About

For more than 30 years, YPI has been breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. At the core of our commitment to serving key high-need communities in Los Angeles with essential resources and support services, we focus on direct education and comprehensive services including early childhood education, tutoring, operating K–12 schools, college preparation, computer labs, case management, financial capability, and job training.

Originally part of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, YPI was founded in 1983 in Washington, D.C. In 1996, YPI relocated to Los Angeles to focus on direct education and comprehensive services including early childhood education, tutoring, operating K–12 schools, college preparation, computer labs, case management, financial empowerment, and job training.

Now over 1,500 YPI employees serve some of the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods, reaching more than 112,000 youth and adults annually at 152 program sites in Los Angeles. YPI is the only nonprofit in the country to receive all three signature federal Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative grants: Promise Neighborhoods (twice), Choice Neighborhoods, Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation, and the Los Angeles Promise Zone designation, making YPI the lead implementation partner for the zone.

These endorsements of YPI’s work have been a humbling call to action—to build and strengthen our collaborations, invest in our staff and infrastructure, and continue to increase the impact of our work. We are honored to provide these services to some of the most vulnerable youth and families in Los Angeles, and we thank you for your support of YPI.

Vital early childhood services include learning programs such as parenting classes and Baby University, plus a new Early Head Start program. Our k–12 academic and supportive services range from academic tutoring to mentoring, summer bridge programs, physical education and nutrition services, art and music classes, and gang prevention programs.

YPI also directly operates five schools emphasizing technology, project-based learning, and high levels of parental involvement: Pacoima’s Bert Corona Charter School (middle and high), Pico Union’s Monseñor Oscar Romero Charter Middle School, the San Fernando Institute for Applied Media, and Sylmar Biotech Health Academy.

YPI is the only agency in Los Angeles operating both district and charter schools, and also partners with 114 additional area schools. YPI offers college and career readiness (starting as early as elementary school), providing college and career counseling, college visits, matched college savings accounts, student internships, and summer job opportunities. Our FamilySource, YouthSource, and WorkSource Centers provide essential aid to families: transportation assistance; help accessing public benefits, health care; tax preparation and financial empowerment services; adult education such as esl, ged, and computer literacy classes; and workforce development services such as job training and placement assistance.

YPI’s integrated cradle-to-career service model.