FUTURE LEADERS CALIFORNIA

Tomorrow Starts Today

PROJECT ELEVATE: School-Based Mentorship and Intervention

The Community Attendance Assistance Program, The Concrete Programs, Becoming Future Founders
The Community Attendance Assistance Program reduces chronic absenteeism and strengthens academic performance among youth through a proprietary life skills curriculum delivered via 1 on 1 mentorship, family engagement, and targeted academic and wraparound supports. Chronic Absenteeism is defined as a pupil who is absent on 10 percent or more of the school days in the school year. Concrete Roses and Soldiers (“The Concrete Programs”) develop emotional intelligence and regulation skills among youth while reducing school-based violence through a proprietary SEL-based curriculum delivered via gender-based group mentorship, family engagement, and targeted supports.Becoming Future Founders increases financial literacy, builds entrepreneurial skills, and prepares youth to make informed financial decisions and pursue income-generating opportunities through a 12-week, hands-on workshop series featuring interactive activities, group discussions, and personalized financial planning tools. 94% of participants engage in doc additional physical altercations during program enrollment. 81% of participants have zero additional overall behavioral incidents during program enrollment. Last semester, CAAP drove attendance improvements of up to 31 percentage points. In the example shown, the student entered the program having missed 40% of the school year and exited at just 9%. Last semester, successful CAAP participants improved their grades by nearly one-third. In the example shown, the student increased their performance by a full letter grades. 75% average success rate since 2014. +6k students benefitted from one-on-one mentorship. +2k total interventions completed in 2024-25. +11k years of successful attendance interventions.

JUST US ARTS: Storytelling, Creative Expression, and Workforce Development

Justice Sunday
Justice Sunday: Building Leaders and Increasing Access Through Arts Since 2016 Justice Sunday builds leadership, communication, and social-emotional skills among youth through intensive, multi-city, project-based theater and culturally-relevant storytelling experiences that strengthen peer connection, confidence, and real-world support systems. Peer Connection & Belonging: A bar graph shows that 33.3% of participants reported strong peer connection pre-test and 76.2% reported strong peer connection post-test. Participants reporting strong peer connection more than doubled! Leadership Development: A bar graph shows that 57.1% of participants reported strong leadership confidence and 81.0% of participants reported strong leadership confidence post-test. Participants reporting strong leadership confidence increased by 24 percentage points. Increasing Access & Trust - 45% of participants reported no prior participation in arts, media, theater, or performance-based programs. Youth reporting a trusted adult outside of their immediate family increased to 86%. Youth reporting a trusted adult outside of their immediate family increased to 86%. showing real-world support systems and long-term impact, not just program engagement. Strong Alumni Engagement With a 65% alumni return rate, our model creates a continuous cycle of leadership. By integrating mentorship with primary-point intervention in arts and media, we transform underexposed potential into California's next generation of civic power. Just Us Film Lab: Voices Through The Lens Just Us Film Lab builds youth storytelling, technical, and creative skills through hands-on filmmaking experiences that explore identity and justice and strengthen voice, collaboration, and career pathways into the creative industry. Growth Mindset: Future Leaders California launched the Just Us Film Lab in Spring 2026, in partnership with the California Arts Council, after youth expressed strong interest in career pathways to the creative industry. The 22-week program serves ~12 to 15 youth. Limited Technical Film Skills & Prior Experience 25% of participants reported strong confidence in planning a film using storyboards or shot lists, and just 25% reported strong confidence in recording sound or interviews. 50% of participants reported no prior experience creating films or videos. High Interest & Untapped Potential 75% of participants reported strong interest in learning more about media and creative careers, despite varying levels of technical experience.

TEEN TALK: Community, Justice, and Civic Engagement

Teen Talk, Teen Talk Initiative: Youth Advisory Committee, Youth 4 Justice
A Minor Discussion A Minor Discussion builds trust between youth and justice system professionals, increases safety awareness, and promotes prosocial decision-making through a student-led summit featuring facilitated dialogue, targeted workshops, and exposure to justice system careers. Youth 4 Justice Youth 4 Justice expands access to justice system career pathways by connecting youth directly with professionals across justice agencies through a two-day, interactive summit featuring workshops, hands-on simulations, and career exposure. Future Leaders Summit More than a conference, the Future Leaders Summit is a strategic gateway to economic mobility. We dismantle barriers to entry by providing hundreds of youth with direct access to elite professional networks and industry leaders. Through our 'Four E's' framework, we transform brief exposures into career-defining internships and sustained connections, ensuring that our students possess the social capital required to dominate in their chosen fields. Teen Talk's Vast Reach Since 2020, over 2,000 youth have accessed programs that expand career pathways, strengthen civic engagement, increase safety awareness, and connect participants to professionals across industries and the justice system. We facilitated 77 hours of direct, high-stakes dialogue between our Youth Advisory Committee and the LASD, transforming tension into a strategic bridge-building partnership that redefines teen-law enforcement relations. TRUST IN JUSTICE SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS: +22.8% Participants reporting strong trust in law enforcement increased from 38.0% to 60.8%, demonstrating increased system legitimacy and willingness to engage. COMMUNITY SAFETY ACTION: 77.2% Participants that are likely to report unsafe or harmful activity increased to 77.2%, demonstrating movement toward prosocial behavior and real-world application. SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP: 75% Of participants expressed interested in continued engagement through leadership, civic, or community-based initiatives and careers pathways. SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION: 82.3% Of participants reported an increased likelihood of avoiding drugs or alcohol, despite nearly 90% indicating that substance use is highly prevalent among their peers.