Each week, our Youth Community Organizers (YCOs) have been testifying to the Boston Public School Committee about pressing issues that reflect their needs as well as the needs of other young Latinos in Boston.

YCOs have been raising awareness of their student-centered learning platform with the intent to give more educational opportunities to Latino students, English Learner students, and students of color in BPS to achieve greater success after high school. Through this platform, they are working to create opportunities for internships, dual-enrollment classes at local colleges and universities, individualized student learning plans, college and career readiness, and workforce development trainings. 

Yoskar M. and Brandon Y. are juniors at Fenway High School and Charlestown High School, respectively, and have both been YCOs for two years. Of their experience, Yoskar says that "testifying has made me realize what is important to talk about in my community and how we can make things better. It's coming from us and our experiences, so we know what needs to be changed." Brandon added "I feel like we are making a difference for our community and changing people's mindsets about different issues. There will always be issues to address, but we can change the outcomes."