Mission:
Youth United for Community Action (YUCA), a grassroots community organization created, led, and run by young people of color, majority from low-income communities, provides a safe space for young people to empower ourselves and work on environmental and social justice issues to establish positive systemic change through grassroots community organizing.

History and Programs:
In the Spring of 1994, a small group of young people of color active in their communities came together to form YUCA (Youth United for Community Action). Stemming from our mission, YUCA launched the FIRE Fellowship, a program for young people of color which includes paid internships with community organizations working for environmental and social ustice in Bay Area. Due to the increased number of high school aged youth involved, we then launched Higher Learning in June of 1997 whose goal is to create a safe space where high school youth can come together to examine and act on issues that impact their communities. In 2005, we refocused the FIRE Program to focus on basebuilding. Thus, we launched East Palo Alto LINK to bring community organizations and individuals together to promote social justice in the community, and the Central Valley-Bay Area Youth Environmental Justice Network that brings together youth organizations that work on environmental justice in their communities.

Accomplishments:
In the last fifteen years, we have successfully:
€ Trained and supported the involvement of over 1,000 youth in community organizing efforts throughout California through our programs. Many YUCA youth have gone on to lead their own organizations and become decisionmakers and officials in their communities!
€ Received local and national recognition for YUCA¹s model of youth leadership development including the 2008 Community Heroes Award, the 2008 Outstanding Youth Program at the National Philanthropy Day, the Paradox Fund, and as one of the 2008 Top Ten Youth Activism Stories by Mother Jones Magazine!
€ Promoted youth voice within the environmental justice movement.
€ Helped launch youth organizing projects within community organizations.
€ Shut down Romic, a hazardous waste toxic plant in the community of East Palo Alto, after 12 years of continuous pressure on regulatory agencies and the company for accountability!
€ Stopped a hazardous concrete batch plant from locating in East Palo Alto.
€ Won the shutdown of a concrete batch plant in East Palo Alto.
€ With the Environmental Justice Air Quality Coalition, won the placement of
air monitors in East Palo Alto and the adoption of environmental justice
principles by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
€ Won a ballot measure to tax hazardous waste facilities 10% of their gross
receipts.
€ Increased local control over hazardous waste facilities through the passing of a Conditional Use Permit Ordinance.
€ Conducted a survey documenting cancer and asthma rates in East Palo Alto.
€ Stopped condo conversions in the community.