Latino Heritage Tour: Latin American Youth Center: Founded in 1968, the Latin American Youth Center became a central space for Hispanic youth engagement, education, and empowerment.

In 1968, a growing need for accessible youth services in the neighborhood resulted in the founding of the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC). Only ten years after its establishment, the Center had received enough funding to become an official non-profit and provide youth job training programs. Center staff offered instruction in clerical skills, automobile mechanics, and catering to support student's future employment. Classes also taught attendees English learning skills and helped a number of students obtain their GED. By the early 1980s, LAYC began to engage students in the arts through providing opportunities for them to engage in street theater, paint murals over neighborhood graffiti, and produce a monthly newspaper for the surrounding Latino community. Throughout the 1990s, the Center began to expand its mission to address gang violence, drug use, and teen pregnancy. LAYC began to receive federal grants to continue their work and establish larger programs to support the young immigrants in the community. In 1998, the Center moved to 1419 Columbia Road NW, after operating out of a former parsonage for over two decades. Today, LAYC runs multiple charter schools, provides a bilingual residential facility for teen parents, and serves over 5,000 youths and families.

SOURCES

Suann Hecht interview by Patrick Scallen: November 17, 2017. HumanitiesDC, DC Oral History Collaborative.