$25,000 / Fall 2017
Philadelphia, PA
https://www.youthunitedforchange.org
YUC’s mission is to support low-income youth, primarily youth of color, to organize for adequately funded high quality education. A long-time Hazen grantee, YUC has won significant victories in improving Philadelphia’s disciplinary processes and is a leading participant in campaigns for restorative justice, equitable funding and local control of schools and against privatization. Last year, due to student complaints of lack of clean water in schools, YUC pressured the Philadelphia school district to take an inventory of every fountain in the district and allied with other community based groups to win $1million to install three water hydration stations in every Philly public school. YUC also partnered with Philadelphia Student Union, ACLU, and Education Law Center to push the District to end all suspensions for kindergartners and students who violate dress code. This year, as a result of their alliance work to organize for more school counselors and end K-5 suspensions, YUC won a ban on K-2 suspensions. Hazen’s renewal grant will support the strengthening of campaigns focused on school climate and discipline reform, education equity, and food justice.