About Us

"I learned about a history that was mine but I didn't know it."

- YLSC Alum 2019

Our Mission
Founded in 2014, Young Leaders, Strong City's (YLSC) mission is to educate, equip and activate a community of youth leaders prepared to realize their visions for racial justice and equity.

Who We Are

Young Leaders, Strong City is a student-centered organization that focuses on dismantling institutional and structural racism, providing a historical analysis of inequitable policies and practices, addressing intersectionality in issues and solutions, and envisioning a more equitable society.

What We Do

As a youth-centered organization, we offer unique community programming year-round and annually as well as partner with local school districts, higher education institutions, and other nonprofits. We host learning labs, district-specific summits, student councils, and an annual summit. YLSC also works with educators and administrators to create systemic change on campuses and in communities. Visit our District Summit page to learn more.

All YLSC community programming is free for students and available as funding allows. Become a Patron and help us meet the increasing demand from our students for ongoing programming and expand to more young leaders in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

Our Method

Educate

students on untold local histories, narratives, and inequities through the lens of race and identity.

Equip

students with tools to create equity through community change.

Activate

students to realize their visions for change through self-advocacy, policy change, and collaborative equity initiatives.

Our methods align with the Youth Engagement Continuum developed by the Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing. These three together, work to improve students self-efficacy and critical consciousness resulting in greater empathy, problem-solving, and systemic thinking pushing back on the adult-determined boundaries of traditional youth work