¡Escuelas, Si! ¡Pintas, No! (Schools, Yes! Prisons, No!)

Connecting Youth Action Research and Youth Organizing in California

Abstract

*Youth Transforming Their Environments and Communities | Reports from the Field

This field report describes the first youth-led coalition that connects youth action research and youth organizing across California’s Central Valley, ¡Escuelas, Si! ¡Pintas, No! (Schools, Yes! Prisons, No!—ESPINO). High school-aged youth hold all organizational leadership positions in ESPINO, and this report examines the opportunities and challenges this governance structure presents. The organization’s success suggests practical implications for raising the levels of youth involvement in project governance.