We envision a community where no youth is considered at- risk and where all are respected as valued members of society. To this end, we work to establish structured opportunities for adolescents to become safe, healthy, resilient, and confident community members.
The Impact
As a result of recent advocacy and awareness campaigns, we’ve made major investments in our issue areas.
Who We Are
DCAYA has over 120 members, who all share our vision for a District committed to all of its citizens.
Stay Involved
Parents, providers, and other youth advocates can connect with us through events and volunteering.
Our Issue Areas
We promote a citywide strategy to youth development that is data and outcome driven in these issue areas.
2018 Election Advocacy Guide Toolkit
The 2018 District of Columbia elections present a critical opportunity. Now is the time to push for the needs of the over 120,000 children and youth who call DC home—but lack a direct political voice—to the forefront of every candidate’s agenda.
Learn MoreUpcoming Events
- Jul 16 Tuesday
Youth Workforce Community Meeting
- 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
On Tuesday July 16th at 10:00 am we’d like to get our youth workforce providers together at DCAYA’s Offices to discuss how we can collectively tackle improving workforce development opportunities and outcomes for DC youth in the year to come. We’ve made a lot of progress in the last few years- and it’s time to reflect on…
- Jul 18 Thursday
Disconnected Youth Community Input Meeting
- 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
On Thursday July 18th at 10:00 am we’d like to get our Disconnected Youth, Alternative Education and post-secondary success providers together at DCAYA’s Offices to discuss how we can collectively tackle improving opportunities for reconnection for DC youth in the years to come. We’ve made a lot of progress the last few years, and as we reconsider our…
November is Youth Homelessness Awareness Month
Join the fight to end youth homelessness here in the District, by making a pledge to support our advocacy for homeless youth this Giving Tuesday.
Pledge NowYouth-Friendly DC
Keep up with news and updates from DCAYA staff and occasional guest bloggers, with a new post every Wednesday.
Preparing for the FY2020 Budget
As you may have heard, the Mayor’s proposed FY20 budget, A Fair Shot, was released Wednesday March 20th. After an initial scan and preliminary analysis, we’d like to share a few priorities that stand out as we enter agency budget hearings in the coming month. As always, if you’re interested in learning more, or getting involved in…
Budgets Are Moral Documents.
Budgets are moral documents. They reflect a community’s priorities and values. So, with the Mayor’s budget set to drop on March 20th, we wanted to share the investments we hope to see- and will be working for- in the coming few months. We can’t do this work without you, so take a read, and reach…
Students at H.D. Woodson Create Care Packages & Personalized Messages for Classmates Experiencing Homelessness
Every week youth at H.D. Woodson High School in Ward 7 of Washington, D.C. learn about civic engagement and practice civic action through youth service projects with the help of volunteer organizations like ours, the Community Enrichment Project. The first few months of the school year students selected hefty topics, such as domestic violence,…