Young Community Builders (YCB) is an after-school leadership development program for low-income youth ages 6–14, with a strong focus on young people from refugee and immigrant families.

At YCB, young people are supported by staff who reflect their cultures, speak their languages, and understand the unique realities they navigate. Our program centers the voices and leadership of youth who are too often left out of traditional decision-making spaces. Through culturally rooted enrichment activities, collaborative learning, and safe peer connection, participants develop age-appropriate skills to build community, practice collective care, and lead together.

YCB offers a space where joy, play, and cultural pride are woven into leadership development; helping young people imagine new possibilities for themselves and their communities.

The program culminates in youth-led community projects that address issues that matter most to them. Past projects have included:

• Beautify the Block Party, raising awareness and building healing around youth gun violence

• Neighborhood cleanups to reclaim and take pride in shared spaces

• An interfaith Eid gathering, advocating for Eid to be honored as a school holiday

YCB is more than an after-school program, it’s a space where young people build power, grow into leaders, and reimagine what’s possible in their neighborhoods and beyond.

To sign your student up for YCB, please fill out the registration form. For assistance, contact the Program Coordinator Hillal Nor at hillal@celebratingroots.org or 425-961-2548