Our expansion into the Central Valley region was fueled by our organizational commitment to serve young people who live in high-need neighborhoods with a significant population of Asian families. EBAYC’s goal in Sacramento is to bring a true replication of our comprehensive youth services to the area while being responsive to the unique needs of the community.
EBAYC’s family and student counseling partnerships with Grant Union High School, Luther Burbank High School and Hiram Johnson High School, along with our newest partnership with Valley High School, have made a tremendous impact on the community. In addition to providing counseling services at these high schools, we have also implemented our hallmark case management approach, working with youth on court-ordered probation to envision brighter futures.
EBAYC is proud to be a part of the Sac Kids First Coalition, the first effort of its kind for Sacramento to create a secure funding source for the city’s youth. Sac Kids First organized to get the The Sacramento Children’s Fund Acton the Mach 2020 ballot, which would have required the City of Sacramento to set aside $12 million annually for children’s and youth services. Although the measure was not approved by Sacramento voters, the momentum created by the effort, led by young people and the community, is continuing on. The Sac Kids First Coalition is working with the Mayor of Sacramento and local officials to ensure youth services are a priority for city funding and resources.
Read more about the history of young people advocating for resources and funding for youth services in “A Tale of Two Cities: The Campaign for a Sacramento Children’s Fund.”
In response to the lack of safe, supportive spaces for South East Asian youth to connect with each other, EBAYC coordinates an annual youth summit for Southeast Asian youth at Sacramento State University in collaboration with its Admission and Outreach Department. Founded in 2015, the South East Asian Youth Summit focuses on youth development, college and career readiness, exposure to a college campus and an opportunity for young individuals to connect with others that share similar cultural and personal experiences. The summit includes youth from all of our partner high schools and serves over 200 young people.
EBAYC Sacramento is inviting Southeast Asian youth, ages 14 to 18, to participate in two youth-led peer-support training programs – a young women’s group and a young men’s group. Youth will meet twice-a-week for ten weeks to explore how culture impacts our personal well-being and influences how we feel about ourselves and our futures. Youth will conduct a variety of activities – talking circles, journaling, life mapping, film screenings, outdoor challenges – to share experiences, explore issues, and discuss new ideas.
REAL TALK is a safe space for all youth participants. Each group will be facilitated by EBAYC Youth Counselors Dee Khang and Dexter Niskala.
If you’re interested in joining REAL TALK, please contact Dexter@ebayc.org.
Youth Link Sacramento is a hub for youth opportunities and support, curating the best of Sacramento’s youth resources, programs, activities, services and online support for young people, their families and adult allies. Here you’ll find resources for families with newborns all the way to older youth. Learn more about local activities and resources available to you here: https://youthlinksac.org.
Our thanks to the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the California Reducing Disparity Project from the Department of Public Health for giving EBAYC the opportunity to expand our organization regionally.
