REACH Youth Center opened its doors in Ashland, an Alameda County California Community, in December of 2012. The Alameda County Public Health Department provided funding which has allowed a network of community members and organizations to help improve the lives of local youth.
The County’s investment of $23 million supports youth prevention programs in an effort to stop problems plaguing the community before they start.
REACH programming guides youth towards self-exploration, new hobbies, and skills development, all tools to help youth be successful as they mature. Programs are developed with youth who are encouraged to dream big, make mistakes, and try again. Intentionally placing power in the hands of youth members, REACH embodies the triumphs and challenges of collaboration.
The video below shows a slice of how REACH works and why we see it as a model for county-based programming. If Alameda County can do it successfully, others can, too. We worked with local videographer, Frazier Phillips, to create this piece. Enjoy!
This video was produced by Ankita Mohanty, Jane Pomeroy and Meg Fransee while taking the Journalism for Social Change course offered at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.