Who We Are

Vision:

Collective Action for Youth’s vision is to create communities where all youth can thrive.

Mission:

The mission of Collective Action for Youth is to leverage community power and center youth voices for equitable, systemic solutions based in shared leadership, responsibility and accountability. We do this by centering the experiences of impacted people to transform systems and create solutions.

History:

Founded organically in 2017, Harris County Youth Collective emerged from several initiatives underway in 2016. During that time, the Juvenile Probation Department funded a new coordinator position, JCAP began recruiting students to serve as GALs in the 315th court, and some attorneys were acting as both defense and ad litem representatives for children. Although there was significant dedication to this population, coordination was lacking.

To address this, a task force and later a steering committee were formed, leading to the establishment of the Harris County Youth Collective as the central coordinating and supporting agency for Dual Status efforts across the County. Since our inception, we have been instrumental in aligning these efforts.

We spearheaded the partnership with the Georgetown Center for Juvenile Justice Reform’s Crossover Youth Practice Model, adopting it as the Dual Status Youth Practice Model for Harris County. Our unique position allows us to forge partnerships with other dual-status and crossover communities both locally and nationally. We have led cross-community collaborations with Bexar, Travis, Dallas, Tarrant, and McClennan counties.

In 2021, we rebranded and expanded our work under a 501(c)(3) as Collective Action for Youth. At Collective Action for Youth, we believe all citizens, especially youth, must play an active role in driving change. Our rights, freedoms, and livelihoods depend on it. Those closest to the problem are also closest to the solution, and our fates are interlinked—today and always.