We are pleased to announce that the Sylarn Foundation of Upper Michigan recently committed to supporting our work after hearing about LAYC from a Washington DC resident. The Sylarn Foundation contribution helped make possible scholarships for the writers of Voces Sin Fronteras. The graphic memoir capturing the stories of their own personal immigration stories was…
Miguel is a young person who faced numerous obstacles both during his childhood in Guatemala and after immigrating to the US. This included the loss of family members, extreme poverty, and the discovery that he had a chronic medical condition. Additionally, Miguel spoke only his indigenous Mayan dialect, which led to a considerable language barrier….
by Adam Angel, Deputy Director, LAYC/MMYC Montgomery County It has been two years this month since Rickey Robinson joined LAYC, and since then I have been eager to write about him. I cannot share enough about this man. His students come to him because of his ability to listen, and they return to him because…
When Jada came to LAYC as a high school senior, she was working two jobs and focused on being a parent to three younger siblings. She had no parental support, faced many difficulties at school, had low self-esteem, and felt hopeless and defeated. “I didn’t want to live. I felt defeated. I was done. I…
On the banks of the Potomac River, in an elegant performance space with 25-foot high ceilings and white crinkle-textured walls, youth from LAYC’s Teen Center in DC added hundreds of sticky notes to studio mirrors that ran along the length of the room. The notes read: Belonging is smiles and laughter. Belonging means acceptance. I…
For many families in DC and Maryland, summer has come to a close and students are back in school. As the first day of school for many LAYC youth approached, the days leading up to the first day of class offered time for reflection. Students had a chance to think about the previous school year,…
