The work of the Young Center began in the 1990s when actor-educator William Allen Young established the Young Foundation.  Mr. Young, who grew up in Watts where student graduation rates were among the lowest in the nation, recognized the critical need to build a culture of success in local schools to counter the alarming rise in student failure and dropout rates.

​

The Foundation partnered with the LA Unified School District to implement its ambitious Education Incentive Plan at 13 "failing" District schools.  The Foundation mobilized provided tutoring and mentoring for underperforming students and classroom support for struggling teachers at failing schools.  The organization also sponsored free-breakfast programs during the Standardized Testing period and provided scholarships for  college-bound seniors.  As a result, student success rates  improved and the Foundation's Plan was adopted at K-12 schools districtwide.