Youth Organizing as College Access for Low-Income Latina/o Students

• In Event: 32.060 - Strategies and Outcomes of Grassroots Organizing

Abstract

While college preparation (CP) programs seek to build the academic skills necessary to help low-income youth of color access and succeed in college, youth organizing (YO) groups seek to insert their voices into the public sphere. This study situates YO groups within the aim of CP programs to investigate the extent to which YO groups facilitate members’ college access and experiences. Drawing from 34 semi-structured interviews conducted with young adults who participated in a YO group and attended a four-year college, findings suggest that YO groups create future social justice-oriented college students by 1) providing members with academic knowledge and skills, and 2) helping them understand their role as both college students and civic actors.

Author

• Claudia Diera, University of California - Los Angeles