The Youth Law Center is thrilled to introduce our Class of 2025 Scholars in Action. At YLC, our advocacy is guided by the lived experiences of youth who are rewriting what’s possible for the next generation. This impressive group of young adults aims to mobilize other juvenile justice impacted youth, ensuring their ideas and perspectives are centered in policies and actions driving educational alternatives to youth incarceration.
The Class of 2025 Scholars in Action kicked off their work with a day at the state Capitol in April focused on the following objectives:
- unifying the Scholars in Action and key stakeholders to advocate for this year’s $10 million budget proposal to support California’s community college Rising Scholars Network—campus support programs specifically designed to address the unique needs of students impacted by the juvenile and adult justice system—in the 2025-2026 California State Budget;
- emphasizing the importance of uniquely designed supports for students specifically impacted by the state’s youth justice system;
- advocating for a portion of the funding to be allocated to programs within the Rising Scholars Network that specifically support youth justice impacted students; and
- bringing awareness, attention, and humanity to advocacy for continued and expanded ongoing funding for the life changing, critical work of higher education pathways.
Our advocacy is guided by the lived experiences of youth who are rewriting what’s possible for the next generation.
The advocacy of the Scholars in Action students this spring helped secure the budget allocation for the Rising Scholars Network in the 2025-2026 California State Budget (see full story about that later in this email). The Scholars in Action will now be focused on helping the new Rising Scholars Programs across California grow out their own student leadership opportunities through speaking events and presentations. They will continue to help raise awareness and support for the movement to ensure higher education is a priority afforded to students impacted by the juvenile justice system by sharing their stories and perspectives to stakeholders in education, probation, and government agencies.