Community Highlight: Redwood City 2020’s Community Youth Development Initiative - Immigrant Youth Action Team (IYAT)
In 2008, Redwood City 2020 (RWC 2020) and the John W. Gardner Center launched the Community Youth Development Initiative (CYDI) to promote shared community responsibility for all Redwood City youth. The goal? To ensure that young people in Redwood City grow up with the knowledge, skills, and social attributes they need for success in school, work and life. CYDI has brought together over 35 youth-serving organizations through activities including community-wide strategic planning, events, and collaborative action teams. The Immigrant Youth Action Team started in 2010 to address a high-priority interest of partner organizations.
The Immigrant Youth Action Team is composed of high school and college students, teachers and program leaders who seek to increase support for immigrant youth. In 2011, the team hosted community events including youth-led panels, film screenings, fundraisers, workshops and community dialogues. Through these grassroots efforts, the team has reached hundreds of community members with their message, started a scholarship fund, shared key resources, and raised visibility of the struggles and dreams faced by immigrant youth in the community. The Team recently produced a series of digital stories to share their personal experiences that premiered at their second annual community event in November 2011. Please contact Maria Fernández at mafernandez@stanford.edu or (650) 218-3140 for more information.
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