From Learning to Leading
Where Youth Voice Sparks Change
Youth in Action – Jóvenes de la Misión en Acción is MEDA’s yearlong leadership development program that empowers Mission youth to drive change in their lives and their communities.
Grounded in social-emotional learning and personal growth, the program blends leadership training with community organizing to cultivate the next generation of San Francisco’s movement builders.
Through weekly sessions, we engage over 200 youth leaders and activate an additional 1,000 peers through events and hands-on community projects.
Core activities include power analysis, youth-led participatory research, and advocacy campaigns shaped by real-life experiences. Using Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methods, participants collect data and synthesize insights to drive change. These projects give youth the opportunity to define goals, identify needed support, and create concrete proposals for impact.
By centering youth voice and lived experience, Youth in Action is building a powerful pipeline of young leaders in the Mission and beyond.
Raise your voice. Build your skills.
Lead your community. Join Youth in Action.
