The Center for Young Women's Development
Founded in 1993 in San Francisco, CYWD is one of the nation's first youth-run social service organizations. The young women served by the organization assume responsibility for its direction. Adults no longer make decisions affecting young women of color without their input. The success of this model means that young women of color who were formerly incarcerated, working in the street economies, who may or may not be in school, can be leaders, policymakers, researchers, employers, and activists – people who turn their ideas into new solutions to old problems.

The staff, all women 26 and under, many of whom moved up through the program into leadership roles, provide services in four areas:

Health – Physical, mental, and spiritual health services help women who have experienced domestic violence, assault, rape, emotional abuse, addiction, and other traumatic life events and health challenges. Services range from traditional counseling to alternative medicine, to self-defense classes.

Critical Thinking – Young women develop the skills they need to come to terms with their own experiences, understand them in the larger context of our society, and take responsibility for how they choose to respond. Education methods include social biography, civic engagement activities, attending city commission and board meetings, political education, policy work, and other activities.

Community Building – Rather than encouraging young women to escape their circumstances, CYWD helps them re-invest in their own communities by being involved and working for social justice. Activities include street outreach, organizing campaigns, conferences, trainings, social activities, and service projects.

Skills Development – Training in literacy, math skills, job etiquette, personal economic strategies, resumes, interview skills, self-expression, assertiveness, and conflict resolution helps women become self-sufficient.

All of the CYWD's services are based on women using their own experiences as the basis of their learning, on integrating all four of the areas listed above, and on bringing each of the four elements to young women in a manner appropriate to their particular situations.

CYWD works with young women in juvenile hall, on the streets, and on-site. They provide referrals and "street law" training, while also engaging in conversations with young women about the circumstances that led them to the streets. Peers share their own stories, offering a credibility that others do not possess. CYWD provides a place to heal and to experience a strong sense of sisterhood while providing the support, information, and skill-building that help young women get through difficult times and become positive change agents in their communities.

Over the course of the next two years, CYWD will publish articles as well as release a study about the impact of its work over the past decade. Please check its Web site (www.cywd.org) for information and read its most current newsletter.