Youth Development

Young People’s Leadership Cooperative

In October 2022, EBI launched the Young People's Leadership Cooperative (YPLC). YPLC builds the skills and mindsets central to leadership development, community organizing and social emotional learning.  The aim is leadership development, community engagement and career connectedness.

This after-school program is grounded in the three R's of community-responsive education: Relationships, Relevance and Responsibility

In this way, young people lead the way toward building critical consciousness, strengthening their self-concept, and positively impacting their own communities. To accomplish this, young people engage youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) to identify challenges in their community, investigate those challenges and take action to generate greater community well-being.

Professional Changemakers Initiative

PCI will provide Black and Latinx young people ages 17 to 22 with community-driven, career-connected learning in a chosen focus area. Changemakers in this program will gain a stipended cohort experience that amplifies individual and community well-being through four program components:

  1. Career-connected mentorship

  2. Master class sessions with seasoned community organizers and leaders

  3. 9-month paid placement with a social impact organization in a chosen field that contributes to community well-being

  4. Ongoing career development support