Youth Development Services

We serve over 100 children, teens, and transitional-aged youth each year through culturally attuned, trauma-informed programming focused on wellness, creative expression, and leadership.

Over 18 years of service

CERI’s Youth Development Services began in 2008 in response to community concerns about the impact of neighborhood violence on young people. Today, CERI serves over 100 children, teens, and transitional-aged youth each year through culturally attuned, trauma-informed programming focused on wellness, creative expression, and leadership. Services include mentorship, tutoring, arts-based groups, therapy, and care coordination.

Core Programs

  • Our youth engage in weekly groups to examine issues affecting their lives, such as substance use prevention, anti-Asian hate, immigration, and the school-to-prison pipeline, and develop advocacy and leadership skills.

    This work culminates in a summer leadership camp that integrates nature-based experiences, guest speakers, and expressive arts, followed by a youth-led community symposium. 

  • Youth meet weekly to build resilient emotional regulation, coping, and relationship skills in community with one another.

  • Our programs aim to uplift and celebrate refugee and immigrant identities through art, such as the Khmer Amathak Dance Troupe, which preserves Cambodian classical dance, and The Hamro Project: Culture. Connection. Community, which celebrates Nepali cultural dance.  

Across all services, youth receive ongoing mentorship and wraparound support to foster resilience, belonging, and leadership for social justice.