OUR STORY

The Young Center’s impactful journey began when actor-educator-philanthropist William Allen Young created the Young Foundation in Los Angeles. Growing up in Watts, Mr. Young recognized the urgent need to build a culture of success in local schools and communities with some of the nation’s lowest graduation rates, so he took action.

The Foundation soon partnered with the LA Unified School District to improve student success rates at 13 failing District schools. Through its bold Education Incentive Plan, the Foundation mobilized an army of committed parents and community volunteers to provide tutoring, mentoring, classroom support, free breakfast programs for low-income students, and scholarships for college-bound seniors. The initiative led to a dramatic rise in student achievement at participating schools and was eventually adopted districtwide.

In 2001, Mr. Young created the Young Center for Academic & Cultural Enrichment to expand the Foundation’s original mission. The Center soon launched its award-winning California Youth Think Tank (the nation's premiere leadership training program) and Youth Ambassador Initiative creating opportunities for youth to become actively involved in serving their communities as advocates for positive change.

Today, the Young Center is a nationally respected nonprofit, having served students from over 250 schools and earning five prestigious national Awards of Excellence in youth development. Our student success rates are among the highest in the country and our alumni are thriving in colleges, professional careers, and in public service. The Young Center continues to set the standard for effective youth empowerment.