Young Scholars for Justice

The Latest:
A Youth's Guide to Candidate Forums

When youth are at the center of candidate forums, their impact deepens. Young people bring fresh perspectives, lived experiences, and bold questions that often go unasked. From school funding to climate justice, housing equity to public safety, youth are directly impacted by political decisions, yet their voices are too often sidelined. A youth-led candidate forum changes the narrative. It allows candidates to see that the next generation is not only paying attention, but they are stepping forward to shape the conversation. Our youth and YSJ coordinators recently hosted a webinar seeking to share what they learned about hosting a candidate forum.

Candidate Forum Guide (PDF)

Webinar Recording

Young Scholars for Justice (YSJ) Program

Our Young Scholars for Justice Program, established in 1994, is dedicated to the development of youth and young adults of color to address education, environmental, economic, and social justice issues affecting them and ensure gender, racial and resource equity. The project promotes youth and young adult integration in all areas of PODER's program work.

The Young Scholars for Justice Program (YSJ) provides linguistically and culturally relevant programming that relies on the strengths and assets of the community. The program is overseen by staff with considerable experience in youth development and supported by college interns with experience in program design for diverse populations. In addition, the program itself is largely driven by the interests and needs of the enrolled youth, which will assist in ensuring that programming not only effectively engages youth, but also reflects the culture of youth.

The YSJ is specifically designed to assist youth ages 14-18 residing in East Austin. The YSJ builds the emotional, behavioral, and social needs of youth while providing opportunities for the development of 21st century skills that build employable skills. Participants work collaboratively with staff to determine scope and sequence of activities with consideration to the goals of the program, building and extending communication, teamwork, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills.

YSJ Through the Years

YSJ has created a cadre of young adults that have pursued careers dedicated and based on principles and values instilled through the experiences with PODER. YSJ alum include a former city of Austin council member, candidates for other elected positions (school boards), directors of non-profits and other successful skilled professionals.