The Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) was founded in the late 1960s to address the absence of services for the emerging Latino community. Incorporated in 1974 as a 501(c)(3), LAYC today is a network of community-based youth centers, public charter schools, and social enterprises with a shared commitment to help youth become successful and happy young adults with the skills they need to succeed educationally, professionally, and personally and to become engaged in their communities.
Our Organization
Youth Centers
We have been operating our flagship DC site in Columbia Heights since 1974. In 2005, we began offering youth programs and services in Prince George's and Montgomery counties and now operate offices in Silver Spring, Langley Park and Riverdale, MD.
Public Charter Schools
The Next Step/El Próximo Paso Public Charter School was founded in 1996, offering teen parents and other young people who have dropped out or have never been to school in this country a flexible, individualized education that can include instruction in English, high school equivalency courses (GED), and work experience.
The Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) Public Charter School was founded in 2001 and provides a dual language immersion environment for children aged 3-12, where students learn a second language -- either English or Spanish -- in a stimulating multicultural environment.
The YouthBuild Public Charter School, which opened in 2005, offers high school equivalency classes (GED), construction training, and leadership development for youth ages 16-24 who have dropped out of traditional high schools.
Art & Media House
The Art & Media House is a space for youth to develop their creative abilities through hands-on training in photography, ceramics, radio, video, creative writing, fine art, and museum studies. Art & Media House programs encourage youth to experience the power of their art not only as a means of self-expression but also as a tool for exploring issues facing the community
As a client-centered agency, LAYC’s goals for each youth who walks through our doors are:
(1) academic success,
(2) postsecondary education or work, and
(3) healthy behaviors. Further, LAYC seeks to promote positive change in conditions, policies, and laws affecting youth.
