With support from the California Arts Council, YOUTH UPRISING will launch a documentary style photography campaign aimed at creating a unique vision of East Oakland and its residents. Through group workshops and exhibitions, youth will be able to create a story about the grit and resilience it takes to live in East Oakland, one of the most under-served communities in California. They will create portfolios and launch a billboard campaign to speak to those who are still there thriving.
YU uniquely functions as a community center for high risk youth that offers leadership development, arts & culture programming, and holistic health and human services. Since opening in 2005, YU has served over 15,000 vulnerable Oakland youths ages 12-24, focusing on Black and LatinX youth with significant barriers to self-sufficiency and a history of trauma. We prioritize youths who are at the epicenter of violence, live in poverty, are housing insecure, and/or are pregnant and parenting. We emphasize serving high-risk and disconnected youths including high school truants and dropouts, youth struggling with illiteracy, youth experiencing homelessness, probationers, parolees and reentry clients, and youth connected to Alameda County foster care system. We offer comprehensive health, wellness, and trauma-support services that include individual case management, physical health care, alternative therapies, one-on-one and group mental health counseling, health education, group socialization and physical fitness activities, community engagement, job training and placement services, and violence-prevention programs. Our wraparound and step-down social services include art, dance, music, multimedia, storytelling, basketball, skateboarding, group counseling, career counseling, culinary arts and other programs. Our main campus is state-of-the-art and the only one of its kind offering this caliber and diversity of youth supportive services in the area. There is no cost to youth to be a member and take advantage of our services.

