Youth
Regional Inequality Context
Youth in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties face interconnected social inequality challenges rooted in economic, racial, and structural disparities. Educational inequities persist as a digital divide leaves a significant portion of K-12 students—especially Latinx youth—without reliable home internet or computing access, hindering learning and participation. Housing instability and overcrowding further burden youth development and academic success, disproportionately affecting students of color. In San Luis Obispo, over half of students are economically disadvantaged, and issues like bullying and violence at school add to social stressors. Across all three counties, youth equity efforts recognize disparities impacting marginalized groups, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth as well as youth impacted by the justice and foster care system, and highlight the need for targeted support across education, health, and justice systems.
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Resources
FREEDOM 4 YOUTH
Freedom 4 Youth’s mission is to uplift and empower youth impacted by the criminal legal system to build safe and compassionate communities.
Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy
CAUSE is committed to social, economic and environmental justice for working-class and immigrant communities in California’s Central Coast.
Awakening Giantz
Awakening Giantz supports young adults who are either exiting the foster care system or who have been impacted by it. Awakening Giantz provides these young adults with mentors, programs, and resources that cultivate their sense of belonging, allow them to thrive, and foster a successful outlook on life.
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara and Carpinteria
Girls Inc. works directly with and on behalf of girls to help them gain the knowledge and skills to effect positive change in their lives.
UCSB’s Pathways to Change
Pathways to Change creates a campus-to-community pathway to community-based, justice-oriented careers.
Youth Arts Alive
Youth ARTS Alive provides the youth of Santa Maria with fun and enriching visual and performing arts classes that ignite the imagination.
Future Leaders of America
Future Leaders of America develops youth resiliency to create long-lasting systemic change by mobilizing youth to advocate for policies that improve their lives and their communities.
Amplify Arts Project
Amplify Arts Project empowers girls through music education, the creative arts, community, and positive mentorship.
What the Region Still Needs
Youth organizations in the Central Coast have focused their efforts in recent years on mentorship and community building for young people. In 2020, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 823, which closed the Department of Juvenile Justice and shuttered statewide juvenile detention facilities. This law also requires that county governments provide a host of support services to youth impacted by the justice system, focused on rehabilitative and restorative programming.
In addition to statewide changes to create more support systems, organizations across the tri-county area have built their own networks for supporting the leadership and wellbeing of young people. Future Leaders of America has served over 10,000 Central Coast Latinx youth, empowering and mobilizing youth leaders to advocate for policies that improve their lives and the lives of their peers and their communities. They have also supported nearly 1,000 youth to attend prestigious universities across the country. In 2022, CAUSE youth leaders in Santa Maria achieved a major victory in creating accessible outdoor spaces. They won a commitment from the County Board of Supervisors to extend the Santa Maria river levee trail to Guadalupe to connect to the coast and double the amount of public trails in northern Santa Barbara County.
Explore the Data
There are persistent digital divides for K-12 youth across all three counties, which disproportionately impact Latinx youth. Approximately 26% of youth lacked a high speed internet connection or computer at home in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties in 2024. Explore the data on K-12 Home Internet Access.
See how overcrowding affects children in the Central Coast here.
