2010 LAYC
About Latin American Youth Center
The Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) is a nationally recognized multiservice youth development organization in the District of Columbia and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. The LAYC supports youth and young adults in achieving the skills they need to succeed educationally, professionally and personally. The LAYC offers programs and activities in workforce development, educational and college bound supports for in-school and out-of-school youth, gang prevention, social services, mental health, substance abuse treatment, foster care and residential housing, positive health promotion, recreation, arts, media, and youth advocacy for over 4000 Latino, African American and multicultural youth and their families annually.
LAYC has founded three charter schools and two of these schools, Youthbuild and The Next Step, designed for youth who have dropped out of regular public or charter school settings, continue to be part of the LAYC network. With a four person learning and evaluation team, LAYC is committed to using data and outcome measurement to evaluate all of our programs insuring that we are getting the best results possible for our young people. LAYC is currently piloting a new long-term intensive mentoring and wraparound case management model for “disconnected” youth and young people experiencing multiple challenges. LAYC is a leader in our field of youth development in a multiservice setting. Over ten different languages are spoken at the LAYC with special emphasis on working with Latino youth and their families.
LAYC is part of the investment portfolio of Venture Philanthropy Partners, has been featured on the front page of the New York Times, and has been recognized by the White House.
Special Projects Manager & Special Assistant to the CEO
Goals and Primary Responsibilities for this position include:
- Conducting meetings on behalf of CEO and representing CEO at high level meetings where strategy and special projects are being discussed and executed. Current special projects underway at the LAYC include the development of a 4th charter school, a vocational GED and Diploma based charter school for disconnected youth; the oversight and construction of a new site to integrate a second Youthbuild campus and 50 units of residential housing for youth; overseeing the merger/acquisition of a smaller non-profit who is currently in talks with LAYC about being acquired by the LAYC; and the development of Impacto Consulting, a new social enterprise in the development stage at the LAYC;
- Representing and supporting the CEO who serves on boards and commissions when support is needed, including Chair of the Youth Investment Committee of the Workforce Development Board, Treasurer of Youth Radio, Inc. national youth media organization based in California; and President of the Board of Directors of the DC Alliance for Youth Advocacy; Often CEO needs additional back up at these meetings and another pair of hands to conduct the work involved in serving in these leadership roles;
- Serve as Liaison to the LAYC 18 member board of directors in coordination and consultation with CEO;
- Oversee all aspects of the merger/acquisition of another smaller non-profit once the business plan is complete. Business plan for this acquisition will be completed in spring, 2010 and if it is a go, implementation is scheduled to begin in fall, 2010.
- Participate in strategy discussions regarding LAYC advocacy efforts and “positioning” with respect to local District of Columbia issues, Maryland state and county issues and federal issues. For example, LAYC would like to play a role informing policymakers regarding “best practices in youth employment” as part of the WIA re-authorization discussions;
- Strategize to elevate Promotor/Navigator Pathway to a higher level of recognition as external evaluation demonstrates (hopefully) positive results;
- Assist in marketing and launching LAYC’s Impacto Consulting business and LAYC Centers of Excellence learning opportunities;
- Other special projects that may come up during the course of the Fellow’s time at the LAYC.
