|
South Central Youth Empowered thru Action (SCYEA) is the youth component of the Community Coalition in South Los Angeles. SCYEA is comprised of black and brown high school students that work together to improve social and economic conditions in the their schools and community. SCYEA organizes at several local high school campuses: Washington Preparatory, Fremont, Dorsey, Manual Arts, Crenshaw and Locke. At each high school the group facilitates High School Organizing Committees (HSOC’s). HSOC’s inform students about their power to improve the quality of their education and the conditions in their schools. They also enforce the belief that not only can student voices be heard, their voices should be heard. HSOCs also act as the political and campaign center on each of the respective campuses.
HSOCs meet once a week, and host 15-20 students per meeting. SCYEA has a strong list of accomplishments that vividly exemplifies their ability to organize and mobilize students for positive change. SCYEA’s past campaigns have centered around educational equity. SCYEA has successfully won two mammoth campaigns: Proposition Better Buildings and Fremont 911.
Proposition Better Buildings was a 2.4 billion dollar bond that California voters approved in order to improve the physical structure of high schools throughout the state. Schools in the inner city were being continuously overlooked and ignored. SCYEA documented the fact that there was an urgent need for vast repairs in all South Los Angeles schools with student surveys. SCYEA found itself competing with schools in the Valley for school repair funds. While South Los Angeles schools needed funding to make vital repairs to plumbing, lighting, tiling, and roofing, schools in the Valley wanted it for unessential items such as pool filters. SCYEA actively informed students about Proposition BB, and alerted them to the fact that South LA schools were not being prioritized in the funding allocation process, taking pictures of the harsh conditions to further substantiate their claims. SCYEA organized students, community members, and decision makers in support of their cause. Their efforts successfully garnered 153 million dollars in repairs for South Los Angeles schools. SCYEA was featured in local print and television media. They also received national attention in People Magazine, and were featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
The Fremont 911 campaign led to another significant victory for SCYEA. Fremont high school was not putting student’s first. Students at Fremont High School were re-taking classes that they previously passed, while classes needed for college admission were not available. They were also enrolled in unnecessary ‘free period’ classes such as service or allowed to go home early in the day. Students were forced to learn in overcrowded classrooms, unable to hear what teachers had to say or to be active participants in the learning process. FREYEA (the HSOC at Fremont) demanded change. They surveyed over 1000 Fremont students in order to substantiate their demands. The then organized over 200 students to protest school conditions and demand immediate action from the School Board. SCYEA won two major demands at Fremont. First, each student received a full record and accounting of their academic standing in relation to graduation requirements, and University of California admissions requirements. Secondly, each student was guaranteed a meeting of no less than 20 minutes long with an academic counselor to review his/her cumulative card/transcript, progress towards graduation, and CSU and UC admissions eligibility.
SCYEA is currently engaged in its “Equal Access to College Prep Classes” campaign. There is a 66% “push-out” rate in the seven South LA schools and nothing is being done to prevent this by the district. Further, only 2 out of 10 south Los Angeles high school graduates attends a 4 year university. South LA students are being tracked into low wage labor, prison, and the military. Counselors often force students to enroll in vocational classes (auto mechanics, cosmetology) instead of college prep courses. At Fremont high school alone there are 9 cosmetology classes being offered and only 4 chemistry classes. SCYEA demands that every student be placed on a college prep track! Each student deserves the opportunity to be prepared to complete high school and go on to a four-year university!
Contact Us!
Community Coalition
(323) 750-9087 [Office]
(323) 750-9640 [Fax]
Katynja Udengwu Director of Youth Programs
You can visit us at www.ccsapt.org
 Click here to see all images and files for this article.
|
print
email