop curricula that guide students' work.
A leadership retreat and several daylong conferences provide further opportunities for developing new skills, for cultivating reflection, and for expanding networks. A year-end celebration summarizes students accomplishments and recognizes the results of their efforts. Thirty at-risk high school students attend ten Saturday sessions. Peers, adults, and parents counsel students about goal-setting, being responsible, and prioritizing demands. School buses transport students to a community office.