Future Leaders California

Antelope Valley Youth Advisory Committee

The Antelope Valley Youth Advisory Committee (AV YAC) is a youth-led initiative designed to elevate the voices of young people ages 13–17 in Lancaster and Palmdale, California. AV YAC creates meaningful opportunities for youth to lead conversations, influence policy, and drive positive change within the justice system.

Young people in the Antelope Valley have been disproportionately impacted by policing practices, high arrest rates, and strained community relationships. Too often, youth interactions with law enforcement result in punishment rather than support, creating lasting trauma and limiting future opportunities. AV YAC exists to change that narrative by ensuring youth are not just affected by decisions—but actively shaping them.

Established in response to a Settlement Agreement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, AV YAC provides a structured platform where young people can engage directly with decision-makers, share lived experiences, and advocate for policies that prioritize youth development, prevention, and community well-being.

What Youth Do in AV YAC

Through participation in AV YAC, members:  Lead discussions on youth justice and community safety | Participate in policy review and reform conversations | Host and engage in public forums and listening sessions | Conduct youth-driven research and community outreach | Develop leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement skills

AV YAC equips young people with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to speak up, organize, and create solutions that reflect their realities.

Our Vision

We believe youth are experts in their own experiences. When young people are given a seat at the table, systems become more responsive, fair, and effective. AV YAC is committed to fostering leadership, accountability, and collaboration to build a justice system that supports growth, opportunity, and dignity for all youth.

At AV YAC, youth don’t just participate—they lead.

Future Leaders Brunch

Future Leaders Brunch is an annual, one-day event and award ceremony designed to inspire, empower, and connect BIPOC youth and young adults across the Antelope Valley, while strengthening support for Black and Brown communities.

Held during Black History Month in recognition of its cultural significance, the Brunch creates space to celebrate past achievements, strategize for the future, and unite the community around shared progress and prosperity. In partnership, Future Leaders California and the City of Lancaster bring together high school students with influential minority leaders, business professionals, and government officials, opening doors to meaningful mentorship, networking, and opportunity.

What to Expect

The Future Leaders Brunch blends inspiration with action through: Professional career panel discussions featuring diverse community leaders | Interactive networking opportunities with mentors and role models | Community celebration and awards honoring exceptional youth, young adults, and organizations making a positive impact.

Program Goals

The Future Leaders Brunch proudly highlights the achievements and leadership of BIPOC trailblazers across the Antelope Valley, celebrating the impact they continue to make in our communities. At the same time, the event opens doors for high school students to explore real-world career pathways in high-growth fields such as medicine and healthcare, education, law and government, engineering, aerospace, and community development, helping them envision and pursue successful futures.

Why It Matters

The Future Leaders Brunch is more than a celebration, it’s a platform for connection, visibility, and leadership development, ensuring young people can access the relationships, guidance, and inspiration that help shape their future.

Youth4Justice

Youth 4 Justice (Y4J), previously known as Pathways to Law Enforcement, is an annual program meant to encourage youth and young adults to learn from those who came before them and pursue their dreams of a career in the justice system. At Future Leaders California, we originally created Y4J as an extension of Teen Talk. With the ongoing tension between younger adults and law enforcement at the time, it felt appropriate to create a greater closeup intimate experience for the students to interact with law enforcement officers one-on-one and in smaller group sessions. Following deeper thought and observation, we realized it was just as significant to bridge the gap between students and the justice system as a whole. There isn’t enough being done to properly educate youth on the complexity of the justice system, specifically the processes and protocols followed that generate the decisions that are made on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the crime rate in Lancaster is only rising, and each day the suspects become younger, so this program serves as an intimidating, but realistic insight as to what they may face if they do not act accordingly. The goal is to keep our students safe and off the streets, and to encourage them to behave appropriately and within the law. Youth 4 Justice is generally a two-day event in which students from different high schools have the opportunity to converge and meet with current employees in the justice system. Each day is filled with timed breakout sessions for the students to learn more about and interact with different departments of the justice system. A rotation is set to keep the students alert and interactive, keep their attention and focus high. Some of our rotational breakout sessions have included Question & Answer sessions with current judges and Sheriff’s deputies, icebreakers with Sheriff‘s deputies and Public Safety Officers, interactive act-out scenarios, a “Don’t Shoot” Simulator provided and managed by the Sheriff’s station, and more. For the students, we have also had presentations from Kemba Smith, I Fear For My Life, Dr. Yusef, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. With each of these sessions, we hope they serve as a boost for the students for their dream career in the justice system and as a chance to get to know the people currently serving to protect them and their rights. Our priority is always to find ways to benefit the students and give back to the community by providing a shoulder for our younger generation to stand on and follow, in hopes that our future leaders will one day give back as well.

Minor Discussion

Minor Discussion is a summit that is hosted annually by Future Leaders California, the City of Lancaster, and Antelope Valley Union High School District. The event is in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and the City of Palmdale. Minor Discussion establishes a sounding board for local youth in the Antelope Valley and law enforcement to communicate with one another positively. The summit serves as a conference to educate and address the concerns of our youth on the intricacies of law enforcement. The overall goal of Minor Discussion is to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the youth in the community while also increasing awareness of a day in the life of a deputy. Minor Discussion was created after the annual Justice Sunday play, where the youth discussed police brutality, and deputies who were in the crowd walked out. This caused us to question what was missing in our community. After discussion and communication with each other, it was decided that we wanted to build a program that would work towards bridging the gap between the youth in the community and law enforcement. This allowed the Minor Discussion summit to launch in 2021. The summit includes a panel discussion between our local law enforcement and the youth, guest speakers, and workshops. Students from all over the Antelope Valley attend Minor Discussion; therefore, the students are broken into two groups, where one group participates in the panel discussion, and the other group participates in three 30-minute workshops. The panel consists of 7 students who ask the deputies hand-picked questions that the youth participating in the summit have. Some of the questions are, how does your job affect your personal life, do you keep them separate or do you integrate them?, what were some of the difficulties and hardships of being a deputy?, and what’s the hardest decision you’ve had to make as a deputy? The youth asking the deputies these questions allows them to engage in critical conversations to promote positive relationships between youth and law enforcement. There are three educational workshops that the youth participate in during the summit, which are the effects of drug, alcohol, and tobacco, human trafficking, and Road to the Bench, where they get to have a one-on-one conversation with local judges.