We Are the City Spotlight: Youth Leadership Institute

By Arati Warrier, Program Manager at yli

These two years of navigating an unprecedented global pandemic have been hard, and with the Omicron variant running rampant in our communities, a post-COVID-19 “new normal” still feels a long way off. Planning for a transition — or even knowing what the “new normal” might look like — has been among our greatest challenges with this new and unpredictable virus.

So, we’ve done what we always do. We’ve centered the voices of our youth, listening deeply to their needs and re-shaping our programs accordingly. In some cases, that has meant providing much-needed resources, like technology, groceries, masks and hand sanitizer. Sometimes, it has meant slowing down program “work” and making space for mental health and healing. It has meant following up with 1-on-1 check-ins and showing up for youth in crisis. It has meant, in all the tumult, staying responsive, flexible, and most of all, consistent, keeping our spaces open to hold our youth and their communities.

As a social justice organization, we know that the shape of our society is not a given — and is our obligation to position and equip our youth to have a say in what the new normal will be. Our youth have advocated for the vaccine in their communities, campaigned for mental health investments at their schools, and fought to ensure that COVID-19 relief funds go to those who need them most. They have published guidebooks, ‘zines and podcasts, and run social media campaigns uplifting the experiences of youth during the pandemic. And they have continued to struggle against white supremacy and other oppressive systems, highlighting the myriad ways that the pandemic has exacerbated existing social problems.

Throughout Shelter in Place and the transition to the new normal, our agency has been able to provide support for youth in a number of unexpected situations:

· This month, two youth had very unstable WIFI and this made it difficult for them to participate fully in BLING workshops, in addition to fully participating during interviews. The solution was to purchase these young people wifi extenders.

· During the month of July, one of BLING’s youth was experiencing homelessness. We worked with this young person closely to provide them with necessary resources: housing options, food, and transportation. After living in temporary housing, this young person moved to a more stable housing program.

Despite all of the setbacks the pandemic exposed, exacerbated, or brought about, our staff and the young people who participate in our programs still believe that San Francisco is a great place to grow up! A few things that have stood out among our participants over the last couple years:

· A group of participants met in person voluntarily and then moved back to virtual during a high surge in COVID-19 cases. Through this experience, they shared that their program space felt like a safe space to them, where they could share bits of their troubles and triumphs with their program coordinator.

· We’ve seen so many participants excited about joining our programs and learning how to juggle them with other extracurricular activities they’re excited about.

· Our participants are passionate about joining SF programs that focus on social justice, equity, and connecting with their communities

yli’s staff participated in DCYF’s Summer Together Initiative and continued our work into the academic year. Based on that extensive experience with youth during the pandemic, here is what some young people had to say in terms of what they need for support in the return to in-person learning:

o Patience, compassion, and empathy from school staff

o Caring adults they can speak to about mental health concerns and stress

o School and PPE supplies (masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes) and enforcement of people wearing masks and keeping distance from each other

In 2021, yli celebrated a major milestone: 30 years of service! Congratulations! What do you believe have been the keys to your agency’s success, and what advice would you give other agencies that serve children, youth, and families in San Francisco?

At yli, “success” — just like our young people — looks a lot of ways. We measure it by the policies our youth have passed, by the stories they share, and by the power they build with other youth. It is also measured in their personal accomplishments: overcoming hardships, gaining confidence, completing projects, building skills, imagining and reaching for bright futures. In this challenging time, success has often meant staying connected, sustaining mental health, and creating support networks so that not one young person falls through the cracks.

With this as our definition, yli’s success has always been rooted in centering youth voice — listening to what young people are experiencing in themselves, their homes, schools and communities — and supporting them to identify their strengths and implement solutions. Some advice our youth have given us that we would pass on to other agencies include:

· Youth have so many great ideas, but we need adults to trust us enough to give us a real seat at the table, to be open to our ideas and give us real power to help make decisions. (Yosef)

· After talking to a lot of adults — and I mean a lot of adults — I’ve realized that most of them don’t have bad intentions. However, there is sometimes a strong disconnect in their understanding about what would actually be helpful for youth. This is why bringing youth to the table is so important: we can offer new perspectives to decision-makers. Representation from youth should happen in all places where youth are being affected. It just makes sense to have people who are impacted be in the room. (Joshua)

· Adults often underestimate youth and what we have to say. They think that we’re too young to know what we’re saying. I think it’s important for youth to understand that their voices matter and that they need to stand up for their communities. (Brandy)

· Youth should have the privilege of having a voice, and we should be able to use that voice to interpret a situation and determine whether it’s bad or good, moral or immoral. We should have the right to give feedback on what’s happening to our community and to us. When I bring an idea to the table, I want it to be acknowledged and considered. I want to see more youth being represented in everything regarding politics. We’re not allowed to vote until we turn 18, but we should still have opportunities to share our opinions and insights on what’s going on. And I think that we should be able to vote on policies and laws that directly affect us, like when to reopen schools. (Daphne)

· Sometimes youth feel like they’re going to be misunderstood, or they are so used to being the ones listening, that they feel like what they have to say isn’t valid. In order for youth to sit “at the table,” they need support and encouragement — to be surrounded by an environment of listening. Both adults and youth need to learn how to listen to and respect one another’s words, understanding that there might be disagreements. (Nicole)

From DCYF: yli’s participants are hosting a survey of SFUSD high school youth that will inform recommendations to City leaders about changes that can make the City a better place to live and thrive. Bonus: every SFUSD student that takes the survey will be entered in a drawing to win a $50 gift card! Visit this link to take the survey.